Meter Reading Status and Reason Code Management (MX04US04)

1. Problem Statement

The current meter reading operations lack a standardized system for categorizing and managing different types of meter reading statuses and their associated reason codes. This creates several challenges:

For Meter Manager:

• Difficulty in establishing and maintaining consistent reading status hierarchies
• Manual processes for managing status configurations across the organization
• Limited ability to analyze exception patterns and optimize reading processes
• Challenges in ensuring standardized reason codes across all field operations
• Inadequate tools for tracking configuration usage and effectiveness

For Meter Reading Supervisor:

• Inconsistent exception handling by field staff due to unclear guidance
• Difficulty monitoring which reason codes are being used in daily operations
• Limited visibility into reading performance patterns and trends
• Challenges in training field staff on proper exception documentation
• Manual processes for reviewing and validating field exception data

For Meter Reader:

• Confusion about which reason codes to use for specific field situations
• Inconsistent guidance on proper documentation of exceptions
• Difficulty understanding the relationship between reading statuses and reason codes
• Limited access to clear operational procedures for different field conditions
• Time-consuming manual processes for exception documentation

Core Problem: The absence of a centralized, configurable system for managing meter reading statuses and reason codes results in inconsistent data capture, poor exception management, and reduced operational efficiency in meter reading operations.

2. Who Are the Users Facing the Problem?

Primary Users:

• Meter Manager: Responsible for configuring and maintaining meter reading status categories and their associated reason codes to ensure consistent data capture and exception handling across the organization
• Meter Reading Supervisor: Oversees daily meter reading operations and ensures field staff properly use configured statuses and reason codes for exception handling
• Meter Reader: Field personnel who use the configured statuses and reason codes during meter reading activities to document exceptions and field conditions

3. Jobs To Be Done

For Meter Manager: When I need to configure and manage meter reading statuses and their associated reason codes across the entire metering operation, But I currently lack a centralized system that allows me to create hierarchical relationships between statuses and codes, track usage patterns, and ensure consistent application across all reading operations, Help me establish a comprehensive configuration system that provides clear categorization, easy maintenance, and real-time visibility into exception patterns, So that I can improve data quality, reduce training time for field staff, and generate meaningful analytics on reading performance.

For Meter Reading Supervisor: When I need to ensure my field teams are properly using configured statuses and reason codes during daily operations, But I currently struggle with inconsistent exception handling, difficulty monitoring field staff compliance, and limited visibility into which codes are actually being used in the field, Help me access operational dashboards and monitoring tools that show real-time usage of configured statuses and codes, So that I can identify training needs, optimize field operations, and ensure consistent data capture across all meter reading activities.

For Meter Reader: When I need to properly categorize and document exceptions encountered during meter reading activities in the field, But I currently face confusion about which codes to use and lack clear guidance on proper documentation procedures for different field situations, Help me access a well-organized, intuitive system through my mobile device that provides clear instructions and standardized options for different field conditions, So that I can capture accurate data consistently, reduce time spent on documentation, and ensure my exception reports are properly categorized.

4. Solution

The Meter Reading Status and Reason Code Management system provides a comprehensive configuration platform that enables utilities to establish, maintain, and optimize their meter reading exception handling processes.

Key Capability Areas:

1. Hierarchical Status Management

• Create and manage reading status categories
• Configure system reading status mappings for each category
• Enable/disable status categories based on operational needs
• view and edit the reading status

2. Dynamic Reason Code Configuration

• Create reason codes associated with specific reading statuses
• Maintain detailed descriptions and operational guidance for each code
• Support multi-level reason code hierarchies for complex scenarios

3. Visual Status Dashboard

• Real-time display of all configured statuses
• Interactive status management with inline editing capabilities

4. Advanced Search and Filtering

• Global search across all statuses and reason codes
• Quick access to specific configurations during operational periods

5. Form-Based Configuration Management

• Intuitive add/edit forms for status and reason code creation
• Dropdown selections for system reading status associations
• Rich text description fields for detailed operational guidance

