Ship the first customer unit you can still support

The first commercial unit leaves the building. If identity and customer mapping wait until “later,” support cannot find “their” device when the warranty call arrives. Serial numbers in a spreadsheet become orphaned inventory; engineering stays permanent tier one.

Without Dataplicity

Provision succeeds in the factory sense. Operations starts from zero when the customer phones. Nobody agrees which unit, which image, or which site.

With Dataplicity

1. Install and claim so the device appears with a live heartbeat in inventory.
2. Attach class and customer/site metadata before you treat the unit as finished - class carries defaults; customer and site scope every later investigation.
3. Confirm the record shows class and customer together, not just “online.”
4. Only then call the unit supportable inventory and scale the same path to the next cohort.

Outcome

First ship is also the first supportable record - not a one-off demo that support cannot find.

Next

• Provision and claim
• Map devices to customers
• Device classes
• Connect your first device

Related path: Connected product company