Ahmed

Product & Service Innovation

Work

About

Ahmed

Product & Service Innovation

Utilities |

Industry

India |

Headquarters

DISCOMs (Power Distribution Companies) are weak point in the indian power sector.

They are selling a commodity everybody needs, yet they are not making money.

DISCOMs (Power Distribution Companies) are weak point in the indian power sector.

They are selling a commodity everybody needs, yet they are not making money.

Energy providers need precise meter reading, fraud avoidance, detect unauthorized consumption, customer interaction channel, & robust power projections.

“ We project our demand accordingly,…the next day demand is sub-classified in 15 minutes block (96 blocks of 24 hours). So from 00 hours to 24 hours every 15 minutes demand is projected, every 15 minutes generation is matched up and wherever there is a short fall, it is being procured in a Term Ahead Market (TAM). ”

Paresh Bhagwat

Supplier | Chief Engineer - Power Purchase

Supplier | Chief Engineer-Power Purchase

Customers need usage awareness, reduce wasteful behaviour and smooth interaction with suppliers.

Customers need to understand their usage patterns and how they are being charged, frictionless interaction with suppliers, and not miss their payment deadline due to misplaced bills and the inefficient process that ensues to rectify it.

“ I don't know what appliances are taking how much load…I need a way to determine that and manage my usage…power costs are high so I want to be able to know how I can keep my bills low. ”

Chetan

Customer

Conventional power grids & electricity meters limit the ability of power distributors & power consumers needs to be fulfilled.

The power grid set up during the industrial revolution is inadequate for today's demands. Rapid shifts in power supply and consumption patterns have outpaced the grid's evolution and supporting infrastructure, creating obstacles for both power suppliers and customers to fulfill their needs.

A symbiotic relationship, where power consumers and suppliers both contribute to and benefit from a robust grid, is essential.

CUSTOMERS

Informed Customers

Customers understand their usage and billing, providing transparency and enhancing their experience.

Conscientous Consumption

Customers make better consumption decisions and eliminate wasteful habits saving them money.

Timely Payments

Payment reminders and constant bill access ensure timely payments, simplifying the process and preventing complications from lost bills and late fees.

UTILITIES

Consumption Projection

Access to data in real time helps suppliers make better consumption projections resulting in better procurement decisions resulting in cost savings.

Automated

Remote graft detection & monitoring, and consumption tracking results in efficiency improvement by orders of magnitude over the earlier manual process.

Improved Cashflow

Timely Payments, better consumption projection and automation results in improved cashflow.

Introducing Nio , a product and service ecosystem leveraging new technology to transition from a conventional grid to a smart grid

Nio app lets customers manage utilities from one interface.
Nio-S device replaces traditional meters to update infrastructure.
Nio Omni tool helps employees monitor connections, manage power, and handle company-wide tasks.

Monitoring & Managing

Enabling customers to manage and monitor utilities from an app.

Payment Reminders & Transparency in Billing

Sending payment reminders and enabling instant payments while providing transparency in billing and a clear breakdown of charges.

Nio App offers real time data & instant communication

Real Time Monitoring

Users can track real-time consumption to analyze usage patterns and appliance-specific consumption.

Real time consumption data would promote conscious usage.

Managing Usage & Utilities

Manage utility consumption via the app and make smarter decisions to reduce waste.

Tracking appliance usage aids in identifying energy-intensive devices and encourages efficient usage.

Instant Assitance

Instant communication with the power distributor ensures quick grievance resolution.

Nio Omni offers real time robust projections & quick turnaround

Grid Health Monitoring

Track power connection health across sites and fix issues promptly.

Real time consumption data would promote conscious usage.

Real Time Projections

Real-time consumption data strengthens power projection accuracy.

Tracking appliance usage aids in identifying energy-intensive devices and encourages efficient usage.

Omni Channel Capabilities

Enables employees to manage and access internal company wide services.

Theft & Damage Detection

Nio Omni enables employees to detect power theft or damage accurately in real time and take actions like assigning an engineer to fix it.

Power Projection

Power consumption data captured by Nio-S in real time is used to project power consumption demand in real time.

