Is select/on_select really needed for ev-charging if it carries same info as init/on_init?

[ameetdesh]

++ biodatanet, @ravi-prakash-v

[ravi-prakash-v]

Since Beckn is domain-agnostic, the choice of whether to implement or not implement an endpoint does not lie with an NFO. The choice is purely for the NP to decide what value they can provide by implement a certain endpoint. On the fabric, NPs can implement whatever endpoints they like, as long as they are able to gracefully handle exceptions at either side.

If a BPP and a BAP have not implemented select or on_select respectively, they should return a NACK with an error code with the message, "Method not implemented".

However, for those who have implemented select or on_select, NFOs SHOULD NOT stop them from keeping those endpoints live.

The value of implementing select / on_select

The purpose of a select/on_select is for a BAP and BPP to agree on a price that is agnostic of user context. It is a useful way for BAPs to scan a network and get dynamic pricing for various charging points without the consumer actually opening the app and invoking a discovery flow. This allows BAPs to show live pricing and offers. Here are some example use cases,

1. Imagine BAP users in a certain locality opening their app and seeing a notification that says, "5 chargers near you available at less than $2/hour. Quick! block your slot". Or,
2. Maybe Charging station A is doing a free promotional post-cart add-on like a free car wash which was not available during discovery.
3. A BAP could perform a single select / on_select using a loyalty program code and fetch the discounted price. Then it internally sends a notification for all users saying that users of a certain loyalty program are eligible for an x% discount on their charging sessions.
4. The final use cases us when when a BAP and BPP on a network are already partners before they joined the networks and have discounts reserved only for their respective users that other NPs may not offer. The same goes when the BAP and BPP belong to the same business entity.

Value of implementing init/on_init

Init allows BAP and BPP to agree on pricing and terms necessarily with user context to be exchanged like billing information, payment account details, etc. In those cases, the BPP could choose to send personalized offers to specific users based on their billing information. Similar use cases to the previous section also apply here, just specific to a user and not at a platform level.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are clear values to implementing both. It's not a domain-driven decision. It is a business value-driven decision. Both BAP and BPPs can use select / on_select and init / on_init cycles to cross-sell, upsell and ultimately drive better business and better experiences. So, the mental model driving the question of whether "select/on_select is needed for EV charging...", may not be the right one.

Hope that helps @ameetdesh.

CC: @bachia