Smart Meter Reads

Meter Reading Cycles - User Story Document

1. Problem Statement

Meter Reading Supervisor Pain Points:

• Cannot efficiently track the status and progress of multiple read cycles across different routes
• Lacks visibility into performance metrics for individual routes and specific meters
• No clear options to retry failed reads or resolve issues promptly
• Has limited ability to identify and address common failure patterns in the reading process
• Cannot easily monitor the distribution of successful, failed, and pending readings
• Struggles to meet cycle completion deadlines due to limited tracking capabilities

Core Problem: The current meter reading management system lacks comprehensive tracking and performance monitoring capabilities for smart meter readings, resulting in inefficient reading collections, 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, leading to billing delays and potential revenue loss.

2. Who Are the Users Facing the Problem?

Meter Reading Supervisor:

• Responsible for overseeing meter reading operations across multiple routes
• Manages reading schedules aligned with billing cycles
• Monitors reading performance and coordinates exception handling
• Reports on reading completion rates and efficiency metrics
• Ensures timely data collection for billing processing

The Meter Reading Cycles feature should be accessible to the Meter Reading Supervisor role and potentially to other management roles that need visibility into meter reading operations.

3. Jobs To Be Done

For Meter Reading Supervisor: When I need to monitor the progress of multiple meter reading cycles across different routes, But I lack a consolidated view of cycle statuses and completion rates, Help me track all active and completed cycles with detailed performance metrics, So that I can ensure timely completion of readings for billing cycles.

For Meter Reading Supervisor: When I need to identify and resolve failed meter readings, But I cannot easily see which meters have failed and why, Help me view categorized failure reasons with options to retry failed readings, So that I can improve reading success rates and address systematic issues.

For Meter Reading Supervisor: When I need to report on meter reading performance, But I don't have access to comprehensive metrics and visualizations, Help me access detailed analytics on read success rates, completion percentages, and average read times, So that I can identify opportunities for improvement and report accurately to management.

For Meter Reading Supervisor: When I need to investigate specific meter issues within a cycle, But I cannot easily search for and access individual meter data, Help me search and filter meter records with detailed status information, So that I can quickly address customer inquiries and technical issues.

4. Solution

The Meter Reading Cycles feature provides a comprehensive dashboard and management system for tracking, analyzing, and improving the performance of smart meter reading operations. The solution includes:

Cycle Monitoring Capabilities

• Cycle Overview Dashboard: Real-time dashboard showing active cycles, completion rates, and key performance indicators
• Cycle Status Tracking: Visual indicators of cycle status (In Progress, Completed) with progress percentages
• Cycle Timeline Management: Clear display of cycle dates including last run, next run, and due dates

Route Management

• Route Performance Visualization: Graphical representation of route completion status across different areas
• Route Comparison: Ability to compare performance metrics across different routes
• Geographical Distribution: Visualization of reading success rates by geographical area

Reading Status Tracking

• Status Distribution Analytics: Visual breakdown of reading statuses (Success, Failed, Pending)
• Failure Analysis: Categorization and quantification of failure reasons (Timeout, Connection Error, Device Offline)
• Trend Analysis: Historical performance data to identify patterns and improvements

Meter-Level Management

• Detailed Meter Records: Comprehensive view of individual meter statuses and reading data
• Failure Resolution Tools: Options to retry failed readings directly from the interface
• Consumption Validation: Display of current and previous readings with consumption calculation

Search and Filter

• Advanced Search Functionality: Ability to search cycles by name and meters by ID, consumer, or account
• Multi-criteria Filtering: Filter meters by status (Success, Failed, Pending)
• Export Capabilities: Export filtered data for reporting and analysis

Performance Analytics

• Reading Time Metrics: Average read time tracking across cycles and routes
• Completion Rate Monitoring: Percentage tracking of cycle completion
• Resource Optimization Insights: Data to inform scheduling and resource allocation decisions

5. Major Steps Involved

Viewing Cycle Overview

1. Navigate to the "Meter Reading Cycles" dashboard
2. View the summary cards showing Active Cycles, Completion Rate, Completed Cycles, and Average Read Time
3. Observe the cycle list displaying all cycles with their key metrics
4. Use the search function to find specific cycles by name if needed
5. Review cycle details including status, month, number of meters, completion percentage, and relevant dates

Monitoring Cycle Progress

1. Identify cycles that require attention based on status, completion percentage, and due dates
2. Click "View" on a specific cycle to access detailed information
3. Review the cycle health overview showing read status distribution and route completion status
4. Analyze the top failure reasons to understand common issues
5. Monitor the progress bar indicating how many reads have been completed out of total reads

