Obsolescence Issues Research Articles

Digital is Not the Alternative: Dilemma and Preserving Films in India

Abstract Films deteriorate over time and archival methods are still being developed to prevent this. Digital technology enables the conversion of films, but there are various issues with digital approaches that present Indian archivists with the dilemma of choosing the appropriate one to film preservation. It is perceived that digital technology is inferior to film and, thus, archivists in India are struggling to preserve their film heritage for future generations. Film archivists, curators and restorers in India were interviewed as part of this study, with a thematic analysis conducted to understand the perceived insufficiency of digital preservation. Film archivists dislike digital technology but recognise its benefits, however, digital film preservation faces issues of originality, obsolescence, cost, resolution and legal aspects. Archivists suggested that digital archiving is not an alternative to film archiving but rather a complement and the study finds that the problems in digital approaches can be minimised through measures such as diligence, technological advancement, multiple copies and raising awareness which can prolong the film artefact in a digital archive. Both methods must work together to preserve the unpreservable.

Heating Standards and Obsolescence in Post-War Britain’s Homes for Today and Tomorrow

In 1962, a short film by Shell-Mex and BP Limited (Companies of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group and the British Petroleum Group) was prepared for the 29th Annual Conference and Exhibition of the National Society of Clean Air in Britain to encourage British households to shift from coal domestic fires to smokeless heating appliances. One year earlier, in 1961, the most influential report on space standards in Britain was published, titled <em>Homes for Today and Tomorrow </em>(also known as the <em>Parker Morris Report</em>), which advocated for flexibility in the home through larger size homes and better heating. This article focuses on the report’s emphasis on better heating as one way to fulfil the concept of the “adaptable home,” and it introduces the discussions about heating standards during the report’s making, underlining the open domestic fire as an obsolete technology. These discussions, however, were entangled with socio-cultural endeavours and consumerist aspirations for modernisation, placing the removal of an otherwise pervasive domestic element within a broader net of forces, actors, and dilemmas involved in decision-making and planning. This article, composed as a historical acquisition, oscillates from the scale of the domestic fireplace to the housing scale, raising the issue of obsolescence in housing provision, which is still salient today.

An obsolescence management framework for a defense industry company

Obsolescence issues in complex product lifecycles can cause disruptions in projects, leading to delays in project schedules, significant costs, and loss of prestige, particularly in defense companies. This article aims to address the obsolescence management issues of electronic components in complex product lifecycles in the defense industry with a new framework called the "Shell Structure”. The Shell Structure acts as a shield that safeguards and reinforces electronic components involved in every phase of the product lifecycle from obsolescence problems. The Shell Structure consists of five main processes: project management, research and development, manufacturing and services, supply chain management, and the new obsolescence management process. A new overarching obsolescence management process integrated into these main processes have been designed, specifically tailored for a large-scale defense industry company, using a process map example. The main obsolescence management process encompasses three subprocesses: the development of obsolescence management plan, the development of obsolescence management strategies, and the monitoring of obsolescence management plan. These processes interact in real-time, ensuring that electronic component data flows seamlessly in the context of digitalization utilizing Complex Event Processing System architecture. The obsolescence management-focused framework fosters interdisciplinary collaboration among the main processes of defense companies through the Shell Structure.

The Impact of Audit Committee Skepticism and Reward Power on Auditor Communications with the Audit Committee

ABSTRACT Auditing standards emphasize the importance of strong auditor communications with the audit committee to enhance financial reporting quality. This study examines the effects of audit committee skepticism and reward power, two pervasive audit committee characteristics, on auditor communications with the audit committee. Drawing on accountability theory, we predict and find that greater audit committee skepticism and reward power induce the auditor to communicate more information and report on a more timely basis. Seventy-nine audit partners and managers participated in an experiment where we manipulate between-subjects high or low audit committee skepticism (quantity of probing questions) and high or low reward power (exercising full authority to hire/compensate the auditor versus relying on management). Participants responded to a realistic case regarding an inventory obsolescence issue. A follow-up experiment with 30 participants indicates significant mediation for accountability. The findings underscore the importance of audit committee skepticism and reward power in enhancing auditor communications.

