Photo Meter Reads (MX02US03)

Utility Meter Compass - Photo Meter Reading Management User Story

1. Problem Statement

Meter Reading Supervisor

• Cannot efficiently track the status and progress of read cycles across different areas
• Lacks visibility into performance metrics for individual routes and meter readers
• Struggles with managing the assignment and reassignment of routes to meter readers
• Has limited ability to identify and address problem areas in the reading process
• Cannot easily monitor quality metrics like normal, faulty, and could-not-read (RCNT) readings

Core Problem

The current meter reading management system lacks comprehensive tracking, assignment, and performance monitoring capabilities for photo meter readings, resulting in inefficient resource allocation, delayed cycle completions, and quality control issues across the utility service areas. Without proper visibility into cycle performance and route status, the Meter Reading Supervisor cannot effectively manage the meter reading operation.

2. Who Are the Users Facing the Problem?

Meter Reading Supervisor

A utility professional responsible for overseeing the entire meter reading operation, ensuring timely and accurate data collection for billing purposes. They manage multiple reading cycles, coordinate meter readers, and report on operational performance. The Meter Reading Supervisor is the primary and sole user of this feature.

3. Jobs To Be Done

For Meter Reading Supervisor:

When I need to monitor the progress of multiple reading cycles across different service areas, But I lack real-time visibility into cycle completion rates and quality metrics, Help me track cycle status, completion percentages, and reading quality breakdowns by area, So that I can proactively identify and address issues before they impact billing schedules.

When I need to assign routes to appropriate meter readers, But I struggle to match reader availability, workload, and route requirements, Help me view reader workloads, ratings, and availability in a centralized interface, So that I can efficiently allocate resources and optimize route coverage.

When I need to identify performance issues in specific routes or with specific readers, But I don't have detailed metrics on reading accuracy and completion rates, Help me access granular performance data on route completion, reading quality, and turnaround times, So that I can implement targeted improvements and training where needed.

When I need to manage route assignments and reassignments quickly, But I lack a streamlined interface for these operations, Help me efficiently assign, unassign, and track route status changes, So that I can maintain operational flexibility and respond to changing field conditions.

When I need to understand quality issues affecting reading cycles, But I can't easily identify patterns in faulty or could-not-read situations, Help me visualize quality metrics with detailed breakdowns by route and reader, So that I can address systematic problems and improve overall reading quality.

4. Solution

The Utility Meter Compass Photo Meter Reading Management System provides a comprehensive solution for tracking, assigning, and monitoring photo meter reading operations, with the following key capabilities:

1. Read Cycle Management

• Creation and configuration of read cycles with clear timeline definitions
• Service area organization with route grouping and scheduling
• Cycle status tracking from creation through completion
• Performance metrics and historical comparison for cycle efficiency

2. Route Assignment and Dispatch

• Intelligent route assignment based on reader workload and availability
• Batch and individual route dispatch capabilities
• Route reassignment and unassignment functionality
• Clear visibility of route status and reader allocation

3. Reader Management

• Reader profile management with workload tracking
• Performance rating and availability monitoring
• Assignment history and completion rates
• Contact information and communication tools

4. Performance Monitoring

• Real-time completion rate tracking by cycle and route
• Reading quality metrics (normal, faulty, could-not-read)
• Turnaround time measurement and trending
• Photo submission tracking and quality assessment

5. Route Details and Navigation

• Detailed view of meters, consumers, and premises by route
• Completion status tracking at the route level
• Due date and priority indicators
• Problem flagging and resolution tracking

6. Quality Control

• Reading quality classification (normal, faulty, RCNT)
• Problem reporting and categorization
• Photo verification and validation tools
• Exception management and resolution tracking

7. Reporting and Analytics

• Cycle performance dashboards with key metrics
• Route completion status reports
• Reader performance analysis
• Quality metrics trending and comparison
• Exportable reports for management review

5. Major Steps Involved

For Meter Reading Supervisor:

Monitoring Read Cycles

1. Log into the Smart 360 system
2. Navigate to the "Photo Meter Reads" section from the left navigation panel
3. View the dashboard showing cycles by status (Not Dispatched, Dispatched, In Progress, Completed)
4. Filter cycles by month, status, or sort by run date as needed
5. Review the read cycle list with key metrics (meters, consumers, readings, quality breakdown, completion %)
6. Click on a specific cycle (e.g., "Downtown Area Q2") to view detailed information

