Manufacturing AI agent · Obsolescence
Component Obsolescence, EOL & Counterfeit-Control AI Agent
Watch the parts on your bills of material rather than the notices you were sent, size the last-time-buy exposure behind each one, and hold the disposition for your engineering authority to sign.
- Typical delivery
- 4–6 weeks
- Deployment
- Your stack
- Authority signs
- Watch-first
- After launch
- Agent Care
What this agent does
Sizes the exposure, not the disposition
In
- 01
A notice arrives under J-STD-046A or J-STD-048A, both revised December 2025, and is matched to your BOM lines.
- 02
A notice never arrives — the usual case — and the part is inferred obsolete from lifecycle and stock signals.
Reason
- 03
A discontinuance names a last-order and a last-ship date, and the buy is sized to the shorter window.
- 04
A buy quantity is set against production, service and spares demand over the remaining product life.
- 05
A source is offered, and it is placed in the DFARS 252.246-7008 tiers rather than called authorised.
Decide
- 06
A GIDEP entry lands, and it is screened by part number, date-code range, lot code and manufacturing site.
- 07
A clause set is read per contract: the DFARS system test and the FAR 52.246-26 (AUG 2024) test differ.
Out
- 08
A disposition pack is drafted with its evidence and routed to the named engineering authority.
- 09
Execute write actions only inside the approval boundaries agreed during implementation.
Product statement
The agent sizes and drafts; an engineering authority approves the disposition, and a design authority approves any substitution.
Example workflow
One obsolete part, end to end
- 1Obsolescence signal receivedProduct-change notice, GIDEP entry, distributor stock signal or a silent lifecycle change
- 2Exposure sizedWhere the part sits on the BOMs, demand to end of life, stock on hand and the buy window
- 3Disposition draftedLast-time buy, alternate, redesign or quarantine, with the evidence and the sixty-day clocks
- 4Controls appliedSourcing-tier checks, GIDEP screening, last-order and last-ship date checks and confidence threshold
No human action required
Stages 1 to 4 run unaided, and nothing is dispositioned at any of them — the agent is sizing, and the authority's lane opens at the confidence gate.
Goes to the engineering authority to approve.
Adds a component-engineering read first.
Authority approval
The disposition is held with its evidence, its open questions and the confidence.
Approve · Amend · Send to component review
Approved — disposition recorded
- 6PLM and ERP updatedOnly where write access and approval policy allow it
- 7Outcome evaluatedAmendments, notices missed, buy shortfalls and parts that went obsolete unseen
Amendments
Each disposition the authority amends is counted in the evaluation.
What should not run autonomously
Human approval stays in control
Outside the boundary — human approval required
8 items
- Approving a disposition on an obsolete part.
- Approving an alternate, substitute or re-source.
- Notifying the Contracting Officer or filing to GIDEP.
- Committing the last-time-buy quantity and the cash.
Automation boundary
Agent acts unaided
- ✓Watch the parts on the BOMs and match notices to them.
- ✓Size the buy exposure against demand and remaining life for the named owner.
- ✓Place each offered source in the DFARS sourcing tiers.
- ✓Mark what the authority should weigh, and hold the pack into the review queue.
Any write happens inside the boundaries agreed at implementation, never ahead of approval.
- Determining that a part is counterfeit.
- Returning, scrapping or releasing a quarantined part.
- Declaring which contracts carry which clause.
- Changes to sourcing, buy-window or screening rules.
Example output
One obsolete part, annotated
Everything the agent sizes is attached to the record it was drawn from.
Obsolescence output · single part
Illustrative example- Part
- Linear regulator
- Signal found
- No notice issued; distributor stock falling
- BOM lines hit
- 14 assemblies
- Source of signal
- Authorised distributor
- Confidence
- 84%
- Disposition drafted
- Last-time buy, sized to end of life
As received
Taken from the part master and the distributor feed — nothing on this side is inferred by the agent.
Evidence used
- Part-master lifecycle
- Distributor stock feed
- Demand to end of life
Why this disposition
No notice reached us and stock is falling and a person still decides.
What the score decides
Below the configured threshold the pack picks up a component-engineering read first.
Action
ApproveAmendSend to component reviewValue
Where AI adds value
The same four claims, placed at the point in the workflow where each one applies.
Where the value lands
Value 01 – 04
Parts on your BOMs
From the part master
Watch from the BOM
Draw on the part master, the distributor feeds and AS5553E (13 November 2025) disposition rules.
No notice is the usual case
Parts drifting to end of life surface from the BOM, not from a notice that may never come.
Send review to the exposed parts
Unmatched notices and low-confidence packs are marked, so the authority's read starts where exposure sits.