Increasing longevity, NDC implementation in Italy and Sweden, and all that

The aim of the paper is twofold. First, it addresses the delicate issue of divisor obsolescence within Non-financial Defined Contribution (NDC) pension schemes. It suggests a method to measure the impact of this obsolescence, referring to the Swedish mechanism of diversifying divisors by birth cohort. Given the serious impact of divisor obsolescence on the fairness and sustainability of NDC systems, the paper also proposes possible solutions to limit this impact. The second aim is to analyze the shortcomings of the Italian system in the light of the challenge to NDC architecture resulting from the obsolescence of divisors. The first anomaly is the current mechanism of periodical revision of the divisors, which prevents Italian workers from planning their retirement on the basis of definite and unchanging information. The second is the extremely wide retirement age range due to the existence of seniority pensions: this needs to be replaced by a small retirement age range with a sufficiently high and rigorous lower bound. Finally, the paper focuses on the need for all NDC systems to compute new divisors based on a much lower frontloading rate, as has recently been done in Norway. It finally suggests that the severe reductions in the replacement rates implied by a lower ‘frontloading’ can be avoided by either removing the survivors benefit from the old-age scheme or by giving workers the option to choose it ‘at their own expense’, as in the second pillar.

Technical debt in the engineering of complex systems

AbstractThe metaphor of technical debt (TD) is widely adopted in the software engineering field, referring to short‐term compromises in software artifacts in exchange for speed or to meet release schedules or other constraints. The implication is that TDs accumulate over time, and may eventually make rework or maintenance very expensive or even impossible. The analogy is generally applicable in the systems engineering field, particularly concerning numerous program cancellation and obsolescence challenges due to premature decisions made in early acquisition phases. This paper adapts this metaphor of TD to the systems engineering field, and proposes a TD taxonomy to support the early identification and assessment of TD items in engineering complex systems, especially in the early life cycle phases of engineering complex, distributed systems. The taxonomy identifies seven TD types: functionality, performance, interoperability, version conflicts, documentation and support, system evolution, and organic, based on systematic indicators and signs discoverable during early acquisition activities. We expect that the notion and the taxonomy of TD will offer an additional perspective for design decisions that will help mitigate challenging integration and obsolescence issues in the engineering of complex systems.

PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE: A HIDDEN THREAT TO ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY AND THE RECENT EU POLICY

Through the fast-paced global economy, our planet witnesses worsening records on global warming, ecological deterioration, and biodiversity losses each year. While ‘over’ or even ‘hyper’ consumption is experienced in various, especially in the developed parts of the world, resources are being depleted to meet infinite desires rather than basic needs. The growth in population and consumption is expected to further deplete natural resources and aggravate excessive waste generation. Behind the scenes, as one of the triggering strategies of this excessive and continuous consumption, planned obsolescence, which has been widely employed since the 1929 Great Depression, remains a prevalent strategy in practice. With the aim to draw attention to this hidden and well-established strategy, this study examines the planned obsolescence issue and its practices, seeks to answer why planned obsolescence poses a threat to environmental security, whilst evaluates the effectiveness of the recent EU policies and actions to tackle this issue.

Leveraging the Systems Engineering Life Cycle Process for Reverse Engineering

AbstractSystems kept in service for extended periods may experience issues caused by changes to the original requirements. This can manifest as parts obsolescence issues caused by changes in mission scope, industry regulations, or technology used to support the system. This paper discusses best practices for using a systems engineering life cycle methodology to support reverse engineering processes in structural‐mechanical aerospace/defense products. The concepts herein compare systems engineering methodologies to determine the best approach to identify changes in system requirements in the modern environment. The availability of operational data to inform the process is explored through three case studies of legacy components with requirements changes. Systems engineers that reverse engineer by beginning with existing requirements will fail to resolve complications that contributed to the original issue. Reverse engineering of aging subsystems and components to resolve a parts obsolescence issue warrants a full systems engineering approach beginning with requirements review.

