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Utility Creation Scenarios (ONB-SC04)

Scenario 1 – Single Utility Setup for Municipal Water District

Scenario Description A municipal water authority needs to create their first utility configuration in the system for residential water service.

Objective (Why)

  • Establish foundational water utility configuration with proper rate structures and billing cycles
  • Enable accurate customer billing and consumption tracking for water services
  • Ensure compliance with municipal water service regulations and reporting requirements

If Not Set – Business Impact

  • Inability to bill customers for water services resulting in revenue loss
  • Manual billing processes leading to errors and operational inefficiencies
  • Non-compliance with municipal utility reporting requirements

Scenario Explanation - in short Metro City Water Authority creates their primary water utility configuration. System Admin Rebecca Chen configures: Utility Name: "Metro City Water Authority", base rate $25/month plus $2.50 per 1,000 gallons, billing cycle monthly on 15th, service area covering 15,000 residential customers. Configuration includes meter reading schedules, late fee structure ($10 after 30 days), and connection fees ($150 for new service).

Audience (Why it Matters) - in short

  • CSM → Must understand water utility billing cycles, rate explanations for customers, and connection process procedures
  • QA → Must validate water rate calculations, billing cycle accuracy, and proper fee assessments in the system
  • Engineers/Interns → Must understand single utility data model, rate calculation logic, and billing cycle automation

Does it fit in SMART360 Yes, it fits perfectly. Here's the detailed step-by-step application:

  1. Navigate to Setup Dashboard
    • System Admin accesses SMART360 utility management
    • Clicks "Add New Utility" for first-time setup
  2. Complete Basic Information (Step 1)
    • Utility Name: "Metro City Water Authority*"
    • Email: "billing@metrocitywater.gov*"
    • Contact Number: "(555) 123-WATER*"
    • City: "Metro City" (from dropdown)*
    • Address: "100 Municipal Plaza, Metro City, TX 78501*"
    • Website URL: "https://www.metrocitywater.gov"
    • Logo Upload: Municipal water authority logo
  3. Configuration Progress Tracking
    • Step 1: Basic Information (Complete) - 17%
    • Step 2: Rate Structure (In Progress) - 33%
    • Step 3: Billing Configuration (Not Started) - 50%
    • Step 4: Service Areas (Not Started) - 67%
    • Step 5: Fee Structure (Not Started) - 83%
    • Step 6: Activation (Not Started) - 100%

Scenario 2 – Multi-Utility Setup for Integrated Services Corporation

Scenario Description A comprehensive utility company needs to create multiple utility configurations for electricity, natural gas, water, and waste management services under one organization.

Objective (Why)

  • Establish multiple utility services under unified management and billing system
  • Enable customers to access bundled utility services through single provider
  • Streamline operations across different utility types while maintaining service-specific configurations

If Not Set – Business Impact

  • Lost market opportunities from inability to offer comprehensive utility solutions
  • Operational inefficiencies from managing separate systems for each utility type
  • Customer dissatisfaction from dealing with multiple providers for different services

Scenario Explanation - in short Integrated Services Corporation creates four separate utilities: 1) Electric Service ($35 base + $0.12/kWh), 2) Natural Gas ($20 base + $1.15/therm), 3) Water Service ($30 base + $3.00/1000 gallons), 4) Waste Management ($25/month flat rate). Customer households like the Johnson family can select individual services or bundle packages with 10% discount for three or more services.

Audience (Why it Matters) - in short

  • CSM → Must manage multiple utility types, explain service differences, and coordinate cross-utility customer issues
  • QA → Must validate separate utility configurations, test cross-utility data integrity, and ensure proper service isolation
  • Engineers/Interns → Must understand multi-utility architecture, service-specific business rules, and data relationship management

Does it fit in SMART360 Yes, it fits with multi-utility management. Here's the detailed application:

  1. First Utility - Electric Service
    • Utility Name: "ISC Electric Service*"
    • Email: "electric@integratedservices.com*"
    • Contact Number: "(555) 234-5678*"
    • City: "Central City" (from dropdown)*
    • Address: "500 Power Street, Central City, TX 78502*"
    • Progress: 6 steps to complete
  2. Second Utility - Natural Gas Service
    • Utility Name: "ISC Natural Gas Division*"
    • Email: "gas@integratedservices.com*"
    • Contact Number: "(555) 234-5679*"
    • City: "Central City" (from dropdown)*
    • Address: "500 Power Street, Central City, TX 78502*"
    • Progress: 6 steps to complete
  3. Third Utility - Water Service
    • Utility Name: "ISC Water & Sewer*"
    • Email: "water@integratedservices.com*"
    • Contact Number: "(555) 234-5680*"
    • City: "Central City" (from dropdown)*
    • Address: "500 Power Street, Central City, TX 78502*"
    • Progress: 6 steps to complete
  4. Fourth Utility - Waste Management
    • Utility Name: "ISC Waste Solutions*"
    • Email: "waste@integratedservices.com*"
    • Contact Number: "(555) 234-5681*"
    • City: "Central City" (from dropdown)*
    • Address: "500 Power Street, Central City, TX 78502*"
    • Progress: 6 steps to complete
  5. Overall Dashboard View
    • Total Utilities: 4
    • Overall Setup Progress: 25% (1 of 4 completed)
    • Status: "In Progress"

