Read Cycle List and Validation Configurations (MX03US01)

Meter Reading Validation Dashboard User Story

1. Problem Statement

Core Problem

Utility companies struggle with efficiently monitoring and managing meter reading validation processes across different zones, resulting in billing inaccuracies, increased operational costs, and poor data quality. The current system lacks a comprehensive dashboard for tracking reading statuses, configuring validation rules, and managing exceptions.

User Role Pain Points

Meter Manager / Meter Reading Supervisor

• Lacks real-time visibility into reading collection progress across different zones
• Cannot easily identify problematic zones with high missing or exempted readings
• Has no centralized interface to monitor validation completion rates
• Struggles to assign appropriate validators and supervisors to reading cycles
• Cannot track validator performance and workload balance

Validator

• Lacks consistent validation rules to effectively evaluate meter readings
• Spends excessive time manually reviewing exceptions without standardized criteria
• Has no clear prioritization methodology for addressing problematic readings
• Cannot easily apply exemption codes with appropriate documentation
• Struggles to maintain consistency in validation decisions across different reading cycles

2. Who Are the Users Facing the Problem?

Meter Manager / Meter Reading Supervisor

Oversees all meter reading operations, responsible for ensuring timely and accurate collection of consumption data. Manages meter reading schedules, monitors performance metrics, and ensures data quality for billing.

Validator

Responsible for reviewing meter readings and consumption anomalies, making determinations on estimated readings, and identifying potential meter malfunctions based on reading patterns.

3. Jobs To Be Done

For Meter Manager / Meter Reading Supervisor:

When I need to monitor meter reading progress across multiple zones, But I lack a consolidated view of collection rates and validation status, Help me visualize real-time read cycle performance with clear status indicators, So that I can quickly identify problem areas and allocate resources effectively.

When I need to assign validators and supervisors to reading cycles, But I struggle to match staff expertise with zone requirements, Help me easily configure staff assignments through an intuitive interface, So that I can optimize workload distribution and ensure appropriate oversight.

When I need to report on validation completion rates, But I cannot easily aggregate data across different zones and cycles, Help me access comprehensive performance metrics with filtering capabilities, So that I can generate accurate reports and track KPIs for management review.

For Validator:

When I need to validate meter readings efficiently, But I lack standardized criteria to identify anomalies, Help me apply consistent validation rules across all readings, So that I can make accurate determinations and reduce manual review time.

When I need to handle reading exceptions, But I have no clear methodology for estimating missing values, Help me apply prioritized estimation rules based on data availability, So that I can produce accurate consumption estimates for billing.

When I need to exempt certain meters from standard validation, But I struggle to document the reasons consistently, Help me apply standardized exemption codes with appropriate remarks, So that I can maintain an audit trail for all exceptional cases.

4. Solution

The Meter Reading Validation Dashboard provides a comprehensive solution for monitoring, managing, and configuring the meter reading validation process. It offers real-time visibility into reading collection and validation status across different zones, enables configuration of validation rules and estimation logic, and streamlines the assignment of validators and supervisors to reading cycles.

Key Capability Areas:

1. Dashboard Overview

• Performance Summary Cards: Display key metrics including total readings collected, readings missing, readings validated, and readings exempted with completion rates
• Active vs. Completed Read Cycles: Toggle view to see current active cycles or review completed historical cycles
• Zone-Based Performance Tracking: View collection, validation, and exemption rates by geographical zone

2. Read Cycle Management

• Zone-Based Cycle Cards: Detailed cards for each zone showing collection dates, reading method, and key metrics
• Cycle Status Indicators: Visual progress bars showing collection, validation, and exemption percentages
• Staff Assignment Display: Clear indication of assigned validators and supervisors for each zone
• Cycle Navigation: "View Cycle" button to drill down into detailed cycle information

3. Validation Rules Configuration

• Rule Enablement Controls: Toggle switches to enable/disable specific validation rules
• Consumption Check Rules: Configure acceptable ranges and thresholds for consumption validation
• Zero and Negative Consumption Alerts: Flag unusual consumption patterns for review
• High Consumption Alerts: Identify unusually high consumption for validation
• Rule Priority Management: Set the sequence and importance of validation checks

4. Estimation Logic Management

• Prioritized Estimation Methods: Configure the sequence of estimation approaches
• Historical Average Estimation: Use past consumption patterns to estimate readings
• Seasonal Adjustment Controls: Account for seasonal variations in consumption
• Customer Profile Matching: Leverage similar customer data for estimation
• Fallback Options: Configure fixed values and last reading copy options

