You may think that having spares sitting on the shelf for your obsolete automation systems makes you safe. Bear in mind that the spare parts that have been sitting on the shelf for eight years or more may have already exceeded their shelf life. The cost to replace a single component in some cases could be the same cost as replacing the entire system. Not to mention finding that part may be nearly impossible.
Spinning your wheels in a reactive mode ultimately compounds your issues. The more your equipment breaks down, the more crucial production time becomes, putting more pressure on your time and resources.
Modernizing your equipment seems like the right thing to do, but how do you get started?