Consumers now manage utilities and payments, while power distributors use data to project demand & optimize grid operations

Consumers are now able to monitor & manage their utilities & make timely payments while the power distributors through availability of data are now able to project demand accurately, make better procurement decisions & have more control over the operations of grid.

25%

Improved employee experience (estimated)

20%

Improved power procurement experience (estimated)

DESIGN PROCESS

Secondary Research

DISCOM, a power sector weak point, struggles despite revival attempts. The complex issue needs multiple synchronized solutions. The 2016 UDAY scheme failed, worsening losses. Bailout packages haven't worked. Unbundling and other measures had limited impact. Government steps include the Electricity Act 2003, Unbundling, Power exchanges, and privatization. Transitioning to smart grids is crucial, starting with smart meters.

Primary Research

Structured Interviews : 15 | Unstrucrured Interviews : 5

Firsthand info delved into DISCOM challenges, uncovering issues like bribery and violence missed in secondary research. Primary research added depth, segmenting challenges across user groups. Live power procurement example and contract discussions enriched understanding.

Market Study

All the devices available in the market had to be imported from elsewhere & were costly for an average Indian to own. Importing these devices added to the reluctance of adoption. The Indian government proposed widespread installation of affordable smart meters conditional upon a successful pilot project. While the DISCOM officials were skeptical of the smart meter since it did not allow them to communicate with the consumers & the ability to capture & use data was limited.

Analysis + Synthesis

A synchronized effort involving policies, technologies, and user engagement was necessary. Consumer participation is limited to consumption and bill payments, lacking contribution to the grid. A comprehensive solution is sought to benefit both suppliers and consumers, transforming the grid into a healthy ecosystem.

Data has been sanitised to preserve confidentiality

Ideation

Expanding and filtering ideas through brain dumping, DVF and product matrix.

Service Blueprint and Mapping

Used service blueprint to map the entire service process, identifying all customer touchpoints and delivery channels to reveal opportunities for enhancing value creation and eliminating pain points across the customer journey.

User Flows & Prototyping

Designed flows and wireframes to visualize the interface and navigation, iteratively refining them based on usability tests.

Starbucks - Innovation Team

Chicago Architecture Centre

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Ready to Elevate Your Project?

Let's bring your design vision to life.

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Ready to Elevate Your Project?

Let's bring your design vision to life.

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Ready to Elevate Your Project?

Let's bring your design vision to life.

Work

About

DISCOMs (Power Distribution Companies) are weak point in the indian power sector.

They are selling a commodity everybody needs, yet they are not making money.

DISCOMs (Power Distribution Companies) are weak point in the indian power sector.

They are selling a commodity everybody needs, yet they are not making money.

Energy providers need precise meter reading, fraud avoidance, detect unauthorized consumption, customer interaction channel, & robust power projections.

Energy providers need precise meter reading, fraud avoidance, detect unauthorized consumption, customer interaction channel, & robust power projections.

Customers need usage awareness, reduce wasteful behaviour and smooth interaction with suppliers.

Customers need usage awareness, reduce wasteful behaviour and smooth interaction with suppliers.

Conventional power grids & electricity meters limit the ability of power distributors & power consumers needs to be fulfilled.

Conventional power grids & electricity meters limit the ability of power distributors & power consumers needs to be fulfilled.

The power grid set up during the industrial revolution is inadequate for today's demands. Rapid shifts in power supply and consumption patterns have outpaced the grid's evolution and supporting infrastructure, creating obstacles for both power suppliers and customers to fulfill their needs.

The power grid set up during the industrial revolution is inadequate for today's demands. Rapid shifts in power supply and consumption patterns have outpaced the grid's evolution and supporting infrastructure, creating obstacles for both power suppliers and customers to fulfill their needs.

A symbiotic relationship, where power consumers and suppliers both contribute to and benefit from a robust grid, is essential.

A symbiotic relationship, where power consumers and suppliers both contribute to and benefit from a robust grid, is essential.

Introducing Nio , a product and service ecosystem leveraging new technology to transition from a conventional grid to a smart grid

Introducing Nio , a product and service ecosystem leveraging new technology to transition from a conventional grid to a smart grid

Nio app lets customers manage utilities from one interface.Nio-S device replaces traditional meters to update infrastructure. Nio Omni tool helps employees monitor connections, manage power, and handle company-wide tasks.