Scenario 3 – Single Specialty Utility for Solar Energy Cooperative

Scenario Description A renewable energy cooperative needs to create a specialized utility configuration for community solar energy services with unique billing structures.

Objective (Why)

  • Establish solar energy utility with subscription-based billing model
  • Enable community members to participate in shared solar generation programs
  • Support net metering and renewable energy credit management

If Not Set – Business Impact

  • Inability to serve community solar market segment and renewable energy demand
  • Lost revenue from growing solar energy subscription services
  • Non-compliance with renewable energy program requirements

Scenario Explanation - in short Sunshine Solar Cooperative creates community solar utility for 500 subscriber households. Member Patricia Wong subscribes to 2kW share generating 280 kWh monthly at $0.08/kWh = $22.40 credit applied to her traditional utility bill. Configuration includes: Subscription Fee: $15/kW/month, Generation Credit: $0.08/kWh, Contract Term: 20 years, with quarterly production reports and annual rate adjustments.

Audience (Why it Matters) - in short

  • CSM → Must explain solar subscription benefits, manage member enrollment, and handle generation credit inquiries
  • QA → Must validate subscription billing, test generation credit calculations, and ensure proper member account management
  • Engineers/Interns → Must understand solar subscription models, generation tracking systems, and renewable energy billing logic

Does it fit in SMART360 Partially fits. Current system supports basic utility creation but would need enhancements for subscription-based billing and generation credit management:

  1. Basic Utility Setup
  2. Enhanced Configuration Needed
    • Subscription-based billing model (enhancement required)
    • Generation credit tracking (enhancement required)
    • Member vs. customer account types (enhancement required)

Scenario 4 – Multi-Utility Setup for Property Management Portfolio

Scenario Description A large property management company needs to create separate utility configurations for different property types including residential apartments, commercial offices, and industrial warehouses.

Objective (Why)

  • Establish property-specific utility configurations matching different building types and usage patterns
  • Enable accurate tenant billing across diverse property portfolio
  • Maintain separate compliance requirements for residential, commercial, and industrial properties

If Not Set – Business Impact

  • Inaccurate tenant billing due to inappropriate rate structures for different property types
  • Compliance violations from mixing residential and commercial utility regulations
  • Operational confusion from managing diverse properties under single utility configuration

Scenario Explanation - in short Metro Property Group manages 3 property types requiring separate utilities: 1) Residential: 500 apartment units, basic rate $45/month + usage, 2) Commercial: 50 office buildings, demand charges $8/kW + $0.10/kWh, 3) Industrial: 10 warehouses, time-of-use rates varying $0.06-$0.18/kWh. Each requires different meter types, billing cycles, and regulatory compliance.

Audience (Why it Matters) - in short

  • CSM → Must understand property-specific billing requirements, manage different tenant types, and handle diverse utility questions
  • QA → Must validate property-type specific configurations, test different rate structures, and ensure proper tenant assignments
  • Engineers/Interns → Must understand property classification logic, multi-rate structures, and tenant-utility relationship management

Does it fit in SMART360 Yes, it fits with multiple utility creation. Here's the application:

  1. Residential Properties Utility
    • Utility Name: "MPG Residential Services*"
    • Email: "residential@metroproperty.com*"
    • Contact Number: "(555) 111-2222*"
    • City: "Metro City" (from dropdown)*
    • Address: "1000 Property Lane, Metro City, TX 78504*"
  2. Commercial Properties Utility
    • Utility Name: "MPG Commercial Services*"
    • Email: "commercial@metroproperty.com*"
    • Contact Number: "(555) 111-3333*"
    • City: "Metro City" (from dropdown)*
    • Address: "1000 Property Lane, Metro City, TX 78504*"
  3. Industrial Properties Utility
    • Utility Name: "MPG Industrial Services*"
    • Email: "industrial@metroproperty.com*"
    • Contact Number: "(555) 111-4444*"
    • City: "Metro City" (from dropdown)*
    • Address: "1000 Property Lane, Metro City, TX 78504*"
  4. Dashboard Overview
    • Total Utilities: 3
    • Property Types: Residential, Commercial, Industrial
    • Overall Progress: 33% (1 of 3 completed)

Scenario 5 – Single Utility with Geographic Service Areas

Scenario Description A regional electric cooperative needs to create one utility configuration that serves multiple geographic service territories with different rate structures based on location.

