DPS Custom Engineering Process Video

DPS Telecom offers perfect-fit custom design without charging additional NRE fees. This video is an inside look into the process and a virtual tour of DPS Telecom's facilities.

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This video gives you an inside look at a flexible custom engineering process. As you watch, remember to ask yourself this important question: "What monitoring gear features would help me do my job better?".

Your answer will probably fall into one of four main categories: Protocol, Interface, Software, and Form Factor.

For protocol, maybe you just need SNMP. But maybe you have T1 lines and you need frame relay or PPP. Or if you have SCADA gear, you're probably interested in DNP3 or Modbus. And what if you're feeling stuck with a proprietary or legacy protocol from an unreliable vendor?

For interface, do you need LAN, T1, Fiber, text-to-speech voice, or something else?

In the software category, just about anything is possible. What about special timers, alerts, dashboards, analog gauges, or special history reports?

And what about physical form factors? Do you need rack mount or wall mount? What chassis and label color are best. If you're an OEM, what would it take to match the overall look for your product?

As you watch imagine how this custom engineering process would improve your network monitoring.

In the network alarm monitoring world, there's a common belief that you can't get custom equipment engineered to meet your exact needs. Most people think they have to be a big company or pay huge fees to get custom work done.

That's why, here in Fresno, California, DPS Telecom is making a big name for itself. By developing custom alarm monitoring equipment for clients of all sizes. Turnaround times are fast. And remarkably DPS is doing it all without charging additional fees.

To hear more about how this is possible, I sat down with Mark, DPS Telecom's Director of Engineering.

"So, Mark, how can DPS offer custom engineering with quick turnaround times, without adding to client cost?"- Andrew

"Well, here at DPS, we have our own engineering department. And we have capabilities to do the PC boards in-house. We don't have to outsource it. Same thing with all the developers, we have them here in-house, so we can do the programming. We also have production facilities to build the boards and a metal shop that can do all the chassis development work and manufacturing. So it really speeds up our turnaround time for prototyping and for getting products out to the clients. Honestly, I'm not sure how anybody can do it any other way than to be vertically integrated like DPS." - Mark

"Okay. So you eliminate some wasted time. How long are we talking here, from start to finish?" - Andrew

"With the vertical integration that we have, we take projects from concept to delivery in a matter of weeks." - Mark

"That's fast..."- Andrew

To see how custom design is handled by DPS sales process, I also spoke with Joel, DPS Director of Sales.

"So how does custom design affect your interaction with DPS client?" - Andrew

"Well, you'll find that pretty much 95% of our clients are handled by our current manufacturing base. In other words there's always products that will fit the bill. But there's always that 10% that comes to DPS looking for that perfect, almost special fit. And that's what we provide them." - Joel

"What kind of things are they asking for?" – Andrew

"Good question - Everything from T1 connections to something as simple as screw lug connectors at the back of a NetGuardian. And all those, we definitely rise to the occasion." - Joel

"How do you respond who says, ‘Okay, fine you can do custom engineering. But there's just no way I can afford it with my budget.'" – Andrew

"We don't charge for engineering here. What we do is we have a minimum order, typically 11 units. You'd place an order for 11 units, and we would ship out that first article for testing, evaluation, and approval. Upon receipt and approval of that one unit, we'll ship out the remainder. And the best part about it is that we still have that 30-day money-back guarantee." - Joel

The DPS custom design process begins with a sales call. When someone like you calls the DPS 1-800 number with a specific monitoring need. What happens next is unthinkable at companies that aren't integrated. Your DPS sales rep walks a short fifty-two and a half feet down the hall to engineering, to ensure that the technical development of your new product will be completed on time. If you've ever been left hanging because some fast talking sales rep promised you some impossible engineering miracle, you understand how valuable this close cooperation is.

Next, the sales team prepares a detailed custom proposal to ensure there's no confusion about what you asked for. You'll get application drawings, showing how your new custom equipment will function in your network.

Once you've approved the project, by sending in a purchase order, the DPS engineering team springs into action. A kick-off meeting brings together all the right team members to make the project a success.

When a design requires a new circuit board layout, CAD engineers design it. If you need a new software feature, programmers write it. If your project requires a different aluminum chassis, metal engineers create the new design.

During the development process, you're kept updated with regular phone calls from engineering. If an important decision comes up in the development process, DPS doesn't just guess about what you'd want. They call you and let you decide.

With a 100% money-back guarantee, DPS simply has no interest in designing a product that you are not 100% satisfied with.

Once your design is complete, production of a first article begins here on the DPS production floor, just 100 feet down the hall from engineering.

Surface mount machines place parts onto the circuit boards. Then the board passes through a multi-stage oven to head the solder paste and secure the parts onto the board.

While your board is being produced, the DPS metal shop across the street, uses an automatic water jet cutter to cut sheet metal from CAD drawings. The metal is then bent, powder-coated, and silk-screened.

When the finished metal arrives in production, the circuit board is screwed into it to complete your custom product.

Before shipment, engineering uses this large tech lab to test the new device under simulated network conditions. And, with the help of this temperature chamber, it's response to extreme heat and cold.

Additional testing takes place in an anechoic-EMI test chamber. Where equipment is tested for emission of electromagnetic interference.

Once all DPS tests are complete, your first article is boxed and shipped to you for testing under your real world network conditions.

When you Contact DPS and authorize the full production run, work quickly begins on the remainder of your order.

So what do DPS clients say about this fast-track custom engineering process, the stories and letters found here in the DPS front Lobby tell the stories:

"I just wanted to take a moment to extend my amazement at your company's technical capabilities. Things just seem to click so well with them, I wish all my venders were this savvy!"

"I had no doubt that whatever DPS committed to, they'd do it. And they have. We've had nothing but a positive experience. It took very little time, and we got the product we wanted."

For the final word on this rapid custom engineering process, here's DPS Telecom President, Eric Storm.

"Ironically, most people don't even know they can benefit from a custom monitoring solution. They'll either pay more than they should, they'll compromise on what they need, they'll kludge something together, or worst of all, they'll do absolutely nothing. You've seen, first hand, our engineering capablilites. Call us. We are experts in the field, and we'll help you with your monitoring challenges." -Eric

To start development on a custom monitoring product that will meet your exact need, contact DPS today at 1-800-693-0351.