Quality Control (QC) Configuration

Each Read Instruction undergoes an automated QC process. Instructions are processed according to their associated QC Rules.

The Utility configures the QC Rules within a QC Group. Each QC Group Item is associated with one or more Instruction types. Within the QC Group Item, the Rules can be set up per Instruction type.  

Reading Instruction QC Rules

The following QC rules can be configured for the Read Meter Instruction Type with the Instruction Group Item:

• Pass-Through: If pass-through is selected then no Quality Control will be applied at all. It is not recommended to pass through on Quality Control.
• Average Consumption: This Quality Control rule checks the current reading against the average consumption of the Meter being read. A % deviation allowed for the comparison is configured.  If the current Meter Reading is below the % deviation allowed, the test will pass otherwise it will fail. For example, if the average Reading is 100 KWH, the current Reading is 95 KHW and the deviation is 6% the rule will pass. However, if the Reading is 87 KHW the rule will fail.
• Photo Required: If a photo is required then each Reading needs to be supplied with at least 1 photograph of the Meter and where and when it was read. Using a unique algorithm, WeBill checks to ascertain the date when the photo was taken and where it was taken. This rule will fail if either of these scenarios exists:
• There is no photo.
• The date of the photo and the time of the do not match.
• The location of the photo and the location of the Meter being read do not match.
• Image Recognition: This rule checks the Reading record of the Meter against the Reading derived by image recognition from the photo of the Meter taken when the Meter was read. If this rule is selected then the photo-required rule also needs to be selected. When comparing the Reading from the photo against the reading recorded, the WeBill image recognition algorithm assigns a percentage for the match between the image and the Reading. A perfect match scores 100%. When this rule is configured a threshold % is configured. The image recognition algorithm needs to score the threshold % or higher. If the algorithm % is less than the configured threshold % the rule fails. For example, if the threshold is set at 90% and the image recognition result is 89%, then the Instruction will fail. If the image recognition result is 90% or greater, the Instruction will pass the rule. 
• GPS Required: This rule requires that the GPS location of the Meter being read be recorded when the Meter is read. If there is no GPS reading the rule will fail. If there is a GPS coordinate then the GPS location needs to be within the distance threshold of the GPS dispatch location, to which the Agent was sent. If the distance between the GPS coordinates of where the Meter was read and the dispatch GPS coordinates is greater than the threshold, the rule will fail. For example, if the threshold is set to 100 meters and the distance between the Instruction GPS coordinate and the dispatch GPS coordinates is 200 meters, then this rule will fail the Instruction.
• No previous Consumption: If this rule is set, then all rules relating to consumption are bypassed if there is no previous consumption. However, if there is previous consumption this rule is ignored. 
• Meter Number Check: if required, the Agent must write down the Meter number. The rule will fail if the Meter number does not correspond to the Meter number provided to the Agent. 
• Zero Consumption: If zero consumption has been recorded then the rule will fail.
• Negative Consumption: This is a compulsory rule and therefore is not configured. A negative consumption will fail the Reading even if pass-through has been selected. This means that if a negative consumption has been recorded, the rule will fail.

The QC rules in a single QC process are cumulative. This means that if any one of the QC rules within a single QC process fails, then the Instruction fails. A failed Instruction is referred to the QC Dashboard.