Open Questions

This section documents gaps, ambiguities, and potential issues identified in the business model that require clarification before or during implementation.

Customer Flow Gaps

1. Customer site readiness timeout

What happens if a customer is told their site needs electrical/civil work but never confirms readiness? Currently there is no timeout, escalation, or auto-cancellation mechanism defined.

Recommendation: Define a configurable timeout (e.g., 30 days) after which the lead is auto-moved to on_hold with a notification to Central Ops.

2. No cancellation flow

The swimlane does not define a cancellation process. Key questions:

  • Can a customer cancel at any point? After survey? After materials are procured?

  • What are the financial implications? Is there a cancellation fee?

  • Who absorbs the cost of already-procured materials?

  • How is the OEM notified of cancellations?

Recommendation: Define cancellation policies per stage with financial impact rules.

3. No rework / defect flow

What happens if the installed charger is defective or the installation has issues discovered after the customer starts using it?

  • Is there a warranty service flow?

  • Who handles the return visit — same team or a dedicated service team?

  • How is this tracked? New lead or linked to original?

Recommendation: Add a service_request app or extend the installation app with a rework flow.

4. Customer portal scope

The swimlane shows all customer interaction as phone calls and document sharing. Questions:

  • Does the customer get a login to track their installation progress?

  • Can they upload documents themselves, or does Central Ops do it on their behalf?

  • Is there a mobile app or web portal for customers?

Recommendation: V1 can be phone/SMS-based. Plan for a customer-facing status tracker in V2.

SLA & Escalation

5. No SLA definitions

There are no defined service level agreements for any transition:

  • Lead intake to first contact: ?

  • First contact to survey scheduled: ?

  • Survey to installation: ?

  • Installation to closure: ?

  • End-to-end lead to closure: ?

Recommendation: Define SLAs per transition. Track compliance in the reporting module. Alert when approaching breach.

6. No escalation path

If Central Ops does not act on a lead, assign a survey, or review a report within a reasonable time, there is no escalation. No supervisor or manager role is defined.

Recommendation: Add time-based escalation rules. Introduce a supervisor or admin role with visibility into aging items.

7. No performance monitoring

No KPIs are defined for Central Ops or Field Team performance:

  • Average time to first contact

  • Survey completion rate

  • Installation success rate

  • Customer satisfaction

Recommendation: Add a performance dashboard with configurable KPIs.

Financial Ambiguities

8. Payout schedule selection criteria

The swimlane mentions “Per Job / Fortnightly / Monthly” payouts but does not specify:

  • Who decides the schedule for each team?

  • Can it change mid-contract?

  • Is it negotiated per team or standardized?

Recommendation: Make it configurable per team via PaymentSchedule with change history.

9. No refund / dispute handling

What happens when:

  • A vendor payment is made but materials are defective?

  • A field team disputes the payout amount?

  • An OEM disputes the closure pack?

Recommendation: Add dispute models with resolution workflows.

10. No cost tracking per installation

There is no model for tracking the total cost of an installation (materials + labor + logistics) against revenue.

Recommendation: Add a cost_summary computed field or model per installation for profitability analysis.

11. No procurement budget approval

Local procurement has no defined approval threshold. Can a field team procure materials of any value?

Recommendation: Add approval thresholds (e.g., auto-approve under 5000 INR, manual approval above).

Operational Gaps

12. No quality assurance step

After installation, there is no independent QA or inspection step. The same team that installs also reports success.

Recommendation: Consider a random QA audit process where a separate team or Central Ops verifies a percentage of installations.

13. No warranty tracking

After installation, warranty management is undefined:

  • What is the warranty period?

  • Who is the warranty provider — OEM, installer, or ChargeSol?

  • How are warranty claims initiated and tracked?

Recommendation: Add warranty tracking to the installation or a dedicated warranty module.

14. No multi-charger installations

The model assumes one charger per lead. What about:

  • Commercial installations with multiple chargers?

  • Customers upgrading or adding a second charger?

Recommendation: Support multiple installations per lead, or allow leads to specify quantity.

15. No audit trail

There is no explicit audit trail requirement. For compliance and dispute resolution:

  • Who changed what and when?

  • Status change history with timestamps and actors

Recommendation: Use django-auditlog or django-simple-history for automatic model change tracking.

16. No inventory return flow

If materials are allocated but the installation is cancelled, there is no defined process to return materials to stock.

Recommendation: The returned status on MaterialAllocation exists but the workflow to trigger stock replenishment is undefined. Add an auto-restock signal.

Technical / Integration

17. OEM integration format

The swimlane shows OEMs sharing leads, but:

  • Is it API-based, portal-based, or email/spreadsheet?

  • Different OEMs likely have different formats and requirements

  • Is there a webhook for lead status updates back to OEM?

Recommendation: Define an OEM integration layer with configurable adapters per OEM.

18. No charger commissioning step

Modern EV chargers require cloud activation / commissioning after physical installation:

  • Pairing with charger management software (e.g., OCPP)

  • Network connectivity verification

  • Remote monitoring setup

Recommendation: Add a commissioning step to the installation flow between completed and closed.

19. No geographic routing logic

Team assignment is zone-based, but:

  • How are zones defined? By pin code, city, or custom boundaries?

  • Is there distance-based routing within a zone?

  • How is travel time factored into scheduling?

Recommendation: Start with pin code-based zones. Plan for GPS-based routing in V2.

20. No document retention policy

Photos, videos, reports, and closure packs accumulate over time:

  • How long are they stored?

  • Is there a compliance requirement (e.g., 7 years for financial records)?

  • When can media be archived or deleted?

Recommendation: Define retention policies per document type. Implement lifecycle management in storage layer.

Reporting Gaps

21. Report format undefined

Weekly and monthly report formats are not specified:

  • What specific metrics does each OEM require?

  • Is the format standardized or OEM-specific?

  • PDF, Excel, or API response?

Recommendation: Define a base report template. Allow OEM-specific customization via report configuration.

22. No real-time dashboard

There is no mention of live operational dashboards:

  • Central Ops needs: active leads, today’s surveys/installations, pending reviews, emergencies

  • Finance needs: pending payments, upcoming payouts

  • Management needs: conversion funnel, regional performance

Recommendation: Define dashboard requirements per role. Consider WebSocket for real-time updates.

23. Closure pack format varies by OEM

Different OEMs likely require different closure pack contents and formats. The current model assumes a single format.

Recommendation: Add OEM-specific closure pack templates with configurable required fields and document checklist.