Build an evidence trail
The part, the notice it was matched to and the authority who dispositioned stay on the item.
Integrations
Typical integrations
Five system groups connect to the same agent. Which of them are in scope is decided in discovery.
PLM and part master
- Teamcenter
- Windchill
- Arena
- Duro
Component intelligence
- SiliconExpert
- Z2Data
- IHS Markit BOM data
Distributors and sources
- Arrow
- Avnet
- Mouser
- Digi-Key
- Rochester
Agent
Obsolescence & counterfeit control
- Watches the BOM
- Sizes the exposure
- Holds for approval
ERP and quality
- SAP
- Oracle
- Infor
- GIDEP
- nonconformance
Observability & evaluation
- OpenTelemetry
- Langfuse
- Supported monitoring/evaluation sources
Integration availability depends on the client's existing systems and API access.
Agent controls
Six layers between the model and the disposition
Six layers, folded one into another. What reaches the model uncaught is named in the map below.
L6 · Outermost — last line of defence
Inward → L1 · closest to the model
- L1 – L2
- Test whether a pack may stand
- L3
- Puts the disposition in an authority's hands
- L4 – L5
- Keep the part and the notice behind it
- L6
- Narrows to watch-list reporting when signals degrade
How Nestack evaluates it
Evaluate the whole watch workflow — not only the finished pack.
Coverage runs the whole depth of the workflow, and every layer is cut by slice.
Surface — the pack the authority signs
- E1Final-output evaluationDid the exposure trace back to a BOM line and a demand figure?
- E2Step-level evaluationDid the agent use the right part master, notice and sourcing rules?
- E3Tool evaluationDid it read and write the correct part and the correct BOM?
- E4Confidence calibrationDo low-confidence packs actually attract more amendments?
- E5Slice evaluationHow does performance change across specific commodities?
- E6Business outcomeHow many events met all three DFARS 231.205-71 conditions together?
Floor — the exposure the programme answers for
Failure modes
Where each failure originates in the agent
Seven failure modes, set at the stage each one starts in.
Agent lifecycle
Direction of processing →
01 · Retrieval
1 mode
- ZO-03
Suffix match missed
A packaging suffix hides the BOM hit for the notice.
Stage gathers
Part masters, notices, stock feeds and demand
02 · Reasoning
2 modes
- ZO-04
Spares tail omitted
The buy covers production and not field support.
- ZO-06
Sub-tier part unseen
Obsolescence sits inside a purchased assembly.
Stage proposes
Exposure, buy window, sourcing tier and confidence
03 · Tool / write
2 modes
- ZO-02
Last-ship date used
The buy is placed after the order book closed.
- ZO-05
Line card out of date
A terminated franchise still reads as tier one.
Stage writes
Only where write access and approval policy allow it
04 · Output
1 mode
- ZO-01
Approval treated as final
Stock is consumed and nothing re-opens the case.
Stage returns
The disposition the authority approves and signs
05 · Change / Version
1 mode
- ZO-07
Silent rule regression
A rule change narrows what the watch list flags.
Stage tracks
Model, prompt, sourcing rules and screening rules
- Sev-1 · pack closed outside the boundary
- Sev-2 · a part goes obsolete unwatched
- Sev-3 · feed degrades, pack goes to review
Affected slices
One commodity can carry the exposure
A BOM-level exposure figure can read as manageable while a few commodities carry nearly all of the unwatched risk. Nestack reports the amendment rate by slice, not only in total.
Slice performance — reported separately, not only in aggregate
Illustrative example| Slice | Failure rate | Lift | Lift vs. threshold | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parts with no PCN issued | 8.8% | 3.5× | Review | |
| Sub-tier parts in assemblies | 6.1% | 2.4× | Review | |
| Suffix and package variants | 3.9% | 1.6× | Watch | |
| Directly-bought active parts | 1.2% | 0.5× | Normal |
Bar: amendment-rate lift vs. active-part baseline · scale 0–4.0× · tick marks the 2.0× review threshold
2 of 4 slices over threshold
Evidence-linked improvement
A cycle ends with one more case
A cycle shuts when the silent discontinuation is a case the next release has to catch. That suite is what the next watch list run is measured against.
Improvement cycle · five stages
Switchback — the path turns at Improve and returns at Learn
- 01
Detect
Amendment rate rises in a commodity.
- 02
Diagnose
The part that went end-of-life without a notice anyone received is read back to one cause.
- 03
Improve
The change is numbered on the way out, with the notices that revealed it attached.
- 04
Verify
A disposition case that has not cleared keeps the release parked until it does.
- 05
Learn
It joins the suite for good, and the watch list is edited to match.
