Getting it Right First Time: Understanding the Benefits (Part 1)

I've been thinking a lot lately about how we approach improvement in the EV charging industry. In my business world (and yes, I may be a bit of a geek about all of this), there's this fundamental principle that I keep coming back to: getting it right first time. It's not just a catchy phrase; I'm genuinely passionate about it because I've seen both the costs of getting it wrong and the fantastic benefits of getting it right.

Let me share something that really struck me during our recent research. While many surveys have highlighted problems in EV charging, I wanted to take a different approach. Instead of just listing what's wrong, I put on my business improvement hat (oh blimey, I think I need to buy an actual hat now that I've said that!) and started thinking about how we could improve things.

This led to our "Plugging Into the Future" white paper, where we did something different. We tried not just to collect complaints; our aim was to listen and try to understand what those problems were and why they were happening.

EV drivers are still experiencing a multitude of problems with EV charging across various areas. But you know what? I saw this as an opportunity, not a problem.

I wanted to introduce you to one of my favourite improvement concepts, which you may or may not have heard of, Kaizen. It's a Japanese word that means 'change for the better' (I promise this is the only bit of Japanese I'll throw at you!). It's about making small, meaningful changes rather than trying to fix everything at once. When you consider that retrofitting a single EV charging hub can potentially cost upwards of ￡30,000, this approach makes a lot of sense.

During my years working in business improvement, I've explained the term waste to many people. When I say waste in this context, I mean wasteful business processes: looking at how you do something, at what point you did it, why and what the impact was on those around you or your customers.

Understanding the trigger for that decision means you have reached the problem's root cause. At this point, you can start looking for ways to improve your business.

For example, if you have installed a charging hub on a site and there are either no or hardly any instructions that tell the EV driver how to use it, they might be able to initiate the charge easily, but then again, they might not.

This could be their first experience, and because of that, it will give a specific impression of not just the charging hub but also of how you, as an organisation, think of your customers.

It might sound simple, but understanding why you made that decision is crucial. Not providing easy-to-understand information to EV drivers using your hub will negatively impact your overall utilisation. More importantly, what would you do next time to ensure your decision didn't impact utilisation and, subsequently, return on investment?

We are not just talking about increasing utilisation here; it's about creating value in the eyes of your customers. In EV charging, every unnecessary app download, every confusing interface, and every failed charging attempt aren't just frustrating for the driver; they're a form of waste that costs everyone time, money, and patience and will affect confidence in the charging networks and reduction in utilisation long-term.

Our research found that 45.2% of EV drivers feel their feedback falls on deaf ears. As someone who's built their career on listening and improving, this breaks my heart a little. These aren't just statistics; they're real people trying to embrace a new way to travel around sustainably, only to find themselves questioning their decision with each problematic charging experience.

Think about building an EV charging network like playing in a band (stay with me on this one; I've been in a band on and off for years with my husband!). Every musician needs to be in perfect harmony; in the same way, the charge point manufacturers need to provide reliable hardware, the back office systems need to ensure smooth operations, payment providers need to deliver hassle-free transactions, and software partners need to maintain intuitive interfaces. The entire performance suffers when one musician is out of tune or out of time.

Like in a band, more than talented individual musicians are needed; they need to work together, listen to each other, and respond to feedback. The same goes for the EV charging infrastructure. Getting it right first time isn't just about having the best technology or the most advanced systems; it's about ensuring all these elements work together as seamlessly as possible to create a perfect performance for the end user.

Next week, I'll explore how we can achieve this harmony, sharing practical examples and real solutions already making a difference. I'll also show you how the principles of continuous improvement can transform the charging experience from a rough first rehearsal into a polished performance that delights every user.

Until then, I'd love to hear your thoughts on creating harmony in EV charging. What would your perfect charging experience look like, and have you had an experience like that?

Thanks for reading.

Liz