Nowadays, it’s possible to find all types of telecom products and equipment for all applications. However, with the necessity of upgrading networks, sometimes the products available are not able to meet the needs of companies. That’s why telecom product customization is becoming an increasingly requested option, as it offers lots of benefits.
In this article, you will dive into the world o telecom product customization, by learning more about this process.
Telecom products customization - What is it?
Telecom products customization is the process of creating a specific product or equipment, according to the necessities of a client’s project.
Product customization offers way more flexibility, not only to overcome problems shared by the operator, but also to facilitate technicians’ lives, by suggesting features to the product that can benefit both sides.
There are two types of starting points for product customization:
- Products that already exist in the market and need some type of upgrade.
- Products that don’t exist at all and need to be designed by specialized teams.
Products that already exist in the market
Products that already exist in the market are standardized according to certain specifications. The problem is, sometimes these products become obsolete or fail to adapt to networks' future needs, bringing problems to operators. That’s where telecom product customization comes in.
Products that don’t exist at all
Sometimes, when starting the customization process, and after a detailed evaluation of the problems shared by the client, it’s possible to conclude that the product as it is, won’t respond to the necessities presented. By getting all the feedback, the product development team ends up sharing the idea of a completely differentiated product, that will solve all the problems.
This gives place to an innovative product that provides opportunities to utility models or patents.
For both situations, the final solution needs at least, to solve the problem of the client.
The process of telecom products customization
There is a long process to customize a telecom product and as an example, with Yelco Technologies, that process can take from 1 week to 6 months.
From the first moment, several stakeholders, like operator engineers and field technicians are included in the process:
Step 1 – Ideas
This is the phase where all the inputs regarding the problem, are presented and discussed with the product development team. Information which was previously gathered, in order to help in achieving ideas that, at least, meet the expectations of the operator.
By joining insights from the operator, from the experienced product development team, or even field technicians, a possible solution is drafted.
Step 2 – Project
Then it’s time to carefully dissect the project’s scope and hand over a detailed roadmap with all the milestones and dates, that define the duration of the project.
Step 3 – 3D Prototype
When the operator gives the ok to the project, it’s time to start developing the 3D prototype solution suggested by the customization partner.
The prototype is very important to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the solution and to identify what still needs to be improved.
Step 4 - Customer approval
The fourth step of telecom product customization includes customer feedback. At this stage, the solution is shared with the customer and if it still needs improvements, the process won’t proceed until the new changes are done and approved by the operator.
If everything goes as expected, and the solution is validated, then it’s time to show the final result.
Step 5 – Final Product
In the end, the customer will have access to a high-quality customized telecom product, that will for certain increase the performance of its network and consequently optimize the OPEX.
In telecom products customization, it’s important to understand that smaller companies usually have the flexibility and speed to provide new solutions faster.
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What type of telecom products can be customized?
All products have the potential to be customized, however balancing customer requirements with the needs of the ideal product, is not always easy to balance with what is technically possible or with the budget limitations shared.
Technical problems
A good product development team has in mind that, a project can only be achievable if the directions and features needed by the customer, won’t cause future problems on the network. In this case, the partner must provide the best proposal for the project and hope it will be well received by the customer.
To achieve the best solution, the better option is to always hear the operators and the field technician’s side.
Budget Limitations
With every project, there are budgets defined. When starting a telco product customization project, you should let your partner be aware of your budget limitations. It’s crucial to estimate if the project might be viable or not.
Always work with a partner that knows the importance of reducing the initial investment (CaPex), or at least maintenance costs (OPEX), with the product.
What are the main reasons that lead companies to telecom product customization?
In every telecom project, there are challenges that need to be overcome and, as said before the biggest ones are the technical and financial challenges. For both, telecom products customization may be the solution you were looking for.
Telecom operators look for product customization as a problem solver in several fields. If you find a problem with some product or equipment in your network, you should ask yourself:
- What problems do I want to solve to get the equipment working perfectly?
- What can be done to achieve field technicians’ satisfaction?
- Is it possible to reduce the OPEX?
- Is it possible to reduce the CAPEX?
If you have ever come across at least one of these questions, you should consider telecom products customization. Don’t know how?
Meet Yelco, a company that will create the perfect solution you were looking for. From ideation through design and prototyping. All the way to producing the final piece, Yelco Technologies will take care of your needs from A to Z.