Objective (Why)

  • Establish unified electric utility serving diverse geographic regions under single management
  • Enable location-based rate structures reflecting different infrastructure costs
  • Maintain consistent service standards across multiple service territories

If Not Set – Business Impact

  • Inability to reflect true infrastructure costs in different geographic areas
  • Customer dissatisfaction from uniform pricing despite varying service costs
  • Operational inefficiencies from treating diverse service areas identically

Scenario Explanation - in short Rural Electric Cooperative serves three regions: Mountain Area (higher infrastructure costs: $0.14/kWh), Valley Area (standard costs: $0.11/kWh), and Coastal Area (moderate costs: $0.12/kWh). Customer Maria Santos in Mountain Area pays $154 for 1,100 kWh usage, while Valley customer pays $121 for same usage due to geographic rate differences.

Audience (Why it Matters) - in short

  • CSM → Must explain geographic rate differences to customers, handle location-based billing inquiries, and manage service territory questions
  • QA → Must validate location-based rate assignments, test geographic billing accuracy, and ensure proper territory mapping
  • Engineers/Interns → Must understand geographic rate logic, service territory mapping, and location-based billing calculations

Does it fit in SMART360 Partially fits. Current system supports single utility creation but would need geographic rate management enhancements:

  1. Basic Utility Configuration
    • Utility Name: "Rural Electric Cooperative*"
    • Email: "service@ruralelectric.coop*"
    • Contact Number: "(555) 987-6543*"
    • City: "Regional Center" (from dropdown)*
    • Address: "300 Cooperative Drive, Regional Center, TX 78505*"
  2. Enhanced Features Needed
    • Geographic service territory mapping (enhancement required)
    • Location-based rate structures (enhancement required)
    • Territory-specific billing logic (enhancement required)

Scenario 6 – Multi-Utility Creation for University Campus

Scenario Description A major university needs to create separate utility configurations for different campus areas including dormitories, academic buildings, research facilities, and athletics complex.

Objective (Why)

  • Establish department-specific utility management for accurate cost allocation
  • Enable different billing structures for various campus facility types
  • Support sustainability tracking and energy management across campus divisions

If Not Set – Business Impact

  • Inaccurate departmental cost allocation leading to budget disputes
  • Inability to track sustainability metrics by facility type
  • Operational inefficiencies from uniform utility management across diverse campus needs

Scenario Explanation - in short State University creates four campus utilities: 1) Dormitory Services: 5,000 students, flat rate $85/month including all utilities, 2) Academic Buildings: 40 buildings, standard commercial rates with demand charges, 3) Research Labs: specialized high-usage rates $0.15/kWh due to equipment needs, 4) Athletics Complex: seasonal usage patterns with peak demand during events.

Audience (Why it Matters) - in short

  • CSM → Must handle diverse campus constituencies, explain facility-specific billing, and coordinate with university departments
  • QA → Must validate campus-specific configurations, test departmental billing accuracy, and ensure proper facility assignments
  • Engineers/Interns → Must understand institutional billing models, facility-type logic, and campus utility integration

Does it fit in SMART360 Yes, it fits with multiple utility management. Here's the application:

  1. Dormitory Utility
    • Utility Name: "SU Residential Services*"
    • Email: "housing@stateuniversity.edu*"
    • Contact Number: "(555) 123-DORM*"
    • City: "University City" (from dropdown)*
    • Address: "100 Campus Drive, University City, TX 78506*"
  2. Academic Buildings Utility
    • Utility Name: "SU Academic Facilities*"
    • Email: "facilities@stateuniversity.edu*"
    • Contact Number: "(555) 123-ACAD*"
    • City: "University City" (from dropdown)*
    • Address: "100 Campus Drive, University City, TX 78506*"
  3. Research Facilities Utility
    • Utility Name: "SU Research Operations*"
    • Email: "research@stateuniversity.edu*"
    • Contact Number: "(555) 123-RSRCH*"
    • City: "University City" (from dropdown)*
    • Address: "100 Campus Drive, University City, TX 78506*"
  4. Athletics Complex Utility
    • Utility Name: "SU Athletics Department*"
    • Email: "athletics@stateuniversity.edu*"
    • Contact Number: "(555) 123-SPORT*"
    • City: "University City" (from dropdown)*
    • Address: "100 Campus Drive, University City, TX 78506*"
  5. Campus Dashboard
    • Total Campus Utilities: 4
    • Facility Types: Residential, Academic, Research, Athletics
    • Overall Campus Progress: 50% (2 of 4 completed)

Scenario 7 – Single Utility for Cooperative Water Association

Scenario Description A rural water cooperative needs to create their foundational utility configuration to serve member-owners in an unincorporated area.