Viewing Cycle Details

1. On the cycle details page, review the cycle information section (name, type, date range, meters, consumers)
2. Check performance metrics (completion rate, reading accuracy, avg. turnaround, photo submission)
3. Analyze meter reading quality breakdown (normal, faulty, RCNT percentages)
4. Review route completion status for all routes in the cycle
5. Identify problematic routes with low completion rates or quality issues
6. Toggle between "Details" and "Dispatch" tabs to manage route assignments

Assigning Routes

1. Navigate to the "Dispatch" tab within a cycle detail view
2. Filter routes by status, meter reader, or date range if needed
3. Identify routes with "Not Dispatched" status that need assignment
4. Click "Assign" button for a specific route (e.g., "Downtown Route 6")
5. In the assignment modal, view the list of available meter readers
6. Review each reader's workload (current route count), performance rating, and availability status
7. Search for specific readers by name or ID if needed
8. Select an appropriate reader based on workload and availability
9. Click "Assign" to confirm the assignment
10. Verify the route status changes to "Dispatched" and the reader name appears in the assigned column

Reassigning/Unassigning Routes

1. Navigate to the "Dispatch" tab within a cycle detail view
2. Locate routes that need reassignment (e.g., routes with "Problem" status or routes assigned to readers who are now unavailable)
3. Click "Unassign" button for the route that needs to be reassigned
4. Review the confirmation dialog showing route details and current reader
5. Confirm the unassignment by clicking "Confirm"
6. Verify the route status changes to "Not Dispatched"
7. Proceed with assigning the route to a different reader using the assignment steps
8. Monitor the updated route status in the route list

Analyzing Performance Metrics

1. Navigate to the "Details" tab of a specific read cycle
2. Review the cycle's key performance indicators:
   • Completion Rate (percentage of meters read)
   • Reading Accuracy (percentage of normal readings)
   • Average Turnaround Time (days from assignment to completion)
   • Photo Submission Rate (percentage of readings with photos)
3. Compare current metrics with previous cycle performance (shown as percentage increases/decreases)
4. Analyze the Meter Reading Quality breakdown (Normal, Faulty, RCNT)
5. Review the Route Completion Status section to identify specific routes with performance issues
6. Note routes with very low completion percentages (e.g., Downtown Route 6 with 0%)
7. Identify patterns in route performance that may indicate systematic issues
8. Use this information to prioritize interventions or additional resources

6. Flow Diagram

7. Business Rules

General Rules

1. All meter reading cycles must have a defined date range with clear start and end dates
2. Each route must be assigned to a meter reader before readings can begin
3. Routes cannot be assigned to unavailable readers
4. A meter reader's workload should not exceed their capacity (based on currently assigned routes)
5. All reading problems must be categorized as either Faulty or Could Not Read (RCNT)
6. Cycle completion percentage is calculated based on the total number of readings completed divided by total meters in the cycle
7. Reading accuracy is calculated based on the percentage of normal readings out of total readings
8. Routes with 0% completion after their due date must be flagged for supervisor attention
9. Routes cannot be marked as completed unless all meters have readings or documented exceptions

Dispatch Rules

1. Only routes with "Not Dispatched" status can be assigned to readers
2. Routes can be unassigned only if they are in "Dispatched" or "In Progress" status
3. Unassigning a route changes its status to "Not Dispatched"
4. Assigning a route changes its status to "Dispatched"
5. A reader cannot be assigned more than their maximum route capacity
6. Routes with "Problem" status can be reassigned to different readers after issue review

Status Transition Rules

1. Route status must follow the sequence: Not Dispatched → Dispatched → In Progress → Completed
2. Routes can be marked as "Problem" from "In Progress" status
3. "Problem" routes can transition to "In Progress" after issue resolution
4. Routes cannot transition from "Completed" to any other status without supervisor override
5. Read cycles are automatically marked "In Progress" when at least one route is in progress
6. Read cycles are automatically marked "Completed" when all routes are completed

Reading Quality Rules

1. Readings must be classified as Normal, Faulty, or Could Not Read (RCNT)
2. Faulty readings require photo documentation and issue description
3. RCNT readings require categorization of the reason (access issue, meter problem, etc.)
4. Routes with more than 25% faulty or RCNT readings require supervisor review
5. Readers with consistently high faulty/RCNT percentages across routes should be flagged for additional training

