Time for another discussion about PDM and file management. I am trying to come up with the best way to manage discontinued parts. Please let me know what you do, your suggestions, or the problems you have that also plague you. I want this to be a discussion that can be used as a reference for future and present PDM admins.

Here is our scenario:

We have nearly 4k parts and assemblies in inventory, there are changes monthly on new and/or discontinued parts. There is not a standard system for handling this constant change. This has been the case for nearly 15 years of operation, leaving a massive PDM vault with many many parts that should not be used any longer and no good way to identify them. Worst of all the problem continues and is just getting bigger.

Our problems to address:

1.) Our PDM vault is full of parts that are no longer an inventory part. But are not easily recognizable without cross-checking our inventory management program.

2.) These discontinued parts keep showing up in custom BOMs due to new personnel without knowledge of the parts we know shouldn't be used, or the reuse of similar custom products that have legacy issues.

our Ideas:

Adding a workflow state that hides all discontinued parts from groups who shouldn't see them.

Using cold storage to tuck discontinued parts away where they can't be used. (we have Never used cold storage so no idea how that works)

Straight up deleting parts that are discontinued, forcing users to address the broken models when opened for editing. (leaning this way)

Current solution: (not happy with this)

When discontinued parts are found the admin checks them out and turns the entire model red. This is great until it is a small piece of hardware tucked away in an assembly.

Thoughts, comments, suggestions?