5. Validator Assignment

• Zone-Based Staff Assignment: Assign validators and supervisors to specific reading cycles
• Staff Search Functionality: Easily find staff members for assignment
• Multiple Validator Support: Assign multiple validators to high-volume zones
• Supervisor Oversight Configuration: Ensure appropriate review and oversight

6. Exemption Code Management

• Standardized Exemption Codes: Maintain consistent codes for reading exceptions
• Exemption Remarks Options: Configure standard remarks for common scenarios
• New Code Creation: Add custom exemption codes as needed
• Code Management Interface: Edit, update, or remove existing codes

7. Configuration Management

• Centralized Configuration Panel: Single interface to access all configuration options
• Role-Based Access Controls: Ensure appropriate permissions for different user roles
• Configuration Change Tracking: Maintain history of configuration changes
• Default Settings Management: Establish baseline configurations for new cycles

5. Major Steps Involved

For Meter Manager / Meter Reading Supervisor:

Monitoring Read Cycle Progress

1. Log into the SMART360 system and navigate to the Meter Reading Validation Dashboard
2. View the summary cards showing total readings collected, missing, validated, and exempted across all cycles
3. Note the overall completion rate (78% validated based on the screenshot)
4. Click on the "Active Read Cycles" tab to view currently active reading cycles
5. Scan the zone-based cycle cards to identify zones with concerning metrics (e.g., East Zone with 40% missing readings)
6. For a zone of interest, review the collection rate, missing rate, validation rate, and exemption rate displayed on the progress bars
7. Note the assigned validator and supervisor for each zone
8. Click "View Cycle" on a specific zone card to access more detailed information about that reading cycle

Assigning Validators and Supervisors

1. Navigate to the Configuration section at the bottom of the dashboard
2. Click "Setup" under the Validator Setup option
3. In the Validator Setup modal, use the search field to find specific validators by name
4. For each reading cycle (e.g., "Downtown Q2 2023"), review the currently assigned validators and supervisors
5. Click "+ Add Validator" to assign additional validators to a cycle
6. In the search dropdown that appears, select the appropriate validator from the list
7. Similarly, click "+ Add Supervisor" to assign supervisors to the cycle
8. Repeat for each reading cycle requiring staff assignment
9. Click "Save Changes" to confirm all assignments

For Validator:

Applying Validation Rules

1. Access assigned reading cycles from the dashboard
2. Review the validation completion rate for assigned zones
3. Click "View Cycle" to access detailed reading information for a specific zone
4. Apply validation rules automatically configured in the system:
   • Consumption Check (within acceptable range based on historical data)
   • Meter Reading Check (follows expected progression)
   • Zero Consumption Alert (flag meters with zero consumption)
   • Negative Consumption Check (identify negative values)
   • High Consumption Alert (flag unusually high readings)
5. Review flagged readings based on validation rule results
6. Make determination on each flagged reading (validate, estimate, or exempt)
7. Document decisions according to company procedures

Handling Estimations

1. For readings requiring estimation, apply the configured estimation rules in priority order:
   • Historical Average (based on previous periods)
   • Seasonal Adjustment (accounting for time of year)
   • Similar Customer Profile (using comparable customers)
   • Fixed Value (predetermined estimates)
   • Last Reading Copy (using most recent valid reading)
2. Review estimated values for reasonableness
3. Confirm estimated readings in the system
4. Update validation status for the meter

Applying Validation Codes

1. For readings that cannot be validated or estimated, select the appropriate exemption code:
   • NI (Not Inspected)
   • NR (No Reading)
   • UM (Unmetered)
   • Other configured codes
2. Select an appropriate remark option from the predefined list
3. Add additional comments if necessary
4. Save the exemption reason in the system
5. Update the meter status to reflect the exemption

For Meter Manager:

Configuring Validation Rules

1. Navigate to the Configuration section of the dashboard
2. Click "Configure" under Validation Rules
3. In the Validation Rules modal, review the current rule settings
4. For each validation rule (Consumption Check, Meter Reading Check, Zero Consumption Alert, etc.), toggle the switch to enable or disable
5. Configure threshold values or parameters for each rule if applicable
6. Click "Save Changes" to apply the updated validation rules to the system