Error Handling Rules

1. If a meter reader attempts to mark a route as complete with missing readings, show an error message requesting documentation of exceptions
2. If assignment to an unavailable reader is attempted, show an error message and prevent the assignment
3. If a route unassignment is requested for a route with significant progress, require confirmation
4. If a cycle's due date passes with incomplete routes, generate an alert for the supervisor
5. If photo quality is insufficient for reading verification, flag the reading for review

8. Sample Data

Read Cycles

Cycle Name	Month	Meters	Consumers	Readings	Normal	Faulty	RCNT	Completion %	Status
Downtown Area Q2	April 2025	145	128	89	72	12	5	61%	In Progress
East Industrial Zone	April 2025	65	28	40	28	10	2	62%	Problem Reported
North Residential	April 2025	230	212	0	0	0	0	0%	Not Dispatched
South Residential	April 2025	320	290	250	220	25	5	78%	Dispatched
Commercial District	March 2025	78	45	78	65	8	5	100%	Completed

Routes

Route Name	Meters	Consumers	Premises	Readings	Assigned To	Assigned Date	Due Date	Status
Downtown Route 1	28	25	20	28/28	John Smith	Mar 10, 2025	Apr 10, 2025	Completed
Downtown Route 2	32	30	25	25/32	Emma Johnson	Mar 12, 2025	Apr 12, 2025	In Progress
Downtown Route 3	24	22	18	18/24	Michael Davis	Mar 15, 2025	Apr 15, 2025	In Progress
Downtown Route 4	19	15	12	15/19	Sarah Wilson	Mar 18, 2025	Apr 18, 2025	Problem
Downtown Route 5	22	18	15	3/22	Robert Brown	Mar 20, 2025	Apr 20, 2025	Dispatched
Downtown Route 6	20	18	15	0/20	NA	NA	Apr 25, 2025	Not Dispatched

Meter Readers

User ID	Name	Contact	Workload	Availability
1	John Smith	john.smith@example.com	5 routes	Available
2	Emma Johnson	emma.j@example.com	3 routes	Available
3	Michael Davis	m.davis@example.com	7 routes	Available
4	Sarah Wilson	s.wilson@example.com	4 routes	Unavailable
5	Robert Brown	r.brown@example.com	2 routes	Available

Performance Metrics

Metric	Downtown Area Q2	Comparison to Last Cycle
Completion Rate	61%	+2.5% increase
Reading Accuracy	93.5%	+1.2% increase
Avg. Turnaround	3.2 days	-0.5% decrease
Photo Submission	72.8%	+4.8% increase

9. Acceptance Criteria

1. The system must display read cycles with clear status indicators (Not Dispatched, Dispatched, In Progress, Completed)
2. The system must provide filtering capabilities for read cycles by month, status, and sort order
3. The system must display key metrics for each read cycle including meters, consumers, readings, and completion percentage
4. The system must categorize reading quality into Normal, Faulty, and RCNT with counts and percentages
5. The system must provide a detailed view of each read cycle with performance metrics and route status
6. The system must calculate and display completion rate, reading accuracy, average turnaround, and photo submission metrics
7. The system must show historical comparisons for key metrics against previous cycles
8. The system must provide route completion status for all routes within a cycle with percentage indicators
9. The system must support filtering routes by status, meter reader, and date range
10. The system must allow assignment of routes to available meter readers with workload visibility
11. The system must prevent assignment of routes to unavailable meter readers
12. The system must allow unassignment of routes with appropriate status changes and confirmations
13. The system must display detailed route information including meters, consumers, premises, and reading counts
14. The system must clearly indicate route status with color-coded labels (Completed, In Progress, Problem, Dispatched, Not Dispatched)
15. The system must track assigned dates and due dates for all routes
16. The system must allow searching routes by name within cycles
17. The system must provide actions appropriate to route status (Assign, Unassign)
18. The system must require confirmation before unassigning routes from meter readers
19. The system must display meter reader workload to prevent overallocation
20. The system must automatically update cycle status based on the status of component routes

