PROCUREMENT GUIDE / PCN & END OF LIFE
A notice becomes useful
when it becomes a plan.
A product change notification (PCN) does not always announce discontinuation. Start with what the manufacturer has actually changed, then review the affected purchasing lines and your next decision.
Verify the notice and the exact parts.
Use the original manufacturer notice and its affected-part list. Record the notice number, revision and complete ordering codes. A family name alone may cover unaffected package or packing variants.
Separate the dates from your demand.
Record the applicable change date, last-order deadline and final-shipment deadline from the notice. Then add your production releases, service needs, usable stock and confirmed open orders. State the assumptions behind any forecast.
Choose the review route.
For an unchanged BOM, define acceptable sources and evidence. For a redesign, identify the engineering owner, required samples and approval schedule. Purchasing a candidate part does not make it an approved replacement.
Confirm the offer before committing.
Review availability, quotation validity, quantities, packaging, date codes, documentation and delivery terms. Clarify cancellation and return conditions, particularly for a last-time buy. Agree how any uncovered demand will be handled.
Three terms to distinguish.
- PCN
- A notice of a product or process change. Read the stated impact and affected parts.
- NRND
- Not recommended for new designs. Check the manufacturer’s current status and guidance; this is not, by itself, an immediate stop-ship notice.
- Last-time buy
- A final ordering opportunity under the manufacturer’s notice and terms. The order deadline and shipment deadline can differ.
ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER GUIDANCE
Check the source, not a copied status.
Definitions and timing vary by manufacturer and notice. Check the current source when making a purchasing decision.