Setting Up Estimation Rules

1. Navigate to the Configuration section of the dashboard
2. Click "Manage" under Estimation Rules
3. In the Estimation Rules modal, review the current estimation methods and their priority order
4. For each estimation method (Historical Average, Seasonal Adjustment, etc.), toggle the switch to enable or disable
5. Use the priority numbers (1-5) to set the sequence in which estimation methods should be applied
6. Configure parameters for each estimation method if applicable
7. Click "Save Changes" to apply the updated estimation logic

Managing Validation Codes

1. Navigate to the Configuration section of the dashboard
2. Click "Manage" under Exemption Codes
3. Review existing exemption codes (NI, NR, UM) and their remark options
4. To add a new code, click "Add New Exemption Code"
5. Enter the code abbreviation (e.g., "AC") and description (e.g., "Access Denied")
6. Provide an initial remark option if desired
7. Click "Add Code" to create the new exemption code
8. For existing codes, use the edit icon to modify or the delete icon to remove
9. Click "Save Changes" to update the exemption code configuration

6. Flow Diagram

7. Business Rules

General Rules

1. All meter readings must either be validated, estimated, or exempted before a billing cycle can be completed
2. Validation rules must be applied consistently across all zones and reading cycles
3. Only authorized users can modify validation rules, estimation logic, and exemption codes
4. Historical read cycles must remain accessible for reference and audit purposes
5. Validation rate is calculated as (Validated Readings / Total Collected Readings) * 100
6. Exemption rate is calculated as (Exempted Readings / Total Collected Readings) * 100

User Permissions

1. Meter Managers can view all dashboard metrics and assign staff to reading cycles
2. Validators can only access cycles assigned to them
3. Meter Manager can configure all system settings
4. Supervisors must have access to review work done by assigned validators.

Error Handling

1. System must prevent deletion of exemption codes that are in active use
2. Validation rules cannot be disabled during an active reading cycle
3. Staff assignments cannot be removed from active reading cycles
4. Changes to validation rules must be prevented if they would invalidate already processed readings

Meter Reading Validation Dashboard

Total Readings Collected

• Aggregate count of all meter readings gathered across all active cycles
• Displayed as a large numeric value for high visibility
• Includes icon indicating data collection method (envelope icon)
• Provides baseline metric for overall reading collection performance

Readings Missing

• Count of meters with no readings submitted across active cycles
• Labeled as "Awaiting Collection" to indicate pending status
• Includes icon indicating time-sensitive nature (clock icon)
• Critical metric for identifying collection gaps requiring attention

Readings Validated

• Count of readings that have been verified and approved
• Shows "Completion Rate" as percentage of total collected readings
• Includes visual progress bar (blue to green gradient)
• Includes icon indicating successful validation (checkmark)
• Key performance indicator for validation progress

Readings Exempted

• Count of meters excluded from standard validation
• Shows "Exemption Rate" as percentage of total readings
• Includes visual indicator bar (blue to red gradient)
• Includes icon indicating special status (document icon)
• Tracks special cases requiring alternative handling

Read Cycle Tabs

• Toggle between Active and Completed reading cycles
• Active tab shows count of current running cycles (6)
• Allows filtering of dashboard data by cycle status
• Controls main dashboard view content

Read Cycle Cards

• Individual cards for each read cycles
• Shows cycle name, date range (Apr 1, 2025 - Apr 30, 2025)
• Indicates primary reading method (photo or manual)
• Displays key metrics for each zone:
  • Collected: Percentage of readings gathered (with blue progress bar)
  • Missing: Percentage of readings still pending (with amber indicator)
  • Validated: Percentage of collected readings verified (with green progress bar)
  • Exempted: Percentage of readings excluded (with red indicator)
• Shows operational information:
  • Meter Count: Total number of meters in the zone
  • Validator: Name of person responsible for validation
  • Supervisor: Name of person overseeing the zone
• Includes "View Cycle" button for detailed zone information
• Enables quick comparison between different geographical areas

Progress Bars

• Color-coded visual indicators for key metrics:
  • Collection (blue): Progress gathering readings
  • Validation (green): Progress verifying readings
  • Missing (amber/yellow): Outstanding readings
  • Exempted (red): Excluded readings
• Consistent color scheme across dashboard elements
• Percentages displayed for quantitative assessment
• Length of bar proportional to percentage value

Configuration Section

Validation Rules

• Controls to enable/disable validation logic
• Represented by shield icon indicating data protection
• Used to manage automated validation parameters and thresholds
• Includes "Configure" button to access detailed settings
• Determines how readings are automatically validated or flagged

