Archive for 19. April 2011

User groups

19. April 2011 by admin.

How useful are user groups?  That’s very much dependant on how much the members contribute.  They can operate as workshops for ideas for maximising the existing version of the software and as forums for the vendor to discuss potential new ideas.  We always try to gauge the strength and role of the local user group when assessing an application’s suitability to implementing at a site, and the convenor of the nearest user group is always on our list of referees, whether the vendor has listed them or not.

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Detecting theft

19. April 2011 by admin.

One of the issues a utility faces is theft by its users.  Most often this is occasional, where a fire house outlet is used to wash the adjacent floor.  Some however is persistent, where the consumer manages to by-pass the meter by intercepting the supply before it reaches the meter, and diverting it.  Water billing software can sometimes be used to detect this activity, by reporting on abnormally low consumption.  Most utilities concentrate on consumption that is abnormally high - no-one wants to send out a large bill if it is incorrect

Reviewing abnormally low consumption is done less rigorously, as there can be multiple reasons including a vacant property.  One of the more common requirements from those looking for a new water billing sytem is detecting when there has been low or zero consumption and then consumption rises - most usually when somneone has moved in and not advised the water company.  Monitoring low consumption for possible theft by itself is a lesser requirement, and is usually met when a meter reader visits the premises and observes a by-pass pipe.  However, with the increasing use of remote reads, a water thief may get away with illegal use for considerable periods of time if physical observation has been the main means of monitoring.  Water billing software in the future will need to provide more rigor in reviewing patterns of consumption, both high and low

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