{"id":3095,"date":"2026-01-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kunden.weissblaumedia.de\/microconsult\/2017\/05\/19\/ar-produktabkuendigung\/"},"modified":"2026-06-17T13:17:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T11:17:33","slug":"product-cancellation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microconsult.de\/en\/ar-produktabkuendigung\/","title":{"rendered":"How to identify the best time to discontinue a product"},"content":{"rendered":"

During regular product lifecycle analysis, the experienced product manager looks for three warning signs that suggest a product is about to be withdrawn from the market.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The good old days. Our embedded module sold so well. Customers called in droves, wanting to know this and that, wanting it delivered in a specific way. The boss was extremely pleased back then. A constant stream of new orders and positive figures. All gone now. Everything has changed. Nothing is as it once was.<\/p>\n

Enough complaining. Clearly, the embedded module has seen better days and should be withdrawn from the market. This final phase in a product's life cycle is called product discontinuation or market exit.<\/p>\n

Determining the right moment to announce the discontinuation is a delicate balancing act. Announcing too early diminishes the product's overall performance \u2013 the profit phase has not been fully exploited (time tpa1 in the diagram). Announcing too late is equally suboptimal \u2013 no CEO is happy when the product has reached the second loss phase (time tpa2).<\/p>\n

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Image: Challenge \u2013 Determining the right time to discontinue a product<\/em><\/p>\n

A skilled and well-trained strategic product manager provides a qualified point for product discontinuation. As part of regular lifecycle analysis, they look for warning signs that suggest a product's market exit:<\/p>\n