CFM32 CashFlow Management System
CFM32© is an application running locally on your Microsoft Windows PC or Laptop. It is the interface between you and the IoT-Cloud/Backoffice for IoT-driven Water Meters, either prepaid meters or postpaid meters. CFM32© is also used for reading in metering information from our Tags and for placing newly purchased credits onto the Tags.
With CFM32© it is you who is in control of your CashFlow.
Introduction
A proper Prepayment or Prepaid system consist of two components:
- Prepayment or Prepaid Meters (Hardware with Embedded Software);
- Software Management System (Software).
Many times and too often the Software Management System is forgotten or left behind and in our opinion this component is essential for rolling out a successful Prepaid or Prepayment system.
CFM32© is designed for managing our Tag Transponder Operated meters and AMR/AMI operated meters. There is over 50 man-year development in our true cashflow generating software system CFM32©, in which you can manage meters, customers, Tags/Transponders and operates as a Vending Station. Also the Reporting facility is an important module within CFM32©.
Tag Transponder Operated and AMR/AMI Operated metersTag Operated Meters write back data onto the Tag every time it is inserted into the meter. This information is read in by CFM32© CashFlow Managementsystem each time new credits are purchased and stored onto the Tag Transponder. A Tag is a Passive Wireless Transponder. It has no batteries and gets its power from an induced electro magnetic radio field generated by the TagReader/Writer. That very same electro magnetic field is used as a communication channel where data bits are superimposed onto the carrier frequency. |
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AMR/AMI Meters do not work with a Tag, they are connected to the IoT Cloud and CFM32© is communicating with that cloud, also for topping up with new credits in a meter or forcing a valve of a meter to open or to close. For AMR/AMI meters you only need an internet connected PC and you can control your meters from anywhere in the world. In the IoT Cloud server our Smart Meter Management System is running.
From our experiences we know that every customer, i.e. water board or municipality, has its own wish-list or demands and requirements. Therefore we made our system flexible. We are able and willing to adapt our system and add tailor made or custom designed items and/or procedures. TagMeter Systems B.V. is listening to their customers and has an open mind about implementing new improvements handed over by our customers. Also for coupling CFM32© with third party systems you are at the right address with TagMeter Systems B.V.
Starting from CFM32© Revision 3.21b (February 2011) the Zoning module has been implemented, a suggestion from a customer. This Zoning Module now is implemented as a standard module within CFM32©. Purpose of the Zoning Module is that a specific transponder Tag/Token can be used only by a specific meter or by a range of specific meters within a defined so-called Zone or Area.
The following relations between a Transponder Tag and Meter are possible:
- one-to-one relationship; Each meter has been parameterized as a specific zone. Each Transponder Tag also has been defined as a UserTag to be used in a specific zone. The meter will accept the Tag only if the same zone id in both Meter and Transponder Tag match;
- one-to-many relationship; Several meters have been assigned as a zone. Only one specific Transponder tag has been defined as a specific zone. The meters defined in the zone can be operated with the same Transponder Tag;
- many-to-one relationship; A specific meter has been defined as a unique zone. Several Transponder Tags have been defined as a UserTag to be used in that specific zone. The meter will operate only if the same zone in both Meter and Transponder Tag match. Example: a family has one meter and 4 UserTags. Each of those UserTags have been defined as a Zone 01 UserTag. The meter also has been defined as a Zone 01 meter and is unique: only one meter has zone 01. Now all 4 family members can use their own UserTag to operate the meter, providing the meter is not locked by a specific family member. The meter of the neighbors, which is a different zone, cannot be controlled by the Tag.
- many-to-many relationship; Several meters have been assigned and parameterized as a zone. Several UserTags have been assigned as UserTags to be used in a specific zone. Now all those UserTags can operate all meters defined in that specific zone, providing the meter has not been locked by a UserTag. It is not possible for User 02 to operate the meter if User 01 has locked the meter by inserting the UserTag and opening the valve. User 02 can make use of the same meter when credits of User 01 are consumed and valve is closed or when User 01 has unlocked the meter by inserting the User 01 Tag for the second time.
Further implemented are Individual Emergency Credits and Individual Low Credits alarm.
Emergency Credits are a pre-defined amount of credits, stored onto the Tag, which have not been paid for yet, but needs to be paid for if the customer activated Emergency Credits in the meter.
Relational Database Management SystemOur CashFlow Managementsystem CFM32©, is easy to operate. You do not need to be a computer expert at all. Menus and Sub-Menus all have an authorization level or operator level and you can define yourself which minimum level is needed to view data and/or change data. CFM32© truly is a multi-use application: an unlimited number of persons can execute the program and access the data at the same time, as long as they have an USB License Dongle connected in the computer. |
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Several databases are available, all combined in a very user-friendly Graphical User Interface. Some standard databases:
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By making connections between the different tables you create a Relational Database Management System.
