Elevating Operational Efficiency

Charge Hub, based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, extends its services across Australia and New Zealand, providing a superior Electric Vehicle (EV) charging experience through high-quality hardware and intuitive software. They aim for a hassle-free charging process supported by 24/7 assistance, ensuring seamless integration for EV drivers and entities looking to implement EV charging infrastructure.

Background

The Managing Director, Paul Guy, from Charge Hub, has a rich EV charging background, collaborating with reputable firms like General Electric and ABB across Australia and Singapore. Paul was searching for a more advanced Charge Point Management System (CPMS) that supported the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) for public billing. Through our partner, Ampcontrol, Paul discovered Longship.io.  

Paul’s dissatisfaction with the previous CPMS was evident, mainly due to its limitation on allowing customers to view their own charger information. The client also found the reporting process cumbersome: “Every month, we just use spreadsheets manipulating spreadsheets to try and get the basic information out for your accounting purposes.” Although technically adequate, the previous CPMS needed to meet the client’s expectations fully.  

Charge Hub is growing and aims to boost operational efficiency and customer insight through enhanced data analytics. A sturdy analytics framework became paramount to maintain growth and elevate service delivery as their user base increased. 
 

Challenges Faced:

• Difficulty in extracting and using data for accounting and operational analysis.
• Lack of customer-centric analytics for understanding user charging behaviors.

Actions Taken:

Adoption of EVesto CPMS:

• Transitioned to Longship CPMS for better control and monitoring of charging operations.
• Utilized the platform’s analytics to gain insights into user behaviors and operational performance.

Feedback and Continuous Improvement:

• Regular feedback sessions with Longship’s support team for addressing issues and suggesting improvements.
• Working alongside EVesto to tailor the CPMS to better meet operational needs and user expectations.

Education and Training:

• Engaged in training sessions to better understand and utilize advanced features of EVesto.

Outcomes

• Improved Monitoring: Enhanced real-time monitoring of charging stations, leading to better operational control.
• Better User Experience: Through continuous feedback, I am working towards creating a more user-friendly interface and experience.
• Operational Efficiency: The analytics provided by EVesto CPMS enabled more informed decision-making, aiding in optimizing pricing strategies and operational processes.
• Strengthened Support: Fostered a strong support relationship with Longship, paving the way for ongoing collaboration and continuous improvement of the CPMS platform.

Plus, points for Longship.io

• User-Friendly & Driver-Appealing Interface: A User-friendly interface ensures smooth interactions and overall satisfaction.
• Reliability & Fault Detection: The system is reliable, enabling quicker fault detection without extensive reliance on technical support, which is crucial for operational efficiency.
• Adequate Support: EVesto effectively supports its users, building trust and ensuring users can rely on accurate data.
• Less Frustration with Charger Interactions: Charge Hub experiences fewer frustrations regarding interactions with the charger or the associated phone application, indicating a straightforward and intuitive user experience
• Improved Data Trustworthiness: Trustworthy data is instrumental for informed decision-making and accurate reporting.
• Ease of Transition: The client found transitions, like switching cars, to be smooth with EVesto, emphasizing flexibility and adaptability.
• Comparatively Fewer Issues: Fewer issues necessitating support outreach, underscoring system stability and ease of use.
• Customer Access to Information: EVesto allows customers to access their own information easily, which was a significant improvement over the previous system. This transparency is vital for customer satisfaction.
• Pricing Transparency and Customization: The client appreciates the ability to set and modify the price for charging, and the customers can see and change the price if needed. This feature provides a level of control and transparency that enhances the service experience.
• Session Information Accessibility: Customers can see session information to know how much they’ve used the charger, which the client found important for a better user experience.
• Visual Indicators and Easy Monitoring:EVesto provides visual indicators like color-coding (blue or red) that the client appreciates, as it facilitates easy monitoring and understanding of the system status at a glance.

Suggested Improvements

• Platform Education and Support: More educational sessions on utilizing new and certain platform features the client is unfamiliar with.
• Dashboard Customization: The client wishes to have the ability to customize the dashboard, like turning off some chargers from being displayed on the dashboard to reduce noise.
• Avatar: Change the Avatar to an Image option to easily recognise the client.