CPO Network Expansion

The Situation

A growing charge point operator had successfully deployed around 18 destination charging sites across the South East using a single trusted installer. They had secured funding to expand and needed to reach 60-70 sites within 12 months.

The challenge: their existing installer could not scale fast enough, but every new installer they brought in delivered inconsistent quality. Site hosts were complaining. Uptime was suffering. The commercial model was at risk.

What Was Broken

• No formal installer onboarding or quality framework
• Inconsistent site survey standards leading to surprise costs mid-project
• No visibility into installer capacity or forward pipeline
• O&M handover was messy, causing delayed fault resolution
• Commercial relationships with site hosts under strain

What We Changed

We built a structured installer network programme:

• Created a two-tier installer framework: approved and preferred partners
• Developed standardised site survey templates and completion criteria
• Implemented pre-installation audits for complex sites
• Built a regional capacity model to balance workload across three installers
• Introduced a quality scorecard with clear commercial consequences
• Streamlined O&M handover with mandatory commissioning data capture

What Improved

What We Would Do Again

• Invest in the installer framework early, before scaling
• Be firm about quality standards, even if it slows early deployment
• Build regional relationships with installers who know local DNOs
• Capture commissioning data properly from day one

What We Would Avoid

• Do not assume one great installer can scale with you indefinitely
• Do not skip site surveys to hit deployment targets
• Do not let quality issues slide in the name of speed