Uncertainty of city-based urban heat island intensity across 1112 global cities: Background reference and cloud coverage

As an urban heat island (UHI) is closely associated with a wide variety of environmental issues, it is necessary to monitor its spatiotemporal variations in an accurate and timely manner. However, the accuracy of surface urban heat island intensity (SUHII) estimation is greatly challenged by three issues. Namely, less attention has been given to city-based global studies, △SUHII (SUHII difference) is induced when various methods are used to the determine background reference, and uncertainty arises in the methods for coping with missing land surface temperature (LST). Thus, this paper quantitatively evaluated these different methods and their impacts on spatiotemporal SUHII variations across 1112 global cities. There are two major findings: (1) the modified equal area-rural (MEA-R) method can overcome the limitations of the other methods. The fixed buffer (FB) method is limited by the difficulty of buffer selection and the inapplicability of a single fixed buffer for various cities, particularly in large-scale studies. The simplified urban-extent (SUE) method is challenged by cluster discrepancies and data obsolescence issues, and the modified equal area-suburban (MEA-S) method underestimates SUHII resulting from strong human activities in suburban areas. The daytime △SUHII induced by different methods for the reference definition reaches 0.62 K, accounting for 42% of the average SUHII. △SUHII is 0.34 K (23%) at night. △SUHII with evident spatiotemporal variations indicates that the different methods used to define the background reference introduce a considerable uncertainty to SUHII research. (2) After comparing methods for coping with missing LST, the first spatial and after temporal aggregation with threshold removal (FSAT-T) method is demonstrated to provided improved robustness to data missing over other methods. Daytime △SUHII is over 0.1 K in 62% of cities, and nighttime △SUHII is over 0.1 K in 45% of cities. Strong latitudinal and seasonal variations of △SUHII induced by the different methods used to cope with missing data introduce uncertainty and incomparability to SUHII research. Moreover, various image quality control (QC) methods and the effects from these methods on SUHII are discussed. The accuracy of QC methods changes with the error distribution of the image quality. Further investigations are required to determine the optimal QC method. The questions of whether different background definition affects the atmospheric UHI were also discussed. In this paper, a promising strategy for estimating city-based SUHII is proposed and a global-scale database based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) is established to support further research on the variations and controls of SUHI.

Engineering Interoperable, Plug-and-Play, Distributed, Robotic Control Systems for Futureproof Fusion Power Plants

Maintenance and inspection systems for future fusion power plants (e.g., STEP and DEMO) are expected to require the integration of hundreds of systems from multiple suppliers, with lifetime expectancies of several decades, where requirements evolve over time and obsolescence management is required. There are significant challenges associated with the integration, deployment, and maintenance of very large-scale robotic systems incorporating devices from multiple suppliers, where each may utilise bespoke, non-standardised control systems and interfaces. Additionally, the unstructured, experimental, or unknown operational conditions frequently result in new or changing system requirements, meaning extension and adaptation are necessary. Whilst existing control frameworks (e.g., ROS, OPC-UA) allow for the robust integration of complex robotic systems, they are not compatible with highly efficient maintenance and extension in the face of changing requirements and obsolescence issues over decades-long periods. We present the CorteX software framework as well as results showing its effectiveness in addressing the above issues, whilst being demonstrated through hardware that is representative of real-world fusion applications.

Data correction and evolution analysis of the ProgrammableWeb service ecosystem

The evolution analysis on Web service ecosystems has become a critical problem as the frequency of service changes on the Internet increases rapidly. Developers need to understand these evolution patterns to assist in their decision-making on service selection. ProgrammableWeb is a popular Web service ecosystem on which several evolution analyses have been conducted in the literature. However, the existing studies have ignored the quality issues of the ProgrammableWeb dataset and the issue of service obsolescence. In this study, we first report the quality issues identified in the ProgrammableWeb dataset from our empirical study. Then, we propose a novel method to correct the relevant evolution analysis data by estimating the life cycle of application programming interfaces (APIs) and mashups. We also reveal how to use three different dynamic network models in the service ecosystem evolution analysis based on the corrected ProgrammableWeb dataset. Our experimental experience iterates the quality issues of the original ProgrammableWeb and highlights several research opportunities.

