>>So it does not matter what I name it

I think that names matter a lot.
Many of the programming errors I make or uncover can be attributed to faulty naming of procedures or variables. Good naming, on the other hand, makes maintenance a lot easier.

As far as this problem is concerned, I typically add a character field that indicates the status of the item. In this case it would be named partstatus and "A" would be active and "I" would be inactive. The use of characters allows for more choices, should they become necessary.
A part could be not yet active because some event, such as QC approval, has not occurred, or it could be obsolete.
Using a character type allows that distinction if needed.