Estimation Rules

• Controls to enable and disable estimation logics and set priority
• Represented by calculator icon indicating computational function
• Used to manage how missing readings are estimated
• Includes "Manage" button to access detailed settings
• Determines methodology for generating estimated readings

Validator Setup

• Interface to assign validators and supervisors per read cycle
• Represented by user icon indicating personnel management
• Used to manage personnel responsibilities and workload
• Includes "Setup" button to access assignment interface
• Critical for workflow management and accountability

Exemption Codes

• Controls to configure exemption codes and remarks options
• Represented by gear icon indicating system configuration
• Used to add new codes and remarks for special cases
• Includes "Manage" button to access code configuration
• Determines how special cases are categorized and handled
• Provides standardization for exemption documentation

Validation Rules Modal

Modal Header

• Title "Validation Rules" clearly identifies the configuration section
• Subtitle explains purpose: "Enable or disable validation rules to control how readings are validated"
• Close button (X) in upper right corner to dismiss modal without saving

Consumption Check

• Toggle switch to enable/disable consumption validation
• Description: "Validate if consumption is within acceptable range based on historical data consumption "
• When enabled, automatically flags readings with consumption outside historical patterns
• Blue toggle indicates feature is currently active

Meter Reading Check

• Toggle switch to enable/disable reading progression validation
• Description: "Check if meter reading follows expected progression from previous readings"
• Validates that current reading logically follows from previous reading values
• Blue toggle indicates feature is currently active

Zero Consumption Alert

• Toggle switch to enable/disable zero consumption flagging
• Description: "Flag meters with zero consumption for review"
• Automatically identifies meters reporting no usage for manual verification
• Blue toggle indicates feature is currently active

Negative Consumption Check

• Toggle switch to enable/disable negative value detection
• Description: "Identify and flag negative consumption values"
• Ensures readings don't result in negative consumption calculations
• Blue toggle indicates feature is currently active

High Consumption Alert

• Toggle switch to enable/disable unusual usage detection
• Description: "Flag unusually high consumption for validation"
• Identifies potential meter reading errors or leaks
• Blue toggle indicates feature is currently active

Action Buttons

• Cancel: Dismisses modal without saving changes
• Save Changes: Applies configuration changes to the system
• Blue primary action button for saving changes

Estimation Rules Modal

Modal Header

• Title "Estimation Rules" clearly identifies the configuration section
• Subtitle explains purpose: "Enable, disable and set priority for estimation logics"
• Close button (X) in upper right corner to dismiss modal without saving

Priority System

• Numerical priority indicators (1-5) showing execution order
• Blue badges displaying priority level
• Higher priority methods are attempted first when estimating readings
• If a higher priority method fails, system falls back to next priority

Similar Customer Profile

• Priority 1 (highest) estimation method
• Description: "Estimate using data from customers with similar profiles of consumer with same category and subcategory, and previous consumption close with the targeted consumer"
• Toggle switch to enable/disable this estimation method
• Expandable/collapsible for additional configuration options
• Currently disabled (toggle off)

Last Consumption Copy

• Priority 2 estimation method
• Description: "Copy the last consumption "
• Toggle switch to enable/disable this estimation method
• Expandable/collapsible for additional configuration options
• Currently enabled (blue toggle)

Fixed Value

• Priority 3 estimation method
• Description: "Use a predetermined fixed value for estimation by utility"
• Toggle switch to enable/disable this estimation method
• Expandable/collapsible for additional configuration options
• Currently enabled (blue toggle)

Seasonal Adjustment

• Priority 4 estimation method
• Description: "Adjust estimation based on seasonal consumption patterns consumption of same consumer in the same month in the last year"
• Toggle switch to enable/disable this estimation method
• Expandable/collapsible for additional configuration options
• Currently enabled (blue toggle)

Historical Average

• Priority 5 (lowest) estimation method
• Description: "Estimate based on average consumption from previous 3-month periods"
• Toggle switch to enable/disable this estimation method
• Expandable/collapsible for additional configuration options
• Currently enabled (blue toggle)

Validator Setup Modal

Modal Header

• Title "Validator Setup" clearly identifies the configuration section
• Subtitle explains purpose: "Assign validators and supervisors to read cycles"
• Close button (X) in upper right corner to dismiss modal without saving

Search Validators

• Search field to filter validator personnel by name
• Helps quickly locate specific staff members in large organizations
• Placeholder text: "Search by name..."