Managing Failed Readings

1. On the cycle detail page, click on the "Failed Reads" tab to see all failed meters
2. Review the list of failed meters with details on failure reasons
3. Select one or multiple failed meters
4. Click "Retry Failed" to attempt to read the selected meters again
5. Monitor the status change of retried meters

Investigating Individual Meters

1. Use the search function to find a specific meter by ID, consumer, or account
2. Apply status filters (All, Success, Failed, Pending) to narrow down results
3. Click on a meter record to view full details
4. Review the meter's reading history, current status, and consumption data
5. Take appropriate action based on the meter's status (e.g., retry failed readings)

Analyzing Route Performance

1. Navigate to the "By Route" tab on the cycle detail page
2. Review the comparative route completion status chart
3. Identify routes with lower completion rates
4. Investigate potential causes for underperforming routes
5. Plan interventions to improve performance on problematic routes

Exporting Data for Reporting

1. Apply desired filters to the meter list
2. Click the "Export" button
3. Select the export format and options
4. Download the exported file
5. Use the data for reporting or further analysis

6. Flow Diagram

flowchart TD
    A[Navigate to Meter Reading Cycles] --> B[View Cycles Dashboard]
    B --> C{Select Action}
    C --> D[View Specific Cycle]
    C --> E[Search for Cycle]
    C --> F[Filter Cycles]
    
    D --> G[View Cycle Health Overview]
    G --> H{Select Section}
    H --> I[Read Status Distribution]
    H --> J[Route Completion Status]
    H --> K[Top Failure Reasons]
    
    D --> L[View Meter List]
    L --> M{Select Meter Action}
    M --> N[Search Meters]
    M --> O[Filter by Status]
    M --> P[Export Data]
    M --> Q[View Meter Details]
    
    L --> R[Manage Failed Meters]
    R --> S[Select Failed Meters]
    S --> T[Retry Failed Readings]
    T --> U[Update Status]
    
    G --> V[View By Route Analysis]
    G --> W[View By Meter Type Analysis]

7. Business Rules

Cycle Management Rules

1. Each meter reading cycle must be associated with a specific route and month
2. Cycles can have one of the following statuses: "In Progress" or "Completed"
3. A cycle is considered "Completed" when 100% of its meters have been successfully read
4. The completion rate is calculated as: (Number of successful reads / Total number of meters) * 100
5. The average read time is calculated across all successful readings in all cycles
6. Cycles must have scheduled due dates that align with billing cycle requirements
7. The system must maintain history of last run date and time for each cycle

Reading Status Rules

1. Each meter reading attempt must result in one of three statuses: Success, Failed, or Pending
2. A reading is "Pending" when no reading attempt has been made or the attempt is still in progress
3. A reading is "Failed" when an attempt was made but was unsuccessful
4. A reading is "Success" when data was successfully retrieved from the meter
5. For failed readings, the system must capture and categorize the failure reason
6. Common failure categories include: Timeout, Connection Error, Device Offline, and others
7. The system must track the total number of meters in each status category

Retry Management Rules

1. Failed readings can be retried individually or in batches
2. When a reading is retried, its status remains "Failed" until a successful read is achieved
3. The system must maintain a history of retry attempts
4. After a successful retry, the reading status should update to "Success"
5. The system should allow for multiple retry attempts if needed

Consumption Calculation Rules

1. Consumption is calculated as: Current Read - Last Read
2. Negative consumption values should be flagged for validation
3. The system must display both the current read value and the previous read value
4. Unusual consumption patterns should be highlighted for review

Data Validation Rules

1. Reading values must be numeric and within expected ranges for the meter type
2. The current reading should be greater than or equal to the last reading, with exceptions for meter resets
3. Reading timestamps must be chronologically valid
4. Meter IDs must correspond to valid meters in the system
5. Consumer information must be linked to valid accounts

Access Control Rules

1. Meter Reading Supervisors must have full access to all cycle and meter data
2. The ability to retry failed readings should be restricted to authorized personnel
3. Export functionality should be available to users with reporting permissions

