Before changing a purchase order in response to a module notice, match the affected part number to your BOM. Then separate the engineering review from the purchasing decision. A firmware change may need a host-software check; an end-of-life notice may set a final ordering date. The notice tells you which problem to work on.
Keep the original manufacturer document with its number and issue date. Two published u-blox notices show how different the resulting actions can be.
Read the notice before changing the order
A product change notification, or PCN, describes a change to a product. Read its affected-products table, description and schedule together. The title alone leaves out the details that determine your next action.
In u-blox notice UBX-20027480, dated 8 July 2020, the manufacturer introduced ordering code ZED-F9P-02B with firmware HPG 1.13. The same notice said that ZED-F9P-01B with HPG 1.12 would continue in production until a later notification. Its change categories covered firmware, documentation and an additional ordering code.
An end-of-life notification addresses discontinuation. The separate u-blox 8 notice issued on 18 December 2024 identified affected ordering codes, suggested successor products and set final-order and shipping dates. That creates purchasing work as well as a migration review.
Match affected codes to individual BOM lines
Use the complete manufacturer ordering code. A family name such as ZED-F9P is useful for finding a product reference, but the suffix identifies which variant you are reviewing.
The 2020 PCN separates ordering code ZED-F9P-01B from type number ZED-F9P-01B-01. Its new-code row lists ZED-F9P-02B and type number ZED-F9P-02B-01. Preserve those fields exactly when recording that notice. Keep the firmware version in its own field.
Work through active BOM revisions, open purchase orders, usable inventory and service requirements. Record where each affected code appears and who owns that product. If your distributor uses an internal stock code, obtain the manufacturer-code mapping before assigning the notice to a BOM line.
Keep the supplier’s quoted identity and the delivered label alongside the record. If a notice lists several variants, give each affected variant its own line. The BOM preparation guide covers the part-number and quantity fields to carry into a sourcing enquiry.
Give each date a separate action
The u-blox 8 EOL notice named EVA-8M-0, MAX-8C-0, MAX-8Q-0 and NEO-8Q-0. Its schedule set 30 June 2025 as the last-time-buy date and 31 December 2025 as the last shipping date. These are historical dates from that notice. Its terms also made orders placed after the notification date non-cancellable and non-returnable, abbreviated NCNR.
For the notice you are handling, record the issue date, any implementation or final-order deadline, and the final shipping date separately. Copy the manufacturer’s wording for each event. A PCN with an implementation date does not acquire a last-time-buy deadline just because your tracking sheet has an empty field for one.
Ask your supplier to confirm its order-acceptance deadline, quoted delivery date and applicable terms in writing. Set your own approval date early enough for the technical review and order processing. Keep those internal and supplier dates separate from the dates in the manufacturer notice.
Assign the technical review to the change
For a firmware change, give engineering the old and new firmware identities, the release notes and the affected host functions. Ask them to identify the behaviors the application uses, define the necessary checks and retain the results. The ZED-F9P PCN itself points readers to release notes and updated product documentation.
A change to a package, material, manufacturing process or specification calls for a different review. Start with what the notice says has changed, then identify the drawings, requirements or quality records that your team needs to compare. Record unanswered questions for the manufacturer.
If an EOL notice names a successor, engineering should assess it against the existing design. For a cellular design, the module replacement checklist provides a document-comparison route before board testing. Assign any further hardware, software or approval work to the people responsible for it.
Build the purchase decision from quantities and dates
Calculate the proposed last-time-buy quantity from planned builds, service demand and the migration schedule. Procurement can reconcile those requirements with usable stock and confirmed incoming orders. Exclude quantities already allocated to another build.
Keep the assumptions visible. Engineering’s expected replacement-release date affects how much demand the old variant must cover. Purchasing needs the supplier’s quantity, delivery and cancellation terms. The people approving the commitment need both records before accepting the order.
Keep this notice review alongside your broader module supply plan. Give unresolved quantities or delivery dates an owner and a follow-up date, so the next buyer can see which inputs still need a reply.
Keep one response record
Keep the notice, affected BOM line and decision in one record. The table below is a blank working template. Fill it from your own documents and written replies.
Copy this review record for each affected ordering code.
Scroll sideways to read both columns.
| Record field | Your entry |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer notice number and issue date | |
| Affected ordering code, type number and firmware | |
| Affected BOM revision, orders and quantities | |
| Manufacturer dates and written supplier confirmation | |
| Engineering checks, evidence and open questions | |
| Purchase decision, quantity and applicable terms | |
| Decision owner, approval date and next review |
Send the affected part numbers, notice, required quantities and target delivery dates through the BOM enquiry service. Include any proposed successor separately, together with the engineering questions that remain open.
Sources
- u-blox, ZED-F9P product change, UBX-20027480, 8 July 2020, sections 1-6. Historical example of a firmware and ordering-code change.
- u-blox, u-blox 8 modules end of life, UBXDOC-963802114-13196, 18 December 2024, sections 1-6. Historical example of an EOL schedule and order terms.