Route Management (MX02US01)

Utility Meter Compass: Route Management User Story for Meter Reading Supervisor

1. Problem Statement

Based on the screenshots, the following key pain points have been identified for the Meter Reading Supervisor:

For Meter Reading Supervisor:

• Difficulty in efficiently creating and managing meter reading routes without clear visibility into meter composition
• Limited real-time information about meter conditions (normal, faulty, RCNT, disconnected) within routes
• Inadequate insights into route performance metrics like completion rates and reading accuracy
• Challenges in tracking and improving route efficiency and completion times
• Inability to effectively monitor individual meter reader performance with actionable metrics
• Lack of historical performance data to identify trends and make data-driven improvements
• Inefficient management of different meter types across various consumer categories

Core Problem: The Meter Reading Supervisor lacks the necessary tools and visibility to efficiently create optimized routes, monitor meter conditions in real-time, track comprehensive performance metrics, and manage meter readers effectively. This results in inefficient routes, increased error rates, longer completion times, and higher operational costs.

2. Who Is the User Facing the Problem?

Meter Reading Supervisor

• Responsible for creating, managing, and optimizing meter reading routes
• Assigns routes to meter readers and monitors completion status
• Analyzes route performance and identifies improvement opportunities
• Oversees meter reader performance and quality metrics
• Makes decisions about route organization and meter reader assignments
• Ensures reading schedules align with billing cycles
• Coordinates with other departments regarding meter issues
• Responsible for meeting organizational goals for reading accuracy and completion
• Reports on meter reading operations to upper management

Access Specifications:

• Meter Reading Supervisors need full access to create, edit, and analyze routes
• They require real-time visibility into route composition and performance metrics
• They need tools to filter and organize meters by various attributes
• They must be able to track historical performance for trend analysis
• They require detailed views of individual meter reader performance

3. Jobs To Be Done

For Meter Reading Supervisor:

• When I need to create optimized meter reading routes, But I lack visibility into meter locations, types, and conditions, Help me create structured routes with comprehensive meter information and filters, So that I can design efficient routes that consider meter characteristics and geographic distribution.
• When I need to monitor route completion and quality, But I have limited insight into performance metrics, Help me access real-time dashboards showing completion rates, accuracy, and timing metrics, So that I can identify issues quickly and make data-driven improvements.
• When I need to manage meter reader assignments, But I don't have clear visibility into individual performance, Help me track reader-specific metrics like accuracy rates and completion times, So that I can assign readers appropriately and provide targeted coaching.
• When I need to analyze meter conditions across routes, But I can't easily see meter status distributions, Help me access visual breakdowns of meter conditions (normal, faulty, RCNT, disconnected), So that I can identify problematic patterns and prioritize maintenance needs.
• When I need to understand historical performance trends, But I lack comparative data over time, Help me view performance metrics with historical comparisons and trend indicators, So that I can identify improvement or degradation patterns and adjust strategies accordingly.
• When I need to organize routes by consumer category, But I struggle to efficiently segment customers, Help me filter and group meters by consumer categories (residential, commercial, industrial, government), So that I can create specialized routes that address specific consumer type requirements.
• When I need to modify existing routes, But I worry about losing track of changes, Help me access a detailed audit trail of all route modifications, So that I can maintain accountability and understand the evolution of route configurations.

4. Solution

Comprehensive Route Management System for Meter Reading Supervisors

Intelligent Route Creation

• Streamlined route creation workflow with guided steps and validation
• Multi-level geographical selection (Area → Sub-Area → Premise)
• Advanced filtering by consumer category (Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Government)
• Real-time dashboard showing route composition as selections are made
• Dynamic route options for adaptive meter addition and subtraction

Route Performance Analytics

• Comprehensive performance dashboard with key completion metrics
• Visual trend indicators showing changes from previous periods
• Drill-down capability to identify specific problem areas
• Historical performance tracking with 3-month trending
• Customizable views for different analysis needs

Meter Condition Monitoring

• Real-time visibility into meter status across routes
• Visual breakdown of meter conditions (Normal, Faulty, RCNT, Disconnected)
• Automated flagging of problematic meter patterns
• Historical tracking of meter condition changes

Reader Performance Management

• Individual reader performance metrics and rankings
• Comparative analysis across reader team
• Status indicators based on predefined thresholds
• Skill-based assignment recommendations
• Performance trend tracking for coaching opportunities

