Global EV Charging Supplier Implements a Robust, Scalable CPMS with Sphere

A global leading supplier of EV charging infrastructure headquartered in the UK sought to overcome various hurdles with their software, including charge unit management, service integration, compatibility issues, and customer engagement.

They reached out to Sphere Partners, tapping into our EV software expertise on charge point management systems (CPMS). Sphere’s engineers and developers expanded the CPMS software’s service offerings (including enhanced billing and identification verification), significantly improved operational efficiency, accelerated the software’s time-to-market by several months.

The software was developed at an optimized cost: directly contributing to the company’s growth, market competitiveness, and ultimately, its overall success against competing software in the EV charging industry.

The Challenge

The client wanted extra support on charge unit management, integration of services, fixing compatibility issues, and increasing customer engagement. They needed a solution that enabled efficient management and control of charge units, supported multiple service offerings, and ensured compatibility with non-proprietary charge units.

To support all new smart change units and meet the company’s growth goals, we identified a need for ISO-Compliant charge point management system (CPMS). To improve the customer experience, there needed to be enhancements made to the web user portal and mobile app by adding a wide range of functionalities. Additionally, the company required robust authentication, secure billing processes, and effective communication channels. The specific services that needed to be introduced are Identity, Billing, and Notifications. 

How It Was Solved

CPMS, developed by Sphere, emerged as the comprehensive solution for the EV company’s challenges. By employing IoT patterns, CPMS seamlessly integrated with charge units, providing low-level integration and configuration capabilities. It enabled the implementation of home charge control, on-the-go services, fleet integration, and ensured compatibility with various charge unit types.

Here are the key features of the developed software:

  1. Core Services: Sphere’s development team created core services, including Identity, Billing, and Notification services, from scratch. The Identity service facilitated authentication and authorization, supporting various single sign-on systems and login methods. The Billing service handled payment transactions, including refunds and invoice generation. The Notification service enabled seamless communication through SMS, email, and push notifications.
  2. Client-Facing Services: The HC (Home Charge) web user portal and mobile app developed by Sphere empowered end customers to interact with their HC units effectively. These platforms offered functionalities such as starting, stopping, scheduling, configuration, real-time updates, and profile modifications. They adhered to the EV company’s style guide and architectural approaches.
  3. Scalable and Extensible Platform: Sphere established a core team to research the domain and define goals for major microservices, including Identity and Billing. Our team made key architectural decisions that allowed for the expansion of services such as Ecommerce, Dealer Portal, Back Office, Marketing Site, and B2B. The platform was designed to accommodate new products and extensions without requiring changes to its core structure.
  4. Modern Infrastructure and Efficiency: Sphere implemented a modern infrastructure architecture that ensured cost efficiency. By consolidating non-production environments, they significantly reduced the cost of ownership. Additionally, the implementation of continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) processes facilitated code delivery to production within an hour.

The Results

The expanded service offerings, improved operational efficiency, increased customer satisfaction, faster time-to-market, and cost optimization contributed to the company’s growth, market competitiveness, and overall success in the evolving landscape of electric vehicle charging. Below we have listed the achievements of the project in more specific terms.

  1. ISO-Compliant CPMS: Sphere successfully developed CPMS following ISO standards, providing a stable and reliable service for smart charge unit owners. It supported all new UK smart charge units, meeting the EV company’s growth goals.
  2. Enhanced Customer Interaction: The HC web user portal and mobile app transformed the customer experience by offering a wide range of functionalities. Users could easily control their HC units, access real-time updates, configure settings, and modify their profiles, contributing to improved customer engagement.
  3. Extensibility and Future Expansion: The scalable and extensible platform built by Sphere enabled the EV company to add new products and extend existing ones without modifying the core platform. This flexibility positioned the company for future growth and innovation.
  4. Streamlined Development Processes: The establishment of CI/CD processes by Sphere accelerated code delivery, reducing time-to-market and enhancing overall development efficiency.