While we stock a very large range of beacons, it’s occasionally the case that beacons needs to be customised to better suit the project. There are different types of customisation with corresponding complexity and cost. There are also different minimum quantities at which the different forms of customisation become financially viable.
The most basic customisation is setting of the settings at the factory at time of manufacture. This saves lots of time at rollout because each beacon doesn’t have to be configured using the smartphone app. If configured at the factory, beacons can still be subsequently updated if there’s a change of some sort.
The settings typically include setting the beacon id, power and advertising period. Labels are also usually attached to the beacons so they they can be visually identified. Configuration at the factory implies they are manufactured to order which typically takes 4-6 weeks depending on the factory and time of year. The minimum quantity is usually about 200 to 300 units. We also manually configure smaller quantities for clients but this is much more expensive per unit.
The next level of customisation is changing the colour of the case and/or branding the beacon with a logo. Again, the minimum quantity is usually of the order of 200 to 300 units.
Some customers need the case to be a specific size, shape or to be, for example, more rugged. It’s also possible to re-specify some of the inside components to improve ruggedness, particularly when beacons are to be used under vibration.
Custom cases are much more time consuming and can take 3-6 months. The beacon usually has to be re-certified that’s also time consuming and expensive. Case modifications are usually only financially viable for tens of thousands of beacons.
The final type of customisation is to have non-standard software. This might include new sensors or use existing sensors in innovative ways. This usually takes of the order of 3-6 months software development. Software can be flashed manually onto small numbers of devices but the software image is usually eventually sent to the factory for putting into the beacon at the time of manufacture. Because of the software development cost, this is usually only financially viable for tens of thousands of beacons.
For all customisations, it’s possible to have samples but the factory always needs payment upfront for the full shipment. For very large custom orders we can work on a consultancy basis. We use our skills and expertise to effectively communicate with suitable manufacturers and tie down your specification after which we hand over to you to purchase direct to save costs.