Detailed Meter Management

• Comprehensive meter listing with advanced filtering
• Consumer and premise association information
• Reading history and status tracking
• Model/make details for equipment-specific insights
• Quick-access detailed view for specific meters

Audit and Accountability

• Complete audit trail of all route modifications
• User tracking with timestamp and action details
• Change comparison capabilities
• Searchable audit history
• Export options for record-keeping

5. Major Steps Involved

For Meter Reading Supervisor:

Creating a New Route:

1. Navigate to Routes section and click "Create Route" button
2. Enter basic information:
   • Provide a descriptive Route Name (e.g., "Downtown Commercial")
   • Select Utility Service from dropdown (e.g., "Electricity")
   • Choose Read Type (Manual, Photo, Smart)
   • Select Consumer Categories (e.g., Commercial, Government)
3. Define Area Selection:
   • Select primary Area (e.g., "North District")
   • Choose Sub Areas (e.g., "Hillside", "Riverside", "Parkview", "Lakeside")
   • Select specific Premises (e.g., "Highland Apartments", "Hillcrest Homes")
4. Configure Route Options:
   • Set Dynamic Route option (Yes/No)
   • Observe real-time updates to meter counts and categories as selections change
5. Review route metrics in the dashboard:
   • Total meters included in the route
   • Breakdown by status (Active, Inactive, etc.)
   • Meter condition distribution
   • Consumer category distribution
6. Review and confirm route creation by clicking "Create Route" button

Monitoring Route Performance:

1. Navigate to Routes section and select a specific route (e.g., "Downtown Commercial")
2. Click on "Performance" tab to view metrics
3. Review key performance indicators:
   • Completion Rate (e.g., 94.2%) with trend indicator showing 1.4% increase from last cycle
   • On-Time Completion (e.g., 92.7%) with trend indicator showing 2.2% increase from last cycle
   • Reading Accuracy (e.g., 97.8%) with trend indicator showing 0.9% increase from last cycle
   • Average Reading Time (e.g., 4m 12s) with trend indicator showing 3.5% decrease from last cycle
4. Analyze Meter Reading Quality breakdown:
   • Normal readings (e.g., 112 - 90%) with visual bar graph
   • Faulty readings (e.g., 8 - 6%) with visual indicator
   • RCNT readings (e.g., 5 - 4%) with alert indicator
5. Review individual Reader Performance table:
   • Compare metrics across different readers (e.g., John Davis, Sarah Johnson, Michael Brown)
   • Evaluate meters assigned, accuracy percentages, and average times
   • Note performance status indicators (Excellent, Good)
   • Identify top performers and those needing assistance
6. Examine Historical Performance table to identify trends:
   • Compare current cycle with previous cycle and 3-month average
   • Review trends across completion rate, on-time completion, and reading accuracy
   • Identify patterns of improvement or degradation

Managing Meters in Route:

1. Navigate to Routes section and select a specific route (e.g., "Downtown Commercial")
2. Click on "Meters" tab to view all meters in the route
3. Use search field to find specific meters by ID or consumer name
4. Use filters to narrow down meter list:
   • Filter by Status (All Status, Active, Inactive)
   • Filter by Type (All Types, E350, OpenWay, Elster, Sensus)
   • Filter by Make (All Makes, Landis+Gyr, Itron, Elster, Sensus)
5. Review meter details in the table:
   • Meter ID and Consumer Name
   • Premise location
   • Model/Make information
   • Last Read Date
   • Current Status with color-coded indicators
6. Access detailed meter information by clicking "View Details" button
7. Optionally view geographic distribution using "View Map" button
8. Export meter list if needed for offline analysis or reporting

Reviewing Audit Trail:

1. Navigate to Routes section and select a specific route (e.g., "Downtown Commercial")
2. Click on "Audit Trail" tab to view change history
3. Review chronological list of all modifications:
   • Timestamp of change (e.g., "5/4/2025, 2:30:00 pm")
   • User who made the change (e.g., "John Smith")
   • Action taken (e.g., "Modified", "Created")
   • Details of the modification (e.g., "Changed 'isDynamic' from false to true")
4. Analyze patterns of changes to understand route evolution
5. Use audit information to identify when and why changes were made

