Carsten Finke and his company INspares ensure seamless digital transparency in manufacturer-neutral obsolescence management. The platform consolidates real-time data on the life cycles of electronic components, gives maintenance technicians full control over maintenance processes and minimises unplanned system downtimes. In this interview, Finke explains why obsolescence is one of the biggest challenges facing the industry today.
Obsolescence – how much has this problem actually worsened in recent years? Have life cycles really become shorter or is the impression deceptive?
Carsten Finke: No, INspares actually originated in 2019 from a specific customer requirement – at that time at the […]. A plant that had been in operation for seven years was no longer able to procure its first spare parts. Today, we are networking plants more closely, which creates immense complexity. I like to illustrate this with my first car: I had a simple car radio in my Opel Kadett. If it broke down, I replaced it myself and drove on. Today, in my Audi, I don’t even know where the radio is. If it fails, the car no longer runs, and replacement is impossible without a specialist workshop. It’s the same in industry: 15 years ago, frequency converters were controlled via 4-20 mA and digital outputs – today, every component communicates via its own protocols in the network. To replace components, you need exactly the right types, ideally over the entire machine life cycle. So while complexity is increasing, manufacturers are shortening product life cycles – that doesn’t go together.
“Ideally, you don’t need us, but if we fail, there’s a lot of hustle and bustle.”
When parts fail, panic sets in. How often do discontinued components lead to downtime?
Finke: We hear that very often. I present our product, they like it, but it is often only realised when another component fails and is not available – then they say: ‘When can you start?’ INspares acts like an insurance policy: ideally, you don’t need us, but there’s a lot of hassle if something fails.
Where does your data come from – from the manufacturers or do you build it yourself?
Finke: In the first few years, we collected all the data by hand because manufacturers didn’t understand our project at first. Today, large companies like Siemens see INspares as a service extension: we bundle data that already exists, regardless of the manufacturer, and make it available transparently. As we do not trade in spare parts or offer retrofits, we are not seen as a competitor, but as a partner. The first automated interfaces to manufacturers are already up and running, and other companies are gradually opening up.
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How do you integrate your customers’ plant data?
Finke: All customer data remains within the company. We simply match their parts lists and inventory data with external manufacturer information. In the portal, the end user sees their installed article numbers, combined with lifecycle status and discontinuation information – everything is GDPR-compliant and neutral.