Objective (Why)

  • Establish member-owned water utility with cooperative governance structure
  • Enable member billing and capital credit allocation system
  • Maintain compliance with rural water cooperative regulations

If Not Set – Business Impact

  • Inability to provide essential water services to rural community members
  • Non-compliance with cooperative governance and member equity requirements
  • Lost opportunity to serve underserved rural market

Scenario Explanation - in short Prairie Water Cooperative serves 750 member-owners in rural county area. Member John Peterson owns 2 shares at $500 each, pays monthly service fee $65 plus usage charges $4.50 per 1,000 gallons. Annual capital credits of $125 returned based on patronage. Configuration includes member equity tracking, capital credit calculations, and cooperative governance reporting.

Audience (Why it Matters) - in short

  • CSM → Must understand cooperative member relationships, explain capital credits, and handle member equity questions
  • QA → Must validate member billing accuracy, test capital credit calculations, and ensure cooperative compliance features
  • Engineers/Interns → Must understand cooperative business model, member equity tracking, and patronage-based billing systems

Does it fit in SMART360 Partially fits. Current system supports basic utility creation but would need cooperative-specific enhancements:

  1. Basic Utility Setup
  2. Cooperative Features Needed
    • Member vs. customer account types (enhancement required)
    • Capital credit tracking (enhancement required)
    • Patronage-based billing (enhancement required)

Scenario 8 – Multi-Utility for Industrial Complex Management

Scenario Description An industrial park management company needs to create multiple utility configurations serving different types of manufacturing tenants with varying utility requirements.

Objective (Why)

  • Establish tenant-specific utility services matching industrial process requirements
  • Enable accurate sub-metering and cost allocation for different manufacturing operations
  • Support specialized industrial rate structures and demand management

If Not Set – Business Impact

  • Inability to attract diverse manufacturing tenants due to inflexible utility offerings
  • Revenue loss from inadequate industrial rate structures and billing capabilities
  • Operational inefficiencies from treating all industrial customers identically

Scenario Explanation - in short Industrial Park Services creates three tenant-focused utilities: 1) Heavy Manufacturing: 24/7 operations, demand charges $12/kW peak, 2) Light Assembly: standard business hours, time-of-use rates $0.08-$0.16/kWh, 3) Food Processing: specialized requirements including steam and refrigeration, custom rate $0.13/kWh plus process charges. Tenant Apex Manufacturing uses 2,500 kWh with 180kW demand, monthly bill $3,360.

Audience (Why it Matters) - in short

  • CSM → Must understand industrial processes, manage complex tenant relationships, and handle specialized billing inquiries
  • QA → Must validate industrial rate calculations, test demand billing accuracy, and ensure proper tenant utility assignments
  • Engineers/Interns → Must understand industrial billing models, demand charge logic, and manufacturing process utility requirements

Does it fit in SMART360 Yes, it fits with multiple utility creation. Here's the application:

  1. Heavy Manufacturing Utility
    • Utility Name: "IPS Heavy Manufacturing Services*"
    • Email: "heavy@industrialpark.com*"
    • Contact Number: "(555) 789-1234*"
    • City: "Industrial City" (from dropdown)*
    • Address: "1500 Manufacturing Blvd, Industrial City, TX 78508*"
  2. Light Assembly Utility
    • Utility Name: "IPS Light Assembly Services*"
    • Email: "assembly@industrialpark.com*"
    • Contact Number: "(555) 789-2345*"
    • City: "Industrial City" (from dropdown)*
    • Address: "1500 Manufacturing Blvd, Industrial City, TX 78508*"
  3. Food Processing Utility
    • Utility Name: "IPS Food Processing Services*"
    • Email: "food@industrialpark.com*"
    • Contact Number: "(555) 789-3456*"
    • City: "Industrial City" (from dropdown)*
    • Address: "1500 Manufacturing Blvd, Industrial City, TX 78508*"
  4. Industrial Complex Dashboard
    • Total Utilities: 3
    • Tenant Types: Heavy Mfg, Light Assembly, Food Processing
    • Overall Progress: 67% (2 of 3 completed)
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