At a glance
A CPO back office is a digital platform that allows you to manage charging stations remotely. It provides real-time insight into the status of each charge point, while allowing you to manage users and tariffs, record charging sessions and automate invoicing. This makes it possible to manage either a single charge point or an entire charging network efficiently and at scale.
What can you manage with a charge point back office?
The back office is digitally connected to the charge points and continuously collects information about their status, usage, and energy consumption. Operators can view this information in a central dashboard and manage their charge points remotely.
This lets you see immediately which charge points are online, where a charging session is active, and whether a fault has occurred. Charging session data is also recorded automatically, including the location, charging time, amount of energy delivered, and charge card used. This information then forms the basis for reporting, settlement, and invoicing.
The back office also allows you to set different tariffs based on location, time or user type. Access controls determine who can use a specific charge point. If a fault occurs, the system automatically sends an alert, allowing the issue to be investigated and often resolved remotely.
What is charge point management software?
Charge point management software allows operators to monitor, configure, and maintain charging stations without having to visit each charge point in person. It brings the technical, operational and financial management of charge points together in a single environment.
The software records charging sessions, processes user data and provides insight into energy consumption and availability. It also supports functions such as access management, tariff configuration, automated invoicing, and fault notifications.
More advanced charge point management software can also support roaming and smart charging. Roaming allows drivers with charge cards from connected providers to use the charge points. Smart charging can distribute the available power and adapt charging to factors such as local grid capacity.
What is a charge point management system (CPMS)?
A charge point management system, or CPMS, is the industry term for the back office used to manage charge points centrally. It forms the digital connection between charge points, drivers, operators, and other parties within the charging network.
A CPMS processes technical information while also supporting commercial and administrative processes. These include setting tariffs, processing charging sessions, managing access, connecting to roaming networks, and automatically generating invoices.
The terms 'CPO back office', 'charge point management software', and 'CPMS' are therefore often used interchangeably. In practice, they all refer to the central system behind charge point management.
What is the difference between a back office and a charge card app?
A CPO back office is designed for charge point owners and operators, whereas a charge card app is primarily used by EV drivers. Drivers can use the app to find charge points, view tariffs, start charging sessions, and check their charging history.
A back office provides the functionality needed to manage charge points behind the scenes. Operators use it to monitor charging stations, configure tariffs and access, process charging sessions, generate invoices, and investigate faults. The app is therefore the driver-facing environment, while the back office keeps the charging network operational.
What data does a CPO back office record?
A CPO back office records technical, operational and financial data relating to charge points and charging sessions. For each session, the system can record information such as the location, start and end time, amount of energy delivered, applicable tariff, and charge card used.
The back office also records information about the status and performance of charge points, including availability, energy consumption, fault notifications, and connection data. This information supports monitoring, reporting, invoicing, settlement, and remote troubleshooting. The exact data recorded depends on the platform, charging station, and chosen configuration.
How can I resolve charge point faults remotely?
A CPO back office allows you to view the current status and fault notifications of a charge point remotely. This helps you determine when the issue occurred and which component or process may be causing it.
Depending on the charge point and platform, you may then be able to restart the charging station, reset a connector or check its configuration remotely. Log data can also help identify the cause of the problem. Many faults can therefore be resolved without immediately sending an engineer to the location. If the issue involves a physical defect or cannot be fixed remotely, the available information can help the engineer investigate it more efficiently.
How can I manage multiple charge points at once?
You can manage multiple charge points at once by connecting them to a central charge point management platform. From its dashboard, you can view and manage all charge points, locations and users within a single environment.
This means you do not have to adjust the settings of every charge point individually. For example, you can apply tariffs or access rules to an entire location or a specific group of charge points. Reports on usage, revenue and energy consumption can also be combined, providing a clearer overview of the performance of your entire charging network.
The E-Flux by Road back office provides a single platform from which owners and operators can monitor, manage and invoice their charge points, as well as connect them to other charging networks. Access to the back office is included as part of the service, so no separate software subscription is required.
If an issue arises, the support team is available to help. Remote monitoring and management also allow many faults to be investigated without immediately sending an engineer to the location.
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