Meter Reading Order 
Purpose
This component allows you to create a meter reading order for each register. The order contains register-specific data and information about the planned meter reading, such as the meter reader and the scheduled meter reading date. Meter reading orders can be created for:
Meter readers from the utility company
External meter reading companies
Meter reading by the customer
Integration
Types of meter readings and their scheduled dates are defined in the Portioning and Scheduling (IS-U-BFPS) component. You can override the scheduled meter reading type and select another type of meter reading. For example, instead of selecting the meter reading type Meter reading by the customer you can create an order for a meter reader. In addition, you can specify dates for aperiodic meter readings manually.
Business Object Repository
The Business Object Repository (BOR) contains the following Business Application Programming Interface (BAPI) for selecting meter reading orders and results:
MeterReadingDocument.GetList (selection of meter reading orders or results)
Further information on IDocs:
For general information, see the BAPI User Guide and BAPI Programming
For more information, see the BAPI documentation in the BOR.
Features
You can reverse meter reading orders. If meter reading results exist at the time of the reversal, you can either delete them or retain them for use in another meter reading order.
During meter reading order creation, you control the sequence of meter readings of different meter reading categories. You have the following options:
You can enter a fixed schedule in the schedule master record for the meter reading unit. To do this, you select the Use MR cat. from sched. rec. field during order creation (individual or mass order creation). The system then creates meter reading orders for meter readings in the category you have entered.
Example
You want to read meters every month. To reduce the number of meter readers, you allow for two estimations and one subsequent reading by a meter reader. You enter meter reading dates with the corresponding scheduled meter reading category in the meter reading unit. The sequence of the dates is retained even if the customer moves out, for example.
You can define meter reading control settings in Customizing under Device Management -> Meter Reading -> Basic Settings . During mass order creation, you enter a scheduled meter reading category. The system checks whether meter reading control settings permit this meter reading category for the installation and then creates meter reading orders for the installations accordingly.
Example
You want to allow each installation to be read by the customer twice and then once by the meter reader. You define meter reading control settings accordingly in Customizing and enter them in the installation. You perform mass order creation twice for each meter reading, the first time with customer reading as the scheduled meter reading category, and the second time with meter reading by the utility as the scheduled category.
Meter reading date |
09/30 |
10/30 |
11/30 |
Installation 1 |
MR by customer |
MR by customer |
MR by utility |
Installation 2 |
MR by customer |
MR by utility (move-in/out) |
MR by customer |
One order each is created for 09/30 and 10/30 during the first order creation run for installation 1. Meter reading control settings no longer allow this for 11/30, however. A meter reading order is not created for the installation until the second order creation run, in which case the scheduled meter reading category is meter reading by the utility.
The utility company reads meters on 10/30 for installation 2 because the customer has moved out. A meter reading order for reading by the customer is created for 11/30 during the first order creation run, as permitted by meter reading control settings.