The Telkom University Research Team, consisting of Lecturers and Students, created an application for Recording Water Meters and Payments for PAMDES in Sindangsari Village, Cikoneng, Ciamis, West Java. This application is named PAMDES-GO.
This activity is part of the Telkom University Research & Community Service collaboration program with Village Partners, which is funded by the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research and Technology, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, and the Ministry of Finance’s Education Fund Management Institute (LPDP). Scientific Research/Village Research is a form of implementing the Merdeka Learning Campus Program on Monday (28/2).
The team consists of three lecturers, Umar Ali Ahmad, Ph.D.; Angga Rusdinar, Ph.D.; Ashri Dinimaharwati, M; assisted by Research Assistant R Roger Dwiputra; M Ammar Abdurahman. It is also involved several Computer Engineering undergraduate students, Fauzi Sofyan; Fath Muhammad Isham; Rifdo Shah Alam; Ikbal Ramdhani, and Yusup Diva Pratama.
PAMDES Sindangsari Village is one of the village-owned enterprises (BUMDES). There are more than 600 customers who take advantage and are helped by the existence of PAMDES Sindangsari, which provides clean water so that the local community can use it. In the process, PAMDES Sindangsari has several obstacles and limitations, such as recording water meters, a recap of water meter recording data, payments, and less effective and accountable reports. Therefore, the research team from Telkom University offered a solution by implementing the Record Meter and Payment Application for PAMDES in Sindangsari Village.
The water meter record application is an application that can help field officers to document water usage records through a mobile application. The meter recording officer only needs to input the customer’s water meter data and take a photo of the water meter. Then, the inputted data will go directly to the integrated database system. In addition, through this payment feature, in the future, people can check PAMDES bills and can make cashless payments via bank transfer or QRIS easily.
“In addition to creating meter recording and payment applications, the Telkom University research team is directly involved in assisting PAMDES officers in using the application while in the field,” said Yusup, a Telkom University student involved in this program.
“We were assigned by the Head of the S1 Computer Engineering Study Program to accompany PAMDES officers so that officers can be accompanied when using this application. We hope that we can participate in providing digital technology socialization to village communities.”
“For students who are involved in this activity, apart from participating in solving problems that exist in the community or village, they also get the convenience of converting this activity into Lecture Credits. After this program ends, this Village Research activity will be equivalent to 20 credits to implement the Merdeka Campus program in the Study Program, “said Umar Ali Ahmad, Ph.D. As Head of the Computer Engineering S1 Study Program, Faculty of Electrical Engineering Telkom University.
The research team of students was assigned to update data, conduct training, and assist Meter Registrar Officers, BUMDES Employees, and related Village Apparatus. Until now, all recordings of water meters for more than 600 customers in February 2022 have been carried out, where 6-meter recording officers are assisted by students so that water meter recording, nominal bill calculation, and reporting can be carried out in real-time and accountably. Customers welcome this application because it is considered to be able to create transparency and accountability when recording and billing water.
The application of digitization at PAMDES Sindangsari Village has its shortcomings and challenges, including PAMDES officers who are not accustomed to using applications. When recording takes more time to get used to, the internet network at some points is not good, and also the process of updating customer data is slow. However, officers no longer need to worry when in locations with a minimal network with this application. Officers will still be able to take notes even without an internet connection, namely with the recording data save feature. The stored data will be sent to the server when getting a good internet connection.
The benefits of implementing the meter and payment application are felt directly by PAMDES in Sindangsari Village. The process of recording water meters, reports, and payments can be made more effectively and accountability.
“This application makes it very easy for us in the process of recording water meters, recap data, and determining the nominal customer bill,” said Udi Rusdi, who is the Chairman of the BUMDES Sindangsari Village.
With the digitization program carried out, in the end, it will be able to increase the management capacity of PAMDES and BUMDES to be more professional, accountable, and profitable. So that in the future, PAMDES Sindangsari Village can improve services and increase the number of new customers so that more Sindangsari Village residents enjoy clean water services.