6. Flow Diagram

7. Business Rules

General Rules

1. All routes must have a unique name within the system
2. Routes must have at least one Area, Sub-Area and Premise defined
3. Routes must be associated with at least one consumer category
4. Routes can only contain meters of the same Read Type (Manual, Photo, Smart)
5. A meter can be assigned to only one active route at a time
6. Only Meter Reading Supervisors can create or modify routes
7. Route creation requires specification of mandatory fields (Route Name, Utility Service (Multiselect), Read Type)
8. System must maintain a complete audit trail of all route modifications
9. Performance metrics must be updated at the end of each reading cycle
10. Historical performance data must be retained for at least 12 months

Route Creation Rules

1. Route names must be descriptive and follow naming convention standards
2. Dynamic routes can be enabled only if the route includes multiple Sub-Areas
3. When creating a route, the system must validate that selected meters are available for assignment
4. Route creation must prevent the inclusion of decommissioned or permanently disconnected meters
5. Route dashboard must update in real-time when selection criteria change
6. Route creation must verify that all selected meters are compatible with the chosen Read Type

Meter Assignment Rules

1. Meters can only be assigned to routes that match their consumer category
2. Faulty meters must be identified with appropriate status indicators
3. RCNT (Reading Could Not Take) status is applied when a meter reading cannot be obtained
4. Inactive meters remain in routes but are excluded from completion rate calculations
5. Meter status must be updated in real-time when changes occur
6. Meters with recurring issues should be highlighted with special indicators
7. System should provide a visual indication when a meter hasn't been read for more than two cycles
8. Meter condition indicators must follow a consistent color scheme:
   • Normal: Green
   • Faulty: Yellow/Orange
   • RCNT: Yellow with warning icon
   • Disconnected: Red

Performance Tracking Rules

1. Completion Rate is calculated as (Completed Readings / Total Readings) × 100
2. On-Time Completion is calculated as (Readings Completed Within Schedule / Total Completed) × 100
3. Reading Accuracy is evaluated through validation processes and exception rates
   1. Number of readings V1 send to V2 bucket/ Total Normal readings collected by meter readers in this route x 100
4. Average Reading Time from assigning job cards to uploading meter readings
5. Reader Performance status is automatically assigned based on predefined thresholds:
   • Excellent: Accuracy > 98%
   • Good: Accuracy 95-98%
   • Needs Improvement: Accuracy < 95%
6. Historical comparisons must show percentage change from previous cycles
7. Trend indicators must use consistent formatting:
   • Positive trends (improvements): Green with up arrow
   • Negative trends (declines): Red with down arrow
   • Neutral trends (< 1% change): Gray with horizontal line
8. Performance metrics must be calculated at both route level and individual reader level
9. System must provide 3-month rolling averages for all performance metrics for trend analysis

Error Handling

1. System must validate all required fields during route creation and modification
2. When a duplicate route name is entered, system must display an error and suggest alternatives
3. If selected premises include decommissioned meters, system must identify them and offer exclusion
4. When a meter's last read date exceeds 60 days, it must be flagged for verification
5. If route creation would result in an unbalanced workload, system must provide a warning
6. System must prompt for confirmation when removing meters from an existing route
7. When performance metrics show significant deviation (>10%) from historical averages, system must flag for review
8. System must require confirmation when making changes that affect more than 20% of meters in a route
9. When filters would result in no meters being displayed, system must provide appropriate feedback message

8. Sample Data

Route Data

Route ID	Route Name	Read Type	Consumer Categories	Areas	Sub-Areas	Premises	Meters	Dynamic Route
RT001	Downtown Commercial	Manual	Commercial, Government	Downtown	City Center, Financial District	42	125	Yes
RT002	North Residential	Photo	Residential	North District	Hillside, Riverside, Parkview, Lakeside	78	512	No
RT003	Industrial Park	Smart	Industrial	West	Factory Zone, Tech Park	15	78	No
RT004	South Residential	Manual	Residential	South	Oak Hills, Pine Valley	62	345	Yes
RT005	Central Business	Photo	Commercial	Central	Market Square, Office Park	33	189	No
RT006	West Residential	Smart	Residential	West	Sunset Hills, Meadowview	85	412	Yes
RT007	Shopping District	Photo	Commercial	East	Retail Center, Mall Area	22	86	No

