The summary.
VALIDATE THAT THE DATA CHANGES A DECISION BEFORE OPTIMISING ANY DEVICE
Use off-the-shelf hardware for that, even if unsuited to production.
NEVER SKIP PILOT PRODUCTION
Manufacturing problems appear at volume, and discovering them in full production is ruinous.
CHECK COMPONENT AVAILABILITY AND LIFETIME BEFORE SELECTING ANYTHING
Supply disruption has halted production lines for months, and import lead times compound it here. Design so parts can be substituted.
PRE-CERTIFIED RADIO MODULES SAVE THE MOST EXPENSIVE CERTIFICATION WORK
Establish which approvals apply before designing — requirements shape the design and retrofitting compliance is expensive.
TEST PROVISIONING IN PRODUCTION
A device shipped without valid credentials cannot connect and must be returned.
HARDWARE-ONLY SALES CANNOT SUSTAIN RECURRING COSTS
Connectivity, platform and support continue while revenue does not. That mismatch is the commonest commercial failure.
MODEL FULL SCALE USING PILOT FIGURES, NOT ESTIMATES
Support cost per device, battery life and failure rate are what determine viability.
COMPONENT LIFETIMES ARE SHORTER THAN DEPLOYMENT LIFETIMES
Plan hardware revisions, and maintain firmware for every version in the field.