01Check the BOM before it freezes
Run it through 1Data while engineering can still change it: lifecycle status, qualified alternates and compliance flags on every line.
02Catch EOL a year early
Surface obsolescence 12+ months before last-time-buy closes, while a qualified alternate is still cheaper than a requalification.
03Qualify alternates without a redesign
Find form-fit-function equivalents on the high-gap, high-volume lines and give engineering a shortlist, not a research project.
04Benchmark before you renegotiate
Walk into the conversation with a defensible target price and the inputs behind it, instead of asking the incumbent for a better number.