I know it's true because we are doing gang programming of CPLD's on board arrays. I designed in a way to bypass a 'x-out' or failed component by inserting a zero ohm jumper or shorting two pads causing the serial JTAG lines to skip the bad part. I provide one set of 0806 component pads per board in the array allowing any combination of skipped boards to be dropped out of the programming thus saving the rest of the panel.