In order for Checkpoints to appear on a Route, a schedule must be defined and aligned with the frequency at which you want readings to be taken for the asset. For example, you might need to check the water tank on the bottling line for leaks every six months. Likewise, if you operate a machine with safety switches, you might want to check the safety switches each time a new shift begins. To manage these scenarios, you can define schedules that specify when readings should be completed.
Interaction between Route Schedules and Checkpoint Schedules
You can define a schedule for a Route, individual checkpoints within a Route, or a combination of these. The type of schedule that you use will depend on the specific Routes and checkpoints that you need to manage. For example:
If all of the Checkpoints within a Route should be due at the same time, you can define a schedule for a Route.
If the Checkpoints within a Route should be due at different times, you can define a separate schedule for each checkpoint.
If most of the Checkpoints within a Route should be due at the same time, but some checkpoints should be due less frequently than the other checkpoints, you can define a schedule for the Route and for certain checkpoints within the Route.
Note: If a checkpoint is associated with both types of schedules, the checkpoint will be included in the Route for data collection only if both schedules indicate that it is due.
When a Route Is Due or Overdue
When a Route is due or overdue, the following statements are true for checkpoints on that Route:
Any checkpoint with no defined checkpoint schedule is also due or overdue.
Any checkpoint with a next date that is in the past is due or overdue.
Any checkpoint with a next date that is in the future is not due.
When a Route Is Neither Due nor Overdue
When a Route is neither due nor overdue, the following statements are true for checkpoints on that Route:
Any checkpoint with no defined schedule is also neither due nor overdue.
Any checkpoint with a next date that is in the past is due or overdue.
Any checkpoint with a next date that is in the future is not due.
The following example illustrates various combinations of Route and checkpoint schedules. In all scenarios, assume that:
The start time of all schedules is 1pm of the current day.
The current time is 12 noon.
Scenario 1
A Route with 2 checkpoints is scheduled every 1 hour.
Checkpoint A is scheduled every 3 hours.
Checkpoint B is scheduled every 6 hours.
Because schedules are defined for both the Checkpoints and the Route, the Route is available for data collection when the Route is due and the checkpoint with the earliest Next Date is due. Therefore, the Next Date displayed on the RDC Overview page is 4pm (i.e., 3 hours after 1pm). When the Route is opened at 4pm, only Checkpoint A is displayed because Checkpoint B is not yet due. If you open the Route after 7pm, both checkpoints are displayed.
Scenario 2
A Route with 2 checkpoints is scheduled every 1 hour.
Checkpoint A is scheduled every 3 hours.
Checkpiont B has no schedule.
In this scenario, the Route’s schedule applies to the checkpoint without a schedule, so the Route is available for data collection per the Route’s schedule. Therefore, the Next Date displayed on the RDC Overview page is 2pm (i.e., 1 hour after 1pm). When the Route is opened at 2pm, only Checkpoint B is displayed because Checkpoint A is not yet due.
Scenario 3
A Route with 2 checkpoints is scheduled every 5 hours.
Checkpoint A is scheduled every 3 hours.
Checkpiont B has no schedule.
In this final scenario, the Next Date displayed on the RDC Overview page is 6pm (i.e., 5 hours after 1pm). When the Route is opened at 6pm, both Checkpoints A and B are displayed, because both are due.
Schedules and Time Zones
The schedules that you define include a specific time zone. The Route or Checkpoint will become due at the specified time in that time zone, irrespective of the time zone of the logged in user. For example, if you set a Route to be due at 8:00 A.M. every day in Eastern Standard Time, the Route would be due at 5:00 A.M. every day in Pacific Standard Time.
Schedules and Daylight Saving Time
For schedules that are set to recur every certain number of hours or minutes after the specified Start Time, for time zones that use Daylight Saving Time (DST), you can specify whether you want the schedule to adjust for DST automatically.
This is best explained through an example. Consider the following scenarios for a Route schedule that is set for “Every 4 hours since start time”:
If you select Adjust for Daylight Savings, the Route will be due at the same time of day whether or not DST is in effect (e.g., it always due 8am, 12pm, 4pm, etc.). In this scenario, the actual hour increment between the Route due dates may be 3 hours or 5 hours when entering or leaving DST, respectively.
If you do not select Adjust for Daylight Savings, the Route will be due every 4 hour increment, whether or not DST is in effect (e,g., a Route that is due at 8am during DST in the summer is due at 7am in winter).