10. Process Changes

Current Process	New Process	Impact
From: Manual tracking of read cycle status using spreadsheets	To: Automated real-time status tracking with visual indicators	Reduces administrative time by 70% and provides immediate visibility into cycle progress
From: Ad-hoc assignment of routes to readers with limited visibility into workloads	To: Data-driven route assignment with reader workload, rating, and availability information	Improves resource utilization by 25% and ensures balanced workload distribution
From: Limited visibility into reading quality issues and problems	To: Detailed breakdown of reading quality with Normal, Faulty, and RCNT classifications	Enables targeted quality improvement initiatives, potentially reducing exception rates by 30%
From: Manual performance tracking requiring compilation of multiple data sources	To: Automated performance metrics with historical comparisons	Saves 5-8 hours per week in reporting time and provides actionable insights for improvement
From: Reactive problem management after billing issues occur	To: Proactive identification of routes with problems or low completion rates	Reduces billing errors by 40% by addressing reading issues before bill generation
From: Siloed information with limited visibility between field operations and supervisors	To: Shared platform with real-time updates and status changes	Improves cross-functional coordination and reduces communication delays by 60%
From: Manual reassignment process when readers are unavailable	To: Streamlined unassignment and reassignment workflow with status tracking	Reduces route coverage gaps by 50% and ensures timely completion of critical routes
From: Limited ability to prioritize routes based on due dates and status	To: Clear visibility of due dates and completion status for prioritization	Improves on-time completion rates by 35% by focusing resources on highest priority routes

11. Impact from Solving This Problem

Metric	Impact
Billing Cycle Time	Reduces billing cycle time by 2-3 days by improving the efficiency and timeliness of meter reading completion
Reading Accuracy	Improves reading accuracy by 5-10% through better quality control and problem identification
Resource Utilization	Optimizes meter reader utilization by 20-30% through better workload balancing and assignment
Exception Handling Time	Reduces time spent resolving reading exceptions by 40-50% through earlier identification and categorization
Operational Visibility	Provides 100% visibility into cycle and route status compared to previous limited visibility
Customer Billing Complaints	Reduces billing-related customer complaints by 15-25% through improved reading accuracy
Regulatory Compliance	Improves compliance with regulatory reading schedules by 30-40% through better tracking and prioritization
Employee Satisfaction	Increases field staff satisfaction by providing clear workload expectations and performance feedback
Management Reporting Time	Reduces time spent compiling management reports by 70-80% through automated metrics and dashboards
Cost of Reading Operations	Reduces overall operational costs by 10-15% through improved efficiency and reduced rework

12. User Behavior Tracking

Meter Reading Supervisor

Event	Properties	Insights
Cycle View	Cycle ID, Filter Applied, Sort Order, Time Spent	Understanding which cycles require most supervisor attention
Route Assignment	Route ID, Reader ID, Assignment Time, Previous Assignment Status	Tracking assignment patterns and workload distribution strategies
Route Unassignment	Route ID, Reader ID, Reason, Route Completion %	Identifying problematic routes or reader performance issues
Cycle Detail View	Cycle ID, Tab Selected (Details/Dispatch), Time Spent, Metrics Viewed	Determining which performance metrics drive supervisor decisions
Filter Application	Filter Type (Status/Reader/Date), Values Selected, Result Count	Understanding supervisor workflow and prioritization patterns
Assignment Modal View	Search Terms Used, Readers Viewed, Selection Time	Analyzing decision-making process for route assignments
Refresh Action	Page Location, Previous Action, Time Since Last Refresh	Monitoring frequency of status checking and workflow patterns
Cycle Switching	Previous Cycle ID, New Cycle ID, Time Spent on Previous	Understanding prioritization and attention distribution across cycles
Sort Action	Column Sorted, Direction, Page Location	Identifying key metrics used for decision making
Problem Review	Route ID, Problem Status, Time Spent Reviewing	Tracking focus on problem resolution

Questions Answered:

• Which cycles require the most supervisor attention and time?
• Are routes being optimally assigned to readers based on workload, rating, and availability?
• What assignment patterns produce the best completion rates and quality metrics?
• How frequently does the supervisor check for status updates and in what contexts?
• How much time is spent on assignment activities versus performance monitoring?
• Are there patterns in route reassignments that indicate systematic issues?
• Which performance metrics most heavily influence supervisor decisions?
• How does the supervisor prioritize attention across multiple cycles and routes?
• What filtering and sorting patterns indicate supervisor workflow preferences?
• How much time is spent addressing problematic routes versus routine management?