6. Audit Trail and History Tracking

• Created date and modified date tracking for compliance

5. Major Steps Involved

Managing Reading Statuses:

1. Navigate to Settings > Meter Readers Code
2. Select "Meter Reading Status" tab to view current status configuration
3. Review dashboard showing Total , Normal , RCNT , and Faulty status counts
4. Click "Add" button to create new reading status
5. Complete "Add Status" form with required fields:
   • Enter Reading Status name
   • Select System Reading Status from dropdown
   • Add detailed Description of when to use this status
6. Click "Submit" to save new status configuration
7. Verify new status appears in appropriate category dashboard
8. Use toggle switches to activate/deactivate statuses as needed
9. Click edit icon on existing status cards to modify configurations
10. Review and update status descriptions based on operational feedback

Managing Reason Codes:

1. Switch to "Meter Reason Code" tab from the navigation
2. Review existing reason codes organized by reading status
3. Click "Add" button to create new reason code
4. Complete "Add Reason Code" form:
   • Select Reading Status from dropdown (determines which status this code applies to)
   • Enter detailed Reason description
   • Enter unique Reason Code identifier
5. Click "Submit" to save new reason code
6. Verify reason code appears under correct reading status category
7. Use view/edit icons to modify existing reason codes
8. Review "Meter Read Code Details" showing Reason Code, Reason, and Meter Status relationships
9. Use "Cancel" to close detail views and return to main configuration

6. Flow Diagram

7. Business Rules

General System Rules:

1. Reading Status Management: The system must support four primary reading status categories: Total, Normal, RCNT, and Faulty, with each category displaying a count of associated meter codes
2. System Reading Status Association: Each reading status must be associated with a System Reading Status
3. Active/Inactive Toggle: All reading statuses must have an Active/Inactive toggle capability, with True/False values determining availability for field operations
4. Creation Tracking: All records must capture Created Date (format: 08/01/2025) and Created By
5. Description Requirement: All statuses and reason codes must have a Description field

Reading Status Configuration Rules:

Dashboard Cards Rules:

1. Total Card: Must display count of the cards
2. Normal Card: Must display count of normal reading status card
3. RCNT Card: Must display count of RCNT reading status
4. Faulty Card: Must display count of faulty reading status

Search Functionality Rules:

5. Search Behavior: Must filter results in real-time as user types, searching across Reading Status names and descriptions

Add Button Rules:

7. Add Button: positioned in top-right corner, triggers "Add Status" open side drawer form when clicked

Status Card Display Rules:

9. RCNT Status Card: Must display "RCNT" as header, show pencil edit icon, toggle switch for active/inactive state
10. NORMAL Status Card: Must display "NORMAL" as header, show pencil edit icon, toggle switch for active/inactive state
11. Faulty Status Card: Must display "Faulty" as header, show pencil edit icon, toggle switch for active/inactive state

Status Card Field Requirements:

12. Description Field: Must display "ok" text for all status cards, represents operational description of when to use the status
13. Created Date Field: Must display date in format "08/01/2025" showing when the status was originally created
14. Created By Field: Must display username
15. System Reading Status Field: Must display numeric values

Toggle Switch Rules:

17. Active Toggle: Must be a sliding toggle switch that changes status from active to inactive without deleting the record

Edit Icon Rules:

20. Pencil Icon: Must appear on each status card, when clicked opens "Edit Status"

Add Status Form Rules:

22. Reading Status Field: Must be a required field (*) with text input box, placeholder "Enter Reading Status"
23. System Reading Status Field: Must be a required field (*) with dropdown selection, placeholder "Select System Reading Status"
24. Description Field: Must be optional text area with placeholder "Enter Description", supports multi-line text
25. Form Validation: Submit button must validate required fields are completed before allowing submission
26. Cancel Button: Must close the form without saving any changes and return to main status view
27. Submit Button: validates form data and saves new status configuration

Edit Status Form Rules:

28. Pre-populated Fields: Edit form must load with existing data
29. Field Editability: All fields must be editable in edit mode while maintaining same validation rules as add form
30. Data Persistence: Submit must update existing record while maintaining Created Date and Created By, update Modified Date and Modified By