Design and implementation of a novel two-phase spectrum handoff scheme for QoS aware mobile users in cognitive radio networks

Quality of Service (QoS) aware spectrum handoff operation is critical for Secondary Users (SUs) executing real-time applications like Voice over IP (VoIP) in Cognitive Radio Networks (CRNs). The problem is aggravated by the inclusion of occasionally mobile SUs where pre-selected target channels are often rendered insignificant during handoff under dynamic conditions. Conventional proactive and reactive schemes may underperform due to channel obsolescence issues and unacceptable handoff latency respectively while a combined approach is not yet explored under the constraints of practical applicability. In view of these challenges and enormous significance of VoIP based CRN in 5G networks, this paper proposes a practically feasible two-phase spectrum handoff methodology with I_Phase and S_Phase operating under alternate conditions. I_Phase deploys a three-level dropping decision scheme followed by a two-tier spectrum handoff policy and is motivated by an integrated approach spanning every CR operation. S_Phase incorporates user mobility and application-oriented aspects where channel drop is governed by a joint two-order Hidden Markov Model — custom Damerau–Levenshtein distance metric based policy and spectrum handoff is monitored by a novel non-cooperative TOPSIS method. These phases are assisted by two proposed prerequisite techniques namely ACT (Adaptive Call Transmission) involving CR timing parameters and VER (VoIP Early Resumption) dealing with early call resumption. Comparative analysis of QoS metrics including per-instance handoff latency, transmission duration per target channel, channel drop and call drop probabilities, etc. in analytical and simulation platforms record significant performance improvement. Novelty of this work further relies on design and execution of SU prototype with the proposed scheme in test-bed that successfully provides QoS guarantees during spectrum handoff.

Forecasting of intermittent demands under the risk of inventory obsolescence

AbstractCroston and the other related methods, such as Syntetos‐Boylan approximation (SBA), are the most popular methods recommended in the literature for intermittent demand forecasting. However, these conventional methods are not considered suitable in inventory obsolescence as they do not update their forecast in the periods of zero demand. Therefore, in order to add to the methods suitable for the inventory obsolescence issue, we propose a new method that imparts flexibility to the SBA method. The proposed method updates forecast each period by the use of distinct smoothing constants for interdemand intervals. The method is further examined extensively on a simulated dataset considering gradual and abrupt obsolescence and an empirical dataset from the automotive sector. The study is not limited to assessing the forecasting accuracy but also focuses upon the inventory performance of the considered methods. The study results indicate the effectiveness of the proposed method, particularly under increased risk of obsolescence.

Staff education resource regarded as the capital asset of a company

Personnel training lasts a lifetime. This is what the existing system of persistent professional education is aimed at. This system implies the possibility of continuing the education at any moment of life from the level at which a person stopped previously. In the article, the concept of continuous professional training in the context of its methodology is considered and the key features of human and education resources are discovered. The particular attention is paid to the issue of obsolescence of the staff education resource and the rationale for its diagnostics conducted through the audit of intellectual capital. The necessity of development of the educational resource for the staff of a modern company and the consequent increase of its competitiveness is presented.

Self Diagnostics and Isolation Mechanisms for Mixed Criticality Systems

Virtualization is a technology that is frequently employed in computers and servers to provide isolation for execution environments, and to support the execution of multiple Operating Systems (OS) on the same hardware platform. In the embedded systems´ world, virtualization has been a rising trend, essentially because it offers an isolation mechanism that provides hardware manufacturer´ independence and it avoids obsolescence issues. The isolation mechanism supports safety and security measures, and assists in the certification of safety-critical systems. Virtualization offers improved performances, better transparency, portability and interoperability by integrating hardware and software resources, and also networking services into one computing entity. It makes the integration process of Mixed Criticality Systems (MCS) easier. For industries, FieldProgrammable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) hardware solutions provide the needed level of flexibility and performance. In this paper, a Self-test application is integrated in the hardware and also in the software level. The importance of self-test applications for Instrumentation and Control (I&C) systems will be discussed in the context of virtualization. For this implementation a type 1 hypervisor called Xtratum is used. An analysis of inter-partition communication channels´ performance will be provided including the implications multicore approaches will have on communication. The novelty of this work is to study the isolation impact multicore approaches can have on inter-partitions communications in Xtratum. Another novel aspect is the implementation of a self-test application in the hypervisor and the board as well.