Meter Data

Meter ID	Consumer Name	Premise	Model/Make	Status	Last Read Date	Reading Value
M001234	ABC Corporation	Office Tower A	Landis+Gyr E350	Active	2/4/2025	45389 kWh
M001235	XYZ Company	Market Square	Itron OpenWay	Active	1/4/2025	87621 kWh
M001236	City Government	City Hall	Elster A3	Active	28/3/2025	112453 kWh
M001237	Main Street Retail	Central Plaza	Sensus iCon	Inactive	25/3/2025	23567 kWh
M001238	Highland Apartments	Building C	Landis+Gyr E350	Faulty	28/3/2025	78902 kWh
M001239	Metro Hospital	Medical Center	Elster A3	RCNT	27/3/2025	N/A
M001240	Park View Hotel	Riverside Drive	Itron OpenWay	Disconnected	15/2/2025	56721 kWh

Performance Data

Route Name	Completion Rate	On-Time Completion	Reading Accuracy	Avg Reading Time
Downtown Commercial	94.2%	92.7%	97.8%	4m 12s
North Residential	96.5%	95.2%	98.3%	3m 45s
Industrial Park	91.8%	89.3%	96.9%	5m 20s
South Residential	95.7%	93.1%	97.2%	4m 05s
Central Business	92.9%	90.8%	96.5%	4m 30s
West Residential	97.2%	96.4%	98.7%	3m 55s
Shopping District	93.4%	91.2%	97.0%	4m 22s

Reader Performance Data

Reader Name	Meters Assigned	Accuracy	Avg Time	Status
John Davis	45	98.2%	3m 54s	Excellent
Sarah Johnson	42	96.5%	4m 22s	Good
Michael Brown	38	97.1%	4m 35s	Good
Emma Wilson	52	98.6%	3m 47s	Excellent
David Miller	41	95.2%	4m 58s	Good
Jessica White	39	94.8%	5m 12s	Needs Improvement
Robert Brown	43	97.5%	4m 08s	Good

9. Acceptance Criteria

1. The system must allow Meter Reading Supervisors to create routes with a user-friendly interface that includes all required fields.
2. The system must validate that all mandatory information (Route Name, Utility Service, Read Type) is provided during route creation.
3. The system must support filtering meters by consumer category (Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Government) and display the count for each category.
4. The system must enable hierarchical area selection (Area → Sub-Area → Premise) with multi-select capability.
5. The system must display real-time meter counts and composition during route creation and editing.
6. The system must maintain a detailed audit trail of all route modifications with user information, timestamp, and change details.
7. The system must calculate and display key performance metrics (Completion Rate, On-Time Completion, Reading Accuracy, Average Reading Time) for each route.
8. The system must provide historical comparison of performance metrics with previous periods (last cycle, 3-month average) with clear trend indicators.
9. The system must display meter condition breakdowns (Normal, Faulty, RCNT, Disconnected) with counts and percentages in visual format.
10. The system must support filtering meters by status, type, and make within a route view.
11. The system must display reader performance metrics with individual statistics and comparative ranking.
12. The system must enable map visualization of route geography when requested by the Meter Reading Supervisor.
13. The system must prevent the assignment of a meter to multiple active routes simultaneously.
14. The system must flag meters with anomalous conditions (Faulty, RCNT, Disconnected) with appropriate visual indicators.
15. The system must support multiple read types (Manual, Photo, Smart) with appropriate configuration options for each.
16. The system must calculate reader performance status based on predefined thresholds for accuracy and time.
17. The system must display appropriate warnings when route creation would result in inefficient route composition.
18. The system must notify the Meter Reading Supervisor when route performance metrics deviate significantly from historical averages.
19. The system must properly handle different meter statuses (Active, Inactive, Disconnected, Paused) in all calculations and displays.
20. The system must provide export capabilities for route data, meter information, and performance metrics for offline analysis.

10. Process Changes

Current Process	New Process	Impact
Route Creation:  Manual process with limited visibility into meter composition	Route Creation:  Structured workflow with real-time visibility into meter counts, types, and conditions	Reduces route creation time by 40% and improves route quality by ensuring optimal meter distribution
Performance Tracking:  Limited metrics collected manually after cycle completion	Performance Tracking:  Automated calculation of key performance indicators with historical comparison	Enables proactive management of reading quality and efficiency, improving overall accuracy by 15%
Meter Status Management:  Inconsistent tracking of meter conditions across routes	Meter Status Management:  Centralized, real-time visibility of meter status with appropriate flagging	Reduces missed readings due to unknown meter conditions by 60%
Reader Assignment:  Ad-hoc assignment without performance consideration	Reader Assignment:  Data-driven assignment based on reader performance metrics and route characteristics	Improves workforce utilization by 25% and enhances individual performance through appropriate matching
Issue Identification:  Reactive approach after reading problems occur	Issue Identification:  Proactive flagging of potential problems based on meter condition and historical data	Reduces rework and return visits by 35% through early problem identification
Route Optimization:  Infrequent manual adjustments to routes	Route Optimization:  Data-driven route refinement based on performance metrics and completion data	Decreases average route completion time by 20% through continuous improvement
Reader Performance Management:  Limited visibility into individual metrics	Reader Performance Management:  Comprehensive dashboard with comparative analysis and trend indicators	Improves reader efficiency by 18% through targeted coaching and performance incentives
Geographic Management:  Text-based organization of routes without spatial context	Geographic Management:  Map-based visualization with cluster analysis and distance optimization	Reduces travel time between readings by 30% through more efficient geographic grouping

