A Description of the Cyclical Meter Read Process

Meter readers using handheld devices record most meter reads in the field. These meter reads are uploaded into the system for use by billing.

A service point's meter is read due to the following data relationships:

  • Every metered service point references a service route (henceforth called "route").
  • A route references a service cycle.
  • A service cycle has service schedules that define when the service points in the cycle are read.
  • Every service cycle schedule contains two dates:
    • Scheduled selection date. This is the date the system selects the service points in the cycle for download to your handheld software.
    • Scheduled work date. This is the date the meter is expected to be read.
Note:

Overriding a route within a specific schedule. Rather than downloading all routes within a cycle, you can set up the system so that only specific routes are downloaded on any given date. This is a very powerful feature. You can use it, for example, to estimate specific cycles every other month or indicate the customer reads the meter every third month. Refer to Designing Service Cycles, Routes, And Schedules for more information.

  • On the scheduled selection date, the system creates a download file containing information to be sent to your handheld software. This download file contains information about every register on every meter in the routes being downloaded.
  • Your handheld software distributes this information to the handheld devices and then your meter readers do their job. When they finish, the resultant meter reads are uploaded into the system for subsequent use by billing.
Warning:

It is very important to create a service cycle schedule for every expected read date regardless of whether the cycle's routes are downloaded. Why do you have to do this? Because billing uses the scheduled work date on the service cycle to know when to look for a reading. If it can't find a reading on or near this date, billing estimates consumption (given estimation is allowed on the service agreement). Without a service cycle schedule, billing wouldn't know when to look for readings. So, for example, if you estimate a given cycle's consumption EVERY OTHER MONTH, you must create a service cycle schedule for EVERY month. On each month's schedule, you must define if the routes should be downloaded.

Fastpath:

For more information about the how to control when a cycle is read, refer to Setting Up Service Cycle Schedules.