In brief
End of life (EOL) refers to the final phase in a product's life cycle, in which the manufacturer gradually ends production, sales and support.
Contents
What is End of life?
A product reaches its end of life when the manufacturer decides to stop offering it permanently. Reasons include successor models, missing upstream materials, changed regulations or insufficient volumes. This is announced in an EOL notice, which usually states dates and, where applicable, a successor product.
End of life often proceeds in stages. With end of sale, regular sales end, often combined with a last time buy date. After that, repairs, spare parts or technical support may still be offered for a while until end of service or end of support is also reached. The terms and periods are not uniformly regulated and differ from manufacturer to manufacturer.
For operators of machines and plants, EOL is a key trigger in obsolescence management. Plants often run considerably longer than the life cycles of their components, especially controllers, drives and electronics. Anyone who records EOL notices early can assess requirements, secure stock or plan a changeover.
In practice: maintenance and procurement
EOL notices should be recorded centrally and matched against the affected equipment and bills of materials. For each affected item, a decision is recommended: stockholding, alternative part or modernisation.
Synonyms and abbreviations: EOL · end-of-life phase · product phase-out · end of sale · EOL notice
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between end of life, end of sale and end of service?
End of sale denotes the end of regular sales. End of service or end of support marks the point from which repairs, spare parts or technical support are also no longer available. End of life is used partly as an umbrella term for the entire phase-out and partly for a single date. The definitions in the respective manufacturer's notice are what count.
What does an EOL notice contain?
Usual contents are the affected items with part numbers, the last order date, where applicable a last delivery date, information on continued service support and, if available, a recommended successor product. Scope and form are not uniformly regulated. If anything is unclear, it is worth asking the manufacturer.
What should you do after an EOL notice?
First, check in which equipment the part is installed and how large the remaining requirement is until the planned end of operation. Then decide whether a last time buy, a verified alternative part or modernisation is the most sensible solution. It is important to meet the deadlines given in the notice.