8. Sample Data

Meter Reading Cycles

Cycle NameStatusMonthConsumersMetersCompletionLastName
Status
Month
Consumers
Meters
Completion
Last RunDueRun
Due DateAprilDate
April Cycle - Route WestInWest
In ProgressApril06,00075%Progress
April
6,000
–
75%
Apr 01, 2025Apr2025
Apr 15, 2025April2025
April Cycle - Route EastCompletedApril04,200100%East
Completed
April
4,200
–
100%
Apr 05, 2025Apr2025
Apr 12, 2025April2025
April Cycle - Route NorthInNorth
In ProgressApril05,50040%Progress
April
5,500
–
40%
Apr 10, 2025Apr2025
Apr 20, 2025April2025
April Cycle - Route SouthCompletedApril03,800100%South
Completed
April
3,800
–
100%
Apr 03, 2025Apr2025
Apr 10, 2025April2025
April Cycle - Route CentralInCentral
In ProgressApril07,20021%Progress
April
7,200
–
21%
Apr 12, 2025Apr2025
Apr 25, 2025
Meter Data
Meter IDConsumerPremiseID
Consumer
Premise IDLocationLastID
Location
Last ReadCurrentRead
Current ReadConsumptionStatusMTR100000AliceRead
Consumption
Status
MTR100000
Alice Brown (ACC200000)PRE300000East
PRE300000
East > Residential > Block D92.33110.8718.54SuccessMTR100001OliviaD
92.33
110.87
18.54
Success
MTR100001
Olivia Rodriguez (ACC200001)PRE300001East
PRE300001
East > Industrial > Block A32.6832.750.07FailedMTR100002JohnA
32.68
32.75
0.07
Failed
MTR100002
John Rodriguez (ACC200002)PRE300002North
PRE300002
North > Commercial > Block D984.33990.205.87PendingD
984.33
990.20
5.87
Pending
Failure Reasons
Failure ReasonNumberReason
Number of MetersTimeout42ConnectionMeters
Timeout
42
Connection Error36DeviceError
36
Device Offline27OtherOffline
27
Other Failures38TotalFailures
38
Total Failed Meters143
Meters
143
9. Acceptance Criteria
The system must display a dashboard showing key cycle metrics including active cycles, completion rate, completed cycles, and average read time
The system must list all meter reading cycles with their status, month, meter count, completion percentage, last run date, and due date
The system must provide a search function that allows users to find cycles by name
The system must allow users to view detailed information for a specific cycle by clicking on the "View" action
The cycle detail page must show a progress bar indicating the number of completed reads versus total reads
The system must display a read status distribution chart showing the percentage of successful, failed, and pending readings
The system must show a route completion status visualization comparing performance across different routes
The system must list top failure reasons with the number of affected meters for each reason
The system must provide tabs to filter meters by status (All, Success, Failed, Pending)
The system must include a search function to find specific meters by ID, consumer, or account
The system must display detailed meter information including meter ID, consumer, premise ID, location, last read, current read, consumption, and status
The system must provide a "Retry Failed" button that allows users to retry readings for selected failed meters
The system must include an export function that allows users to download meter data in various formats
The system must update reading statuses in real-time when retry actions are performed
The system must calculate and display consumption values based on the difference between current and last readings
The system must clearly indicate cycle due dates and highlight cycles that are at risk of missing deadlines
The system must provide navigation to view all cycles from any cycle detail page
The system must display the scheduled and actual start times for each cycle
The system must allow filtering and sorting of meters based on multiple criteria
The system must highlight unusual consumption patterns for further investigation
10. Process Changes
Current ProcessNewProcess
New ProcessImpactManualProcess
Impact
Manual tracking of meter reading progress through spreadsheets or basic reportsReal-reports
Real-time dashboard showing cycle status, completion rates, and key metricsReducesmetrics
Reduces tracking time by approximately ~70% and provides up-to-date visibilityLimitedvisibility
Limited visibility into reasons for failed readings, requiring extensive investigationCategorizedinvestigation
Categorized failure reasons with counts and detailsImprovesdetails
Improves troubleshooting efficiency by 60% through targeted problem resolutionSeparateresolution
Separate systems for viewing cycle status and individual meter issuesIntegratedissues
Integrated view from cycle overview down to individual meter detailsReducesdetails
Reduces context switching by 80% and improves investigation efficiencyManualefficiency
Manual process for retrying failed readings through field visits or separate systemsDirectsystems
Direct "Retry Failed" functionality from the dashboardDecreasesdashboard
Decreases resolution time for failed readings by 50% throughvia automated retry capabilityStaticautomation
