Meter Reader Process for Two or More Interfaces 

Overview

Often cities and utilities will use more than one Meter Reading System. They might own different software and equipment for Electric and Water meter readings. They might be slowly replacing one meter-type with another over time. For example, when upgrading from a Water Touch-Read system to a Radio-Read system two interfaces are needed until 100% of the meters are changed out. 

If you have more than one Meter Reading System, you will have more than one SimpleCity Meter Reader Interface. In this case, gWorks has installed batch program shortcuts on your desktop for each interface you purchased. Your Meter Reader Interface Process requires one additional step – to execute a batch program before you Create the Download File. Executing one of these batch programs will change the interface in SimpleCity.

IMPORTANT:  If you do not execute the batch program you need for meter readings before Creating the Download File, the file you create will not work with the Meter Reading System you want to use to get readings.

Meter Reader Interface basic steps using batch programs:

1. On your desktop, Execute the Batch Program for the Meter Reading System you are going to use to get readings.
2. In SimpleCity, Create the Download File with your current accounts and meter information. Only accounts with meters that match the Meter Reading System that you activated with the Batch Program will be included in the file.
3. Do the steps in your Meter Reading Software and Equipment as instructed by your vendor representative.
4. In SimpleCity, Update Utility Billing with the new readings.
5. Repeat Steps 1 thru 4 for the next vendor meter type needed for meter readings until you have read all meters.

Using Batch Programs

Once you have completed all Corrective Billings and Service Orders for move-ins and move-outs, you can execute the batch program for the Meter Reading System needed for the next Billing.

 The Batch Program Icons on your desktop are labeled to identify each Meter Reader Interface that you have. When a batch program is activated, certain commands are automatically executed to change the interface files. 

Before Executing a Batch Program

Before executing a batch program, all users must exit out of all Meter Reader Interface windows in SimpleCity. The Batch Program will not execute if you have one of the windows open, including the eight-option menu window.

Note:  If you execute a batch program and discover that the Download File that you created is not working with your Meter Reading Software, there may have been a window open preventing the change. Exit all Meter Reader Interface windows and activate the batch program again to create a new download file.  

To Execute a Batch Program

Double-click the batch program shortcut icon on your desktop, or right-click it and select Open, for the Meter Reading System you want to use to get readings. The Command Prompt window will open and list the files that were automatically copied when executed. Press any key to exit the window.

The following is an example of the files that are copied for Badger Beacon.   

Your interface batch window may or may not include all of the 5 files seen in the screenshot above.

When a Batch Program Fails to Copy All Files

If you see the message, “The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process. 0 file(s) copied,” as shown in the following example, exit all Meter Reader Interface windows and execute the batch program again until you see that all files were copied. 

The following is an example of a failed Interface Change. Two files were not copied.

Once you have successfully changed your Meter Reader Interface in SimpleCity, you can proceed with the next step to Create the Download File.

Next Steps

See one of the following articles for further instructions to Create the Download File, and Update Utility Billing. The article you need depends on the Meter Reader Interface you executed. See the Overview section in any one of these articles to guide you to the article you need:

1. Meter Reader Interface Process - N
   
2. Meter Reader Interface Process - S
   
3. Meter Reader Interface Process - U