EAM.4:4.2 - Construct an applicable observation basis

Choose the boundary at which demand will be compared with asset contribution. For a water district, distinguish water delivered to users from water entering the district: distribution losses make the quantities different. For a transport service, trips requested, passengers carried and vehicle movements likewise need a stated relation.

Recover present use, unmet requests and committed future use. Establish whether the observations cover the relevant users, place, period and operating conditions. Rationing, failure or inaccessible capacity can suppress recorded delivery. Obtain the missing need estimate or retain that uncertainty; relabeling observed delivery does not recover it.

Separate components whose drivers or possible interventions differ. Household use, other use and losses may be useful for a water decision. Reconcile their sum with the total on the same boundary and interval. If they disagree, investigate the mismatch that could affect the choice. A residual between compatible inlet and customer measurements may estimate losses; an unexplained discrepancy between incompatible meters cannot be assigned that meaning.

Keep the observation and its limitations available alongside the component account. More detailed segmentation is useful when it changes an option or the needed forecast. It is unnecessary merely to make the account larger.