Learn → Detect
The return edge. The next watch list runs against a suite one case longer.
Typical build scope
Twelve workstreams across six weeks
The build scope read against the delivery timeline. Week structure follows the six-week plan — discovery, sources, watch and sizing, evaluation, integration, then production validation and handover.
Workstream
Week 1Week 2Week 3Week 4Week 5Week 6
- 01Programme-workflow and disposition boundary work.Week 1
- 02BOM, part-master and feed assessment.Week 1, Week 2
- 03Sourcing-tier and screening-criteria mapping work.Week 1, Week 2
- 04Part-master ingest and notice matching.Week 2
- 05Exposure sizing and evidence binding.Week 2, Week 3
- 06Confidence scoring and exception routing.Week 3
- 07Authority approval workflow.Week 3, Week 4
- 08PLM and ERP-system integration.Week 5
- 09Notice and sourcing cases.Week 4, Week 5
- 10Guardrails and sourcing controls.Week 4
- 11Item-trail instrumentation.Week 5, Week 6
- 12Deployment, documentation and Agent Care handover.Week 6
12 workstreams · 6 weeks · bar shows the weeks a workstream is active — several run in parallel
Final scope and sequence confirmed in discovery
Engagement tiers
What each tier includes
Rows are the capabilities named in each tier's scope. Higher tiers include everything below them.
| Capability✓ in scope · — not at this tier | PilotOne programme, one commodity | ProductionProduction part masters | AdvancedMultiple programmes / sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced at Pilot | |||
| Watching to your BOMs and rules | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Authority approval | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Watch-coverage baseline | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Introduced at Production | |||
| Reporting by commodity | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Approval workflow in your systems | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Approved write-back | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| BOM and distributor integration | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Introduced at Advanced | |||
| Multi-standard sourcing rules | — | — | ✓ |
| Multi-stage engineering approvals | — | — | ✓ |
| High part-count BOMs | — | — | ✓ |
| Multi-programme sourcing controls | — | — | ✓ |
| Build price | From $5,000 | From $8,000 | Custom quote |
- Final build price
- Confirmed after discovery based on integrations, workflow complexity, transaction volume, approval controls and deployment requirements.
- Separate from build
- Build pricing is separate from recurring Agent Care, which covers managed monitoring, evaluations, incidents and verified improvements after launch.
What we need from you
What you bring, and what we build with it
Each input maps to a piece of build scope and a week in the delivery timeline.
You bring
We build with it
01Your bills of material and part master
→Part-master ingestion and notice matching
Week 102Representative notices and BOM revisions
→Watch baseline, notice matching and BOM binding
Week 203Your sourcing tiers and approved suppliers
→Sourcing-tier and screening-rule mapping
Week 104Access to relevant APIs, feeds or exports
→BOM, part-master and feed assessment, then integration setup
Week 205Parts you would not want bought
→Counterfeit cases and the evaluation suite
Week 406What no source may be trusted on
→Confidence scoring, exception routing, guardrails and sourcing controls
Week 307A named engineering authority to approve
→Authority approval workflow, then pilot and production validation
Weeks 5–6
Nothing else is required
Deployment, documentation and Agent Care handover are ours.
Delivery timeline
Four phases across six weeks
Bands sit where the notices put them, which is why week 5 holds evaluation and pilot at once.
Phase
W1
W2
W3
W4
W5
W6
- DiscoveryW1
- BuildW2 – W3
- EvaluateW4 – W5
- Pilot & LaunchW5 – W6
Week focus
W1Obsolescence workflow discovery, rule mapping and the automation boundary
W2Source integration and the watch-list baseline
W3Exposure sizing, confidence logic and approval controls
W4Evaluation suite, sourcing and screening checks and failure-mode testing
W5PLM and ERP integration, pilot parts and targeted corrections
W6One programme review run under the component engineer, then Agent Care handover
- Reading the band
- Each bar covers only the weeks its work is named in. The week 5 overlap is work, not padding.
- At the end of W6
- Once the review validates, Agent Care owns the running agent.
- Duration
- Six-week plan shown · typical delivery 4–6 weeks depending on scope confirmed in discovery.
Next step · Manufacturing AI agent
Build an obsolescence agent around your engineering-authority disposition.
Show us your BOMs and who signs a disposition. What you get, plainly: a watch list against your own parts, the exposure sized with its evidence, and a pack your authority can approve.
- Typical delivery
- 4–6 weeks
- Deployment
- Your PLM and ERP
- Authority signs
- Watch-first
- After launch
- Agent Care available
Nestack Agents · Obsolescence & counterfeit control
AGT-MFG-20 · Agent Care available after launch