A PCN just landed. What has to happen next?

A supplier notice lands in the inbox with several part numbers, multiple deadlines and almost no explanation of the business impact. Forwarding it is easy. Connecting it to the right products, decisions and buying plan is where the real work starts.

A controlled PCN and EOL workflow turns that document into an owned decision before an order deadline, production interruption or service-stock gap forces the issue.

Preserve the source notice

Save the original supplier document, its revision, publication date and source link. Record the exact manufacturer part numbers, affected package or process variants, and every stated deadline. Dates may cover last orders, final delivery, sample availability or qualification of a replacement; they should not be collapsed into a single “EOL date”. Notification periods and last-time-buy windows vary: use the dates in the applicable supplier notice rather than assuming a universal deadline.

Check whether the notice came directly from the manufacturer or through a distributor. Distributor alerts are useful, but the manufacturer’s current notice should remain the source of truth for scope and timing.

Find every affected use

Search the approved bill of materials, engineering change records, service stock and open purchasing commitments. Include product variants and assemblies that may use the same component under an internal part number. Assign one owner for the impact assessment so engineering and purchasing work from the same list.

Confirm current stock, consumption, forecast demand, open orders and the commercial terms attached to them. A last-time buy made before this work can create excess inventory or still leave a service obligation uncovered.

Assess the technical change

A PCN may alter a fabrication site, material, package marking, electrical test flow or internal process without changing the ordering code. Engineering should decide whether the stated change affects form, fit, function, reliability, regulatory evidence or customer approvals.

For an EOL notice, identify potential replacements but do not treat a supplier cross-reference as qualification. Compare guaranteed limits and application conditions, check lifecycle status and authorised availability, and define any bench, environmental, EMC, firmware or production tests required.

Choose and document the response

The decision may be to accept the change, qualify an alternative, redesign, make a controlled last-time buy or discontinue the affected product. Record the selected option, evidence, approver, residual risk and review date. If a last-time buy is chosen, document the demand assumptions, storage life, traceability requirements and exit plan.

Update the approved BOM, specifications, drawings, firmware dependencies and purchasing controls together. Buyers need a clear approved source and effective date; production needs to know whether mixed inventory is allowed; service teams need visibility of any restriction on future repairs.

Close the loop

The workflow is complete only when the change has reached the systems that control procurement and manufacture. Retain the notice and qualification evidence so a later audit can show why the decision was made. A short, owned record is more valuable than a long email chain whose attachments and assumptions are difficult to reconstruct.