Static reports requiring manual creation and distributionInteractivedistribution
Interactive dashboards with export functionalityReducesfunctionality
Reduces reporting time by 75% and improves data accuracyRouteaccuracy
Route performance analysis requiring manual data compilationBuilt-compilation
Built-in route comparison visualizationsEnablesvisualizations
Enables data-driven route optimization and performance improvementReactiveimprovement
Reactive approach to cycle completion issuesProactiveissues
Proactive monitoring with clear due dates and completion trackingImprovestracking
Improves on-time cycle completion rates by 40%
Isolated meter data requiring multiple lookupsComprehensivelookups
Comprehensive meter details with consumption calculationReducescalculation
Reduces time to access complete meter informationinfo by 65%
11. Impact from Solving This Problem
MetricImpactCycle
Metric
Impact
Cycle Completion TimelinessImprovesTimeliness
Improves by 30-30–40% through better tracking and proactive issue resolutionReadingresolution
Reading Success RateIncreases from current levelsRate
Increases to 95%+ through better failure managementOperationalmanagement
Operational EfficiencyReducesEfficiency
Reduces time spent on monitoring and troubleshooting by 60-60–70%
Data Quality for BillingImprovesBilling
Improves accuracy and completeness of meter data for billing
Resource purposesResource AllocationEnablesAllocation
Enables better scheduling and focus on problematic areasRevenueareas
Revenue AssuranceReducesAssurance
Reduces unbilled consumption through better read completion ratesStaffrates
Staff ProductivityIncreasesProductivity
Increases meters managed per staff member through better tools and visibilityCustomervisibility
Customer SatisfactionImprovesSatisfaction
Improves through more accurate billing and faster issue resolutionAnalyticsresolution
Analytics CapabilityEnablesCapability
Enables data-driven decision making for meter reading operations
12. User Behavior Tracking
Events to Track
Event
Properties
Insights
Questions Answered
Cycle View
EventPropertiesInsightsQuestionscycle_id
, AnsweredCycle
cycle_name
, Viewcycle_id, cycle_name, timestampUnderstanding
timestamp
Understanding which cycles require the most attentionWhichattention
Which cycles are being monitored most frequently?
Meter Searchsearch_term,Search
search_term
, results_count,
results_count
, timestampIdentifying
timestamp
Identifying common search patternsWhatpatterns
What meters/consumers are frequently investigated?
Status Filter Appliedfilter_type,Applied
filter_type
, count_results,
count_results
, timestampUnderstanding
timestamp
Understanding distribution of attentionHowattention
How much time is spent on failed vs. successful readings?
Retry Actionmeter_ids,Action
meter_ids
, count,
count
, success_rate,
success_rate
, timestampMeasuring
timestamp
Measuring retry effectivenessWhateffectiveness
What is the success rate of retry attempts?
Export Datafilter_applied,Data
filter_applied
, record_count,
record_count
, timestampUnderstanding
timestamp
Understanding reporting needsWhatneeds
What data is being exported and how frequently?
Route Performance Viewroute_name,View
route_name
, completion_rate,
completion_rate
, timestampTracking
timestamp
Tracking focus on routesWhichroutes
Which routes require the most management attention?
Failure Analysis Viewfailure_type,View
failure_type
, meter_count,
meter_count
, timestampUnderstanding
timestamp
Understanding problem prioritizationWhatprioritization
What types of failures are being investigated most?
Dashboard Load Timeload_time,Time
load_time
, user_id,
user_id
, timestampMeasuring
timestamp
Measuring system performanceIsperformance
Is the system performing adequately for users?
Session Durationstart_time,Duration
start_time
, end_time,
end_time
, actions_takenUnderstanding
actions_taken
Understanding engagementHowengagement
How much time do supervisors spend in the system daily?
Feature Usage Frequencyfeature_name,Frequency
feature_name
, count,
count
, timestampIdentifying
timestamp
Identifying valuable featuresWhichfeatures
Which features are most/least used in the system?
Metrics to Monitor
Cycle Completion Rate Over Time
Measures: Percentage improvement in cycle completion rates
Question: Is the new system improving overall completion performance?
Average Time to Resolve Failed Readings
Measures: Time between failure detection and successful retry
Question: Is the system enabling faster problem resolution?
User Efficiency Metrics
Measures: Number of actions per resolved issue
Question: Is the system making users more efficient?
Feature Adoption Rate
Measures: Percentage of available features being regularly used
Question: Are users taking advantage of all system capabilities?
Reading Success Rate Trends
Measures: Percentage of successful readings over time
Question: Is the system improving the overall success rate?
Wireframe
Wireframe: :Link
Reference: Link