Debt Repayment Module
CFM32© enables you to incorporate Debt Repayment by defining and naming components at the tariff file and setting the details of them individually at the Customer form. A total of 3 types of Debt Repayment levies/charges are possible:
- Monthly payments (i.e. basic charges). Purchaser of water credits pays a given amount of money for this charge/levies. Arrear paid charges, which should have been paid for in previous month but are not paid for, are also taken in account and have to paid for else water credits cannot be purchased;
- Debts/Loans with an installment you can define yourself. We called this Other Services. A certain amount of money has to be paid for in a given amount of months.
- Communal Debts/Charges/Levies. A percentage of the incoming payment automatically is used to pay for the Communal Debt and the remaining money is used for the other 2 components of the Debt Repayment Module.
Each of these three types of debts/charges/levies can be build-up from maximum five components.
Arrear payments, for instance Basic Charges which have not been paid for the previous month(s) also are automatically taken from the incoming payment.
IoT Cloud Gateway Connection
CFM32© has a build-in Gateway for communicating with Meters. How this communication is taken place depends on the module installed in the meter and the type or model of meter. Tag/Token type of meters optional can receive and respond to Text-messages or SMS messages:
- Ask for Meter Readings of a specific meter. Not only the Total counter but also the status and credits or balance of the meter are send
- Tell a meter to send its data package every time interval. This period can be between 5 minutes and once a year
- Send a "Open Valve" command to a meter. The meter forces the valve into open state and blocks the meter for interaction with the RFID Tag of the customer (UserTag)
- Send a "Close Valve" command to a meter. The meter forces the valve into closed state and blocks the meter for interaction with the RFID Tag of the customer (UserTag)
Our AMR/AMI meters are connected to the IoT Cloud Server via a LoRa, LoRaWAN, GPRS or NB-IoT module installed in the meter. Private LoRa and LoRaWAN are not communicating directly to IoT Cloud. A 3G/4G GPRS Gateway/Concentrator is connected to the IoT Cloud and handling that task. Meters connect automatically to the Gateway/Concentrator with the best signal.
LoRa meters are realtime connected for receiving commands and send autonomous every 2 hours a data packet. LoRaWAN, GPRS and NB-IoT meters communicate less often. If you need Realtime Prepaid Metering including topping up meters with newly purchased water credits then we advise using LoRa in combination with our 3G/4G Gateway/Concentrators.
The AMR/AMI Meter sends autonomous data packets. Reasons a meter could send out a data packet could be for one of the following reasons:
- Autonomous Meter Readings;
- New Prepaid Credits received by the meter;
- Valve of the meter closed because meter run out of prepaid credits;
- Valve of meter has been instructed to be opened or closed via CFM32© or the Smart Meter Managementsystem at the IoT Cloud Server;
- Valve failed to open or close.
Reporting Possibilities
If you receive metering data then you can also analyze data and place that data into a pre-defined layout. Exactly that is what the built-in Report Generator Module is doing. A script is telling this module from which database to fetch data needed, what to do with the data and inject the data into the layout.
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Historical and/or statistical trends of data received from meters either by reading in the UserTags while purchasing water credits for Tag Operated meters or via data read in by the Gateway Module and the IoT Cloud Server connection. |
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Create and save Charts in a format and layout you prefer:
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Print out on paper or view in your screen |
Vendor or Cashier Module
In the Vendor Module or Cashier Module the payments for purchasing water credits and the Debt Repayment Module for a specific customer are taken care off. Also a clear view of the tariffing system is shown, you can clearly see how much the customer paying for each step in the block or tariff-step.
You can get a view of historic payments done by the customer for present month or previous months and print out a report about those payments.
After each transaction a receipt can be printed. Layout of the receipt can be adapted by TagMeter and it can look fully according your house style.
Customers with an AMR/AMI meter can receive an e-mail with the invoice in the attachment if the e-mail address is known by the system. These customers also receive an e-mail to inform them when the meter has been topped up with the newly purchased credits.
At the Receipts menu you can always print a copy of the receipt if something went wrong, for instance printer is out of paper. Here you can also see date and timestamp when credits were send to an AMR/AMI Meter and when the meter confirmed receiving the newly purchased credits.
Tailor Made Systems
CFM32© is fully developed by TagMeter Systems and because of that we can adapt the system with tailor made procedures for instance methods of payments to implement, connections with other systems, specific reports and so on.
Feel free to contact us for discussing the possibilities and let us together build your Prepaid Metering System.
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Download Brochure CFM32 |
