Tackling Obsolescence: ByteSnap’s New Report Provides Roadmap to Resilience for Electronics-Heavy Industries
April 09, 2025
News
ByteSnap Design, a leading UK electronics design consultancy, released its report Futureproofing Manufacturing: Tackling Obsolescence & Electronics Challenges in Industrial Manufacturing. The research was conducted between February and March 2025, and the release coincides with World IoT Day on April 9th.
Nearly 600 industry professionals were canvassed to develop the report offering frameworks and strategies to navigate obsolescence in embedded electronics, system components, and software environments.
According to the report, there is a large disconnect within the UK manufacturing ecosystem. 88% of companies acknowledge the need for specialized electronics expertise to manage obsolescence. 81% shared the difficulty in finding consistent partners with the correct competences.
Key Findings:
- 88% of manufacturers face technological obsolescence at least yearly, with 27% realizing these challenges quarterly. The cost of redesigning complex systems after component discontinuation can climb beyond £250,000.
- When compared with reactive approaches, proactive management reduces costs by up to 80% and allows for continuity and avoids last-minute design compromises.
- 89% believe AI integration is essential for future competitiveness. Combining effective hardware platforms enables predictive maintenance, lifecycle forecasting, and quality control across electronics-heavy environments.
- Cost constraints were cited by 61% as the premier barrier to new technology integration.
- 72% of responses showed the need for upskilling and training programs.
The findings also show obsolescence can ripple through entire systems. A missing component can derail production, hinder compliance, and cause major delays, especially in tightly regulated industries.
Aimed at manufacturing executives, the report delivers a step-by-step approach to managing obsolescence from readiness assessment to execution and long-term planning. The findings can help manufactures with electronics-intensive systems transition from reactive fixes to proactive.
“Our research uncovered that technological obsolescence has evolved from an occasional operational hiccup into a persistent strategic challenge for UK manufacturers,” said Dunstan Power, Director at ByteSnap Design and author of the whitepaper. “What’s particularly striking is the electronics expertise gap. Despite strong demand for knowledge in component lifecycle management and embedded systems, many firms are left without adequate support. This bottleneck could delay product innovation and compromise long-term competitiveness.
Download the full report: bytesnap.com/futureproof-product-development-report/.
Chad Cox. Production Editor, Embedded Computing Design, has responsibilities that include handling the news cycle, newsletters, social media, and advertising. Chad graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a B.A. in Cultural and Analytical Literature.
