Charger Management System for Electric vehicles

Designing a centralized system for comprehensive management and monitoring of EV Charging network

Role

Testing, Documentation, IA,Design Iterations

Software used

Notion, Figma, Jira

Duration

6 months

Overview

One of our leading customer;GOEC relied on an external party's Charger Management System for EV charging management, facing limitations in customisation, scalability, and user experience. To gain autonomy and enhance operations, GOEC aimed to transition to an in-house CMS.

Our team tried to address these challenges by developing proprietary solutions for the EV charging industry; one such vertical being the design and development of Charger Management System-OXIUM.

Overview

Our team tried to address these challenges by developing proprietary solutions for the EV charging industry; one such vertical being the design and development of Charger Management System-OXIUM.

Limitations

The project faced significant time limitations, which restricted the ability to conduct any form of Primary Research.
All research done was mainly secondary, trying to decipher the complex Charger management System involved in EV Charging.
The process started with tearing down old designs which did not have a proper structure.

How the system works?

What we designed here is one of the entity which will (1) manage the charging requirement of a common user. Now, the next crucial step was to integrate the working of the system with the next entity; (2) the mobile application ,which is going to be used by anyone who needs his car to be charged and (3) the charger which he is going to connect with his vehicle at a physical charge station.

Understanding the basic terminologies

CMS- Charger Management System.
User Mobile App - to initiate charging, make payments and monitor the charging.
CP- Charge Point, the physical charger at the charging station.
EV- Electric vehicle that needs to be charged.

Note: CMS: Charger management System

Elaboration and Categorisation

The next phase involved expanding on each of the identified entities by pinpointing their key functions. Each component of the CMS(charging management system) was broken down and categorised into four core entities. To ensure clarity, we implemented color coding to highlight similar components and to map out connections between these entities

User Flows

Scenario Mapping: Different use-case scenarios were outlined to dive deeper into system functionalities, providing clarity for flow development.

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Screens

Given the extensive nature of the system, it's impractical to showcase every detail within this case study. Instead, I am providing selected snippets to illustrate the key aspects and my involvement in the project.

Actions and Permissions

Next challenge was to identify Actions and Permissions that needs to be decided for the mobile app user within the app and how the three of the entities work together.

Site Map

By understanding what was possible in the mobile app for a user, it was easy to identify functionalities that needs to be incorporated within the system.Based on this understanding, a detailed site map was created, encompassing all inner sections of the Charging Management System. Below is a brief overview of the key sections within the system.

Documentation

Due to its complex terminology, a detailed description of the design was necessary to communicate with the developers and the team. Every screen and its flow was explained in detail. Below are the snippets of the complete documentation of the project done in notion.

Testing

The testing process was conducted using Jira to track issues and manage the workflow. I was responsible for:

Identifying Bugs: Systematically identifying and documenting bugs in every section of the product. this was done by using JAM for bug reporting.
Issue Tracking: Follow up on bug fixes, ensuring that all identified issues were resolved before the system's release.
Regression Testing: Conducting regression tests to verify that recent updates and bug fixes did not negatively impact existing functionalities.
User Acceptance Testing (UAT): Collaborating with stakeholders to conduct UAT, ensuring the system met user requirements and was ready for deployment.

Results

Through systematic testing and detailed issue tracking, we were able to identify and resolve key bugs in the CMS. The result was a robust system ready for deployment, with improved reliability and user satisfaction.

Reflection

Participating in the testing of the CMS provided invaluable insights into the importance of thorough validation in system development. The experience reinforced my belief in the necessity of iterative testing and close collaboration with developers to deliver a high-quality product.