Read Cycle Sections

• Individual sections for each billing zone/area
• Section headers display zone name and time period (e.g., "Downtown Q2 2023")
• Organized by geographical or operational divisions

Validators Assignment

• List of personnel responsible for validating readings in each zone
• Staff displayed as removable tags with names (blue background)
• "Add Validator" button to assign additional staff
• Document icon next to names indicates assignment status

Supervisors Assignment

• List of personnel responsible for overseeing validators
• Staff displayed as removable tags with names (green background)
• "Add Supervisor" button to assign additional oversight staff
• Document icon next to names indicates assignment status

Personnel Selection

• Dropdown selection interface for adding new staff
• Search field to filter available personnel
• List of eligible staff members with names
• Selection adds staff to the appropriate role

Exemption Codes Modal

Modal Header

• Title "Exemption Codes" clearly identifies the configuration section
• Subtitle explains purpose: "Configure exemption codes and remarks options"
• Close button (X) in upper right corner to dismiss modal without saving

Add New Exemption Code Section

• Form to create custom exemption codes
• Code field: Short identifier for the exemption (e.g., "NI")
• Description field: Full explanation of the code (e.g., "Not Inspected")
• Initial Remark Option field: Default comment associated with the code
• Placeholders provide examples of expected input format
• "Cancel" and "Add Code" buttons to control code creation

Existing Exemption Codes

• List of currently configured exemption codes
• Each code displayed with:
  • Code: Short identifier in blue badge (e.g., "NI")
  • Description: Full explanation of the code (e.g., "Not Inspected")
  • Edit icon: Allows modification of existing codes
  • Delete icon: Allows removal of codes
• Expandable sections showing available Remark Options
• Counter showing number of remark options (e.g., "(3)")
• Expand/collapse controls for viewing remark details

8. Sample Data

Read Cycle Summary

• Total Readings Collected: 12,450
• Readings Missing: 2,730
• Readings Validated: 9,720
• Readings Exempted: 620
• Validation Completion Rate: 78%
• Exemption Rate: 5%

Zone Data

Validation Rules

Estimation Methods

Exemption Codes

Staff Assignments

9. Acceptance Criteria

1. The system must display a dashboard with summary cards showing total readings collected, missing, validated, and exempted
2. The system must calculate and display validation completion rate as a percentage with visual indicator
3. The system must calculate and display exemption rate as a percentage with visual indicator
4. The system must provide tabs to toggle between active and completed read cycles
5. The system must display individual cards for each zone showing the reading cycle date range
6. Each zone card must display the reading method (photo, manual, mixed)
7. Each zone card must display progress bars for collection rate, validation rate, and exemption rate
8. Each zone card must show the meter count, assigned validator, and supervisor
9. The system must provide a "View Cycle" button to access detailed information for each zone
10. The system must include a configuration section with access to validation rules, estimation rules, validator setup, and exemption codes
11. The validation rules configuration must allow enabling/disabling individual validation checks
12. The system must support at least five different validation rules (consumption check, meter reading check, zero consumption, negative consumption, high consumption)
13. The estimation rules configuration must allow setting priority order for different estimation methods
14. The system must support at least five estimation methods (historical average, seasonal adjustment, similar customer profile, fixed value, last reading copy)
15. The validator setup must allow searching for validators and supervisors by name
16. The validator setup must support assigning multiple validators and supervisors to each reading cycle
17. The exemption codes management must display existing codes with their descriptions
18. The system must allow adding new exemption codes with abbreviation and description
19. The system must support configuring remark options for each exemption code
20. The system must allow editing and deleting exemption codes when appropriate

10. Process Changes

11. Impact from Solving This Problem

12. User Behavior Tracking

Meter Manager / Meter Reading Supervisor

Questions Answered:

• How are managers monitoring performance across zones?
• Which zones require the most attention and oversight?
• How effectively is validator workload being distributed?
• Which performance metrics are most valuable for management decisions?
• What is the relationship between staff assignments and validation performance?

Validator

Questions Answered:

• Which validation rules are most effective at identifying actual issues?
• What patterns exist in exemption reasons that could indicate systematic problems?
• How consistently are validators applying estimation methods?
• Which readings take longest to validate and why?
• Are there patterns in validation exceptions that suggest meter hardware issues?

Utility Administrator

Questions Answered:

• How stable are validation rules once established?
• Which estimation methods prove most accurate over time?
• Are exemption codes effectively capturing all exception scenarios?
• How do configuration changes impact overall system performance?
• What is the relationship between configuration adjustments and validation success rates?

Wireframe

Wireframe: Link

Reference: Link