Integrated Model for Maintaining Operational Conditions and Managing Obsolescence

Maintenance in Operational Condition (MCO) covers all technical and logistical support activities aimed at guaranteeing the availability of systems to carry out their missions. For complex systems, the management of MCO and obsolescence is a strategic issue to ensure their long-term performance and reliability. Although these two areas are often treated separately, the link between MCO and obsolescence remains little explored in research work. The aim of this article is to demonstrate that MCO, without systematic monitoring of the health of critical components, is a limited and ineffective discipline. Since obsolescence is inevitable, it is essential to couple MCO activities with specific remediation strategies. This article uses Structured Analysis and Design Technique (SADT) models to formalise and structure the interactions between obsolescence management and MCO practices. These models can be used to optimise decision-making and operational processes, integrating technical and regulatory imperatives to ensure more resilient and proactive management of complex systems.

Keywords: Obsolescence management, Maintenance in operational conditions, Technical support, Logistics support, SADT model.