Lifecycle: Difference between revisions

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Lifecycle means series of stages which something (services, products, ..) passes during its lifetime. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-04 |title=Life cycle definition |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/life%20cycle |url-status=live}}</ref>

This article is aimed primarily for physical products at the moment.

Standard product lifecycle consists of multiple phases from manufacturer's perspective:

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#End of life

##Repairs not possible/viable

== How decisions in different phases affect the product ==

=== Design ===

Lifecycle costs are defined primarily during design phase.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-14 |title=How product design decisions can make or break your cost model |url=https://www.manufacturinghub.io/product-design/how-product-design-decisions-can-make-or-break-your-cost-model/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-09-14}}</ref> The impact estimates vary but are usually around 80% probably by reference to [[wikipedia:Pareto_principle|Pareto principle]].

During design phase it is the easiest to affect end result by setting specific goals to end product. For example aiming for thin product instead of relatively thin and easily repairable. The actual differences are usually relatively insignificant.

If you want to hear comments from person being involved in design processes, you should check out for example video by Design Theory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrv45bvP8qo

Other thing playing significant role is spare part availability and general reliability. Are standardised easy to get components being prioritised in the design. Are the designs based on known good reference designs that might lack some performance for example.

=== Useful life ===

At least some products have repeating redesign rounds when they are being in active production. Some component availability might change and replacements are needed. Or management deems incoming warranty cases too infrequent and they see opportunity to cut BOM costs. As seen in official comment from Milwaukee Tools:<blockquote>Products can change several times within their lifetime for a variety of reasons, but the goal is always to exceed the users’ expectations. This time we clearly did not hit the mark.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-14 |title=Milwaukee 2767 M18 Fuel Impact Wrenc Issue: Official Response |url=https://www.protoolreviews.com/milwaukee-2767-m18-fuel-impact-wrench-issue-official-response/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-09-14}}</ref></blockquote>One hearsay is that first version of a product are the sturdiest and follow prudent design guidelines to minimise risks for need to expensive recall campaigns and unexpected increases in Costs Of Goods Sold<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-14 |title=Cost Of Goods Sold explained |url=https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cogs.asp |url-status=live |access-date=2025-09-14}}</ref>. When manufacturer has known good baseline that does not get too much warranty cases, they can start redesigning internal components while everything looks the same for consumers.

Tracking such internal revisions are practically impossible. See some reasons from the next chapter. From consumer's perspective these are either unknown unknowns or known unknowns when looking things through Rumsfeld Matrix<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-14 |title=Rumsfeld Matrix |url=https://www.theuncertaintyproject.org/tools/rumsfeld-matrix |url-status=live |access-date=2025-09-15}}</ref>.

And the ultimate decision during useful life is the [[wikipedia:End-of-life_product|End Of Life (EOL) announcement]].

==Why understanding the concept is important==

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 {{Stub}}
 Lifecycle means series of stages which something (services, products, ..) passes during its lifetime. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-04 |title=Life cycle definition |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/life%20cycle |url-status=live}}</ref>
+This article is aimed primarily for physical products at the moment.
 Standard product lifecycle consists of multiple phases from manufacturer's perspective:
@@ Line 20: / Line 22: @@
 #End of life
 ##Repairs not possible/viable
+== How decisions in different phases affect the product ==
+=== Design ===
+Lifecycle costs are defined primarily during design phase.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-14 |title=How product design decisions can make or break your cost model |url=https://www.manufacturinghub.io/product-design/how-product-design-decisions-can-make-or-break-your-cost-model/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-09-14}}</ref> The impact estimates vary but are usually around 80% probably by reference to [[wikipedia:Pareto_principle|Pareto principle]].
+During design phase it is the easiest to affect end result by setting specific goals to end product. For example aiming for thin product instead of relatively thin and easily repairable. The actual differences are usually relatively insignificant.
+If you want to hear comments from person being involved in design processes, you should check out for example video by Design Theory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrv45bvP8qo
+Other thing playing significant role is spare part availability and general reliability. Are standardised easy to get components being prioritised in the design. Are the designs based on known good reference designs that might lack some performance for example.
+=== Useful life ===
+At least some products have repeating redesign rounds when they are being in active production. Some component availability might change and replacements are needed. Or management deems incoming warranty cases too infrequent and they see opportunity to cut BOM costs. As seen in official comment from Milwaukee Tools:<blockquote>Products can change several times within their lifetime for a variety of reasons, but the goal is always to exceed the users’ expectations. This time we clearly did not hit the mark.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-14 |title=Milwaukee 2767 M18 Fuel Impact Wrenc Issue: Official Response |url=https://www.protoolreviews.com/milwaukee-2767-m18-fuel-impact-wrench-issue-official-response/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-09-14}}</ref></blockquote>One hearsay is that first version of a product are the sturdiest and follow prudent design guidelines to minimise risks for need to expensive recall campaigns and unexpected increases in Costs Of Goods Sold<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-14 |title=Cost Of Goods Sold explained |url=https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cogs.asp |url-status=live |access-date=2025-09-14}}</ref>. When manufacturer has known good baseline that does not get too much warranty cases, they can start redesigning internal components while everything looks the same for consumers.
+Tracking such internal revisions are practically impossible. See some reasons from the next chapter. From consumer's perspective these are either unknown unknowns or known unknowns when looking things through Rumsfeld Matrix<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-14 |title=Rumsfeld Matrix |url=https://www.theuncertaintyproject.org/tools/rumsfeld-matrix |url-status=live |access-date=2025-09-15}}</ref>.
+And the ultimate decision during useful life is the [[wikipedia:End-of-life_product|End Of Life (EOL) announcement]].
 ==Why understanding the concept is important==