Over-Design Versus Redesign as a Response to Future Requirements

Though little research has been done in the field of over-design as a product development strategy, an over-design approach can help products avoid the issue of premature obsolescence. This paper compares over-design to redesign as approaches to address the emergence of future requirements. Net present value (NPV) analyses of several real world applications are examined from the perspective of manufacturers (i.e., defense contractors, automobile, pharmaceutical, and microprocessor manufactures) and customers (i.e., purchases of vehicles, televisions, cell phones, washing machines, and buildings). This analysis is used to determine the conditions under which an over-design approach provides a greater benefit than a redesign approach. Over-design is found to have a higher NPV than redesign when future requirements occur soon after the initial release, discount rates are low, initial research, and development cost or price is high, and when the incremental costs of the future requirements are low.

Towards a taxonomy of technical debt for COTS-intensive cyber physical systems

Most existing studies addressing COTS obsolescence issues in Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) have strong emphasis on the sustainment phases. We have identified a gap on methods, processes, and tools for effective COTS risk analysis in the early systems acquisition phases. To fill the gap, this study proposes a taxonomy of COTS-related technical debt in order to support early identification, communication, and assessment of obsolescence risks in CPS system engineering life cycles. The taxonomy contributes to the identification of seven key types of COTS technical debt according to systematic signs discoverable during early COTS activities, which may contribute to obsolescence in later phases. These seven types of COTS technical debt include COTS functionality mismatch, performance mismatch, interoperability difficulty, versioning frequency, documentation and support readiness, and limitation on system evolution. It is expected that such notions will help to increase the efficiency of COTS-based CPS development, readiness, and sustainment, through more informed COTS decision-making to avoid expensive and unaffordable obsolescence issues in the envisioned systems sustainment phases.

Auditors' Communications with Audit Committees: The Influence of the Audit Committee's Oversight Approach

SUMMARY Policymakers have identified effective communications between the auditor and the audit committee (AC) as an indicator of a quality audit, but little is known about the factors auditors consider when deciding what to communicate about significant accounting issues. We propose auditors use the AC's oversight approach as a cue for the level of detail in their communications that is necessary to satisfy the AC's preferences for auditors' insights on issues that were resolved with management. In our experiment, auditors resolved an inventory obsolescence issue with a hypothetical CFO, and then wrote a communication about it for the AC. We manipulate the AC's preference for getting involved in the issue resolution process and its reputation for asking questions. Our results, supplemented by findings from audit partner interviews, suggest auditors tailor their communications to the AC's oversight approach, the AC's industry and accounting knowledge, and the AC chair's preferred communication style. Data Availability: Contact the authors.

Software obsolescence risk assessment approach using multicriteria decision‐making

AbstractSystem obsolescence issues are a routine occurrence, especially for systems with a high utilization of commercial electronic components or software applications with a long operational life. The extended length of a system's development can often result in obsolescence well before system production and fielding begins. Obsolescence affects individual electronic components and availability of materials, as well as access to experienced personnel, processes, and software. Legacy application software obsolescence is influenced by multiple factors. Included in these factors are hardware obsolescence, increased software maintenance, commercial off‐the‐shelf software obsolescence, growth in technical debt, growth in complexity, and a lack of embedded business rule documentation. These criteria influence subjective management decisions in the remediation of current or future obsolescence risk. A multicriteria decision‐making (MCDM) approach is proposed to evaluate the impact of multiple obsolescence elements over the life cycle of a software application with consideration for the knowledge, preference, and subjectivity of experts to better inform the risk assessment and timing of future mitigation strategies. The resulting MCDM score provides a break point for a quantifiable increase in obsolescence risk.

Risk of tin whiskers in the nuclear industry

This paper identifies tin whisker-related faults and failures that have been reported in the nuclear power industry and discusses the unique reliability and safety challenges faced by nuclear power plants. Specific areas of concern include supply chain and parts selection, fault reporting, regulations and measurement techniques, and the adoption of lead-free legislation. Issues of parts availability and obsolescence are also discussed. The paper concludes with strategies and recommendations that can be used to mitigate and manage risks from tin whiskers in the nuclear industry.