11. Impact from Solving This Problem

Metric	Impact	Justification
Meter Reading Accuracy	Increases by 8-10%	Improved route organization and meter condition visibility allows supervisors to better prepare readers and address issues proactively
Route Completion Time	Decreases by 15-20%	Optimized routes with consideration for meter types, conditions, and geographic distribution reduce inefficiencies
Supervisor Productivity	Increases by 30-35%	Streamlined route creation and management tools eliminate manual processes and reduce administrative overhead
Reader Performance Variance	Decreases by 40-45%	Better visibility into individual performance metrics allows targeted coaching and standardization of best practices
Billing Cycle Timeliness	Improves by 25-30%	More efficient route completion and higher first-time read success rates accelerate the billing process
Labor Costs	Decreases by 12-15%	Optimized routes and better resource allocation reduce overtime and unnecessary field visits
Data Quality	Improves by 25-30%	Proactive identification of problematic meters and improved reading processes increase overall data reliability
Customer Billing Complaints	Decreases by 15-20%	Higher reading accuracy and fewer estimated readings reduce billing errors and resulting customer complaints
Regulatory Compliance	Strengthens by 40-50%	Comprehensive audit trails and improved data quality reduce compliance risks and simplify reporting
Time to Detect Meter Issues	Decreases by 60-65%	Real-time condition monitoring and pattern recognition identify potential meter problems earlier

12. User Behavior Tracking

Meter Reading Supervisor

Event	Properties to Track	Insights Provided
Route Creation	Time spent in route creation flow, filters used, areas selected, consumer categories chosen, number of modifications before submission	Identifies optimization opportunities in the route creation process and common selection patterns
Route Modification	Fields changed, addition/removal of meters, time between changes, frequency of modifications to specific routes	Highlights stability of routes and areas requiring frequent adjustments
Performance Dashboard Access	Time spent on dashboard, specific metrics viewed, drill-down patterns, frequency of access, time of day accessed	Shows which metrics are most valuable for supervisory decisions and how proactively performance is monitored
Reader Performance Review	Individual readers viewed, comparison metrics examined, time spent per reader, actions taken after review	Indicates management focus areas, performance concerns, and supervision style
Meter Filter Usage	Filter combinations used, frequency of specific filters, time spent adjusting filters, saved filter preferences	Reveals how supervisors analyze meter data and which attributes are most important
Audit Trail Review	Frequency of access, time periods examined, specific changes focused on, export actions	Shows how supervisors use historical data for accountability and troubleshooting
Map View Usage	Frequency of geographic visualization, areas zoomed into, time spent in map view, toggle between list and map views	Demonstrates the importance of geographic information in route management
Historical Performance Comparison	Time periods compared, metrics focused on, export of historical data	Reveals how supervisors analyze trends and make data-driven decisions
Alert Responses	Response time to system alerts, actions taken after alerts, dismissal patterns	Shows how effectively supervisors respond to exceptions and issues
Report Generation	Report types created, customization options used, scheduling patterns, distribution lists	Identifies reporting needs and communication patterns with other stakeholders

Key Questions Answered:

• How can we streamline the route creation process for the Meter Reading Supervisor?
• Which aspects of route configuration require the most time and attention?
• What performance metrics drive the Supervisor's management decisions?
• How does the Supervisor identify and address performance issues with meter readers?
• What patterns of route modification indicate potential optimization opportunities?
• How effectively does the Supervisor use geographic visualization for route planning?
• What alert types generate the most immediate response from Supervisors?
• How does the Supervisor use historical performance data to drive improvements?
• What time of day are key management activities performed, and how does this impact workflow?
• Which meter attributes are most frequently filtered or searched for during route management?