System Reading Status Dropdown Rules:

31. Dropdown Options: Must contain predefined options that map to system values
32. Default Selection: For edit forms, must show current value selected; for add forms, must show placeholder text
33. Required Selection: User must select an option from dropdown

Reason Code Management Rules:

11. Status Association: Each reason code must be associated with a specific Reading Status (NORMAL, RCNT, Faulty) and cannot exist independently
12. Reason Code Format: Reason codes must follow specific formats (examples: "007", "Meter Buried", "Revolution Complete", "Inaccessible", "Meter Burnt")
13. Reason Description: Each reason code must have a descriptive reason field explaining when to use the code (examples: "007", "Revolution Complete", "ok", "Inaccessible", "Meter Burnt")
14. Hierarchical Display: Reason codes must be displayed grouped by their associated Reading Status for logical organization
15. Detail View: Clicking on any reason code must display a detail panel showing Reason Code, Reason, and Meter Status relationships

Reason Code Card Field Requirements:

15. Reading Status Field: Must display associated reading status
16. Reason Code Field: Must display the actual reason code value
17. Created Date Field: Must display dates in MM/DD/YYYY format
18. Created By Field: Must display username

Icon Functionality Rules:

19. Eye View Icon: Must be present on each reason code card, when clicked opens "Meter Reason Code" detail panel showing code details
20. Pencil Edit Icon: Must be present on each reason code card, when clicked opens "Edit Reason Code" modal form with pre-populated data

Add Reason Code Form Rules:

22. Reading Status Field: Must be a required field (*) with dropdown selection, placeholder "Select Type"
23. Reason Field: Must be a required field (*) with text area input, placeholder "Enter Reason"
24. Reason Code Field: Must be a required field (*) with text area input, placeholder "Enter Reason Code"
25. Form Validation: Submit button must validate all required fields are completed before allowing submission
26. Cancel Button: Must close the form without saving any changes and return to main reason code view
27. Submit Button: validates form data and saves new reason code configuration

Edit Reason Code Form Rules:

28. Pre-populated Reading Status: Edit form must load with existing Reading Status dropdown
29. Pre-populated Reason: Edit form must load with existing Reason text
30. Pre-populated Reason Code: Edit form must load with existing Reason Code text
31. Field Editability: All fields must be editable in edit mode while maintaining same validation rules as add form
32. Data Persistence: Submit must update existing record while maintaining Created Date and Created By, adding Modified Date and Modified By

Reading Status Dropdown Rules:

38. Dropdown Options: Must contain predefined reading status options that match configured reading statuses
39. Default Selection: For edit forms, must show current associated reading status; for add forms, must show "Select Type" placeholder
40. Required Selection: User must select an option from dropdown;
41. Cascading Relationship: Selected reading status determines which category the reason code will appear under

8. Sample Data

Reading Status Sample Data:

{
  "readingStatuses": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "readingStatus": "RCNT",
      "systemReadingStatus": 2,
      "description": "ok",
      "active": true,
      "createdDate": "08/01/2025",
      "createdBy": "vijay",
      "category": "RCNT"
    },
    {
      "id": 2,
      "readingStatus": "NORMAL",
      "systemReadingStatus": 0,
      "description": "ok",
      "active": true,
      "createdDate": "08/01/2025",
      "createdBy": "vijay",
      "category": "Normal"
    },
    {
      "id": 3,
      "readingStatus": "Faulty",
      "systemReadingStatus": 1,
      "description": "ok",
      "active": true,
      "createdDate": "09/01/2025",
      "createdBy": "vijay",
      "category": "Faulty"
    }
  ]
}

Reason Code Sample Data:

{
  "reasonCodes": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "readingStatusId": 2,
      "readingStatus": "NORMAL",
      "reasonCode": "007",
      "reason": "007",
      "createdDate": "08/01/2025",
      "createdBy": "vijay"
    },
    {
      "id": 2,
      "readingStatusId": 2,
      "readingStatus": "NORMAL",
      "reasonCode": "Revolution Complete",
      "reason": "Revolution Complete",
      "createdDate": "09/01/2025",
      "createdBy": "vijay"
    },
    {
      "id": 3,
      "readingStatusId": 2,
      "readingStatus": "NORMAL",
      "reasonCode": "Normal Code",
      "reason": "ok",
      "createdDate": "05/03/2025",
      "createdBy": "vijay"
    },
    {
      "id": 4,
      "readingStatusId": 3,
      "readingStatus": "Faulty",
      "reasonCode": "Meter Faulty",
      "reason": "Meter Faulty",
      "createdDate": "08/01/2025",
      "createdBy": "vijay"
    },
    {
      "id": 5,
      "readingStatusId": 3,
      "readingStatus": "Faulty",
      "reasonCode": "Meter Burnt",
      "reason": "Meter Burnt",
      "createdDate": "09/01/2025",
      "createdBy": "vijay"
    },
    {
      "id": 6,
      "readingStatusId": 1,
      "readingStatus": "RCNT",
      "reasonCode": "Inaccessible",
      "reason": "Inaccessible",
      "createdDate": "08/01/2025",
      "createdBy": "vijay"
    }
  ]
}

9. Acceptance Criteria

1. The system must display four distinct reading status category dashboards: Total, Normal, RCNT, and Faulty, each showing current count of associated meter codes
2. The system must provide an "Add" button that opens a modal form for creating new reading statuses with required fields: Reading Status, System Reading Status, and Description
3. The system must validate that Reading Status and System Reading Status are completed before allowing form submission
4. The system must allow users to select System Reading Status from a predefined dropdown list rather than free text entry
5. The system must save new reading statuses with automatic timestamp (Created Date) and user attribution (Created By) upon successful submission
6. The system must display reading statuses in card format showing key information: Description, Active status, Created Date, Created By, and System Reading Status
7. The system must provide toggle switches for each reading status to activate/deactivate without data deletion
8. The system must allow editing of existing reading statuses through pencil icon click, opening a pre-populated edit form
9. The system must provide a separate "Meter Reason Code" tab showing reason codes organized by their associated reading status
10. The system must allow creation of new reason codes through "Add Reason Code" form with fields: Reading Status selection, Reason description, and Reason Code
11. The system must display reason codes in card format grouped by reading status categories (NORMAL, RCNT, Faulty)
12. The system must provide view/edit functionality for reason codes through eye and pencil icons on each card
13. The system must open a detail panel when clicking on reason codes showing "Meter Read Code Details" with Reason Code, Reason, and Meter Status information
14. The system must include a search functionality to filter through reading statuses and reason codes
15. The system must prevent duplicate reading status codes and reason codes within the system
16. The system must maintain referential integrity between reading statuses and their associated reason codes
17. The system must provide "Submit" and "Cancel" buttons on all forms with proper validation and error handling
18. The system must display appropriate error messages for invalid form submissions without data corruption
19. The system must support concurrent viewing of configurations by multiple users while controlling edit access
20. The system must automatically update dashboard counts when reading statuses or reason codes are added, modified, or deactivated

10. Process Changes

11. Impact from Solving This Problem

12. User Behavior Tracking

Key Insights to Answer from Tracking:

1. Usage Patterns: Which configuration features are used most frequently and by whom?
2. Error Analysis: What are the most common user errors and system failures?
3. Performance Optimization: Where can the system be optimized based on user behavior?
4. Training Needs: What areas require additional user training based on usage patterns?
5. Feature Adoption: How quickly do users adopt new features and configurations?
6. System Stability: How do configuration changes impact overall system performance?
7. User Experience: Where do users experience friction in the configuration process?
8. Compliance Monitoring: Are users following proper procedures for configuration management?

Wireframe Link - Prod- meter data module -> settings -> meter reading status tab and reason code tab.

Link - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/17bpLrcOry-j6Rk_p6Sp0oUzbDBYTz3Ap3OWERDFvpJM/edit?usp=sharing