Schedules

About Schedules

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.

Route vs. 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 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.

Example: Route with Route and Checkpoint Schedules

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	Description
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.

Scenario

Description

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).

About Route Schedule Definition

You can define a schedule for a Route via the Schedule field on the datasheet for the Route. The Route schedule that you define will apply to all checkpoints within the Route except those with separate schedules that are less frequent than the Route schedule, if any.

The schedule that you define on the Schedule datasheet determines the next date and time on which a Route becomes due. This start date indicates the earliest time at which the Route should be completed. For example, if a Route should be completed anytime within a certain week, the date determined by the schedule should be at the beginning of the week within which the Route should be completed.

Note: When you define a schedule for a Route, the minimum time between events should at least be 15 minutes.

Details

The date and time on which the Route should be completed is stored in the Next Date field of the Route and is calculated automatically according to the defined schedule. For example, if you specified that the Route should be completed every 4 hours, and should not adjust for Daylight Saving Time:

The schedule might be defined to be due every 4 hours beginning on May 2, 2012, at 11:00 A.M.
The Next Date value would be May 2, 2012, at 03:00 P.M.

As you can see, these times are separated by a 4 hour increment, which is in accordance with the defined schedule.

After you upload a Route from a device to GE Digital APM:

The Last Date field in the Route is updated to reflect the date and time at which the Route status was changed to Finished.
The Next Date field in the Route is updated based on the values in the Schedule field.

Note: If a Route is completed before it is due (i.e., prior to the date and time in the Next Date field), when you upload the Route to GE Digital APM, the Last Date and Next Date fields in the Route will not be updated.

Continuing with the previous example, if you marked the Route done on May 2, 2012, at 03:30 P.M. and uploaded the Route on May 2, 2012, at 03:45 P.M:

The Last Date value in the Route would be May 2, 2012 03:30 P.M, which is the time that you marked the Route done. When the Route is marked done and uploaded from the device to GE Digital APM, the Route History status will be updated to Finished.
The Next Date value in the Route would be May 2, 2012 07:00 P.M. This value is updated according to the defined schedule (i.e., due every 4 hours beginning on May 2, 2012, at 11:00 A.M.) and not according to the Last Date value.

Note: You can also define a schedule in which the next date that a Route should be completed is a certain amount of time after the Route was last completed. With this type of schedule, the Last Date value would be used to determine the Next Date value. For example, if the defined schedule in this example was due 4 hours after last occurrence, the Next Date value would be May 2, 2012 07:30 P.M. (i.e., 4 hours after the date and time in the Last Date field).

About Checkpoint Schedule Definition

You can define a schedule for a checkpoint via the Checkpoint Task, which is linked to the Measurement Location or Lubrication Requirement representing the checkpoint. The Checkpoint Task datasheet appears in the Schedule section of the workspace for a selected Checkpoint.

Note:

When you schedule a checkpoint task for a ML or a LR, the minimum time between events should at least be 15 minutes.
You cannot define schedules for Checkpoints that are part of a condition.

Details

When you are working with Checkpoint Tasks and schedules associated with checkpoints, it is important that you understand how the fields in the Checkpoint Tasks work and how the GE Digital APM system determines what Routes and checkpoints are due or overdue. The schedule that you define for the checkpoint determines the following dates for the reading associated with a checkpoint:

The next date and time on which the reading becomes due (i.e., the earliest time at which the reading should be completed). This value is stored in the Next Date field in the Checkpoint Task and is calculated automatically according to the defined schedule.
The date and time on which the reading becomes non-compliant (i.e., overdue). This value appears in the Non-compliance Date field in the Checkpoint Task and is calculated according to the defined schedule and Non-compliance Interval, if defined. The following examples assume that the Non-compliance interval is undefined.

For example, if you specified that the checkpoint should be completed every 4 hours, and should not adjust for Daylight Saving Time:

The schedule might be defined as Due every 4 hours beginning on Nov 2, 2015, at 11 A.M.
The Next Date value would be Nov 2, 2015, at 3 P.M.
The Non-Compliance Date value would be Nov 2, 2015, at 07:00 P.M.
The Non-Compliance Next Check Date value also would be Nov 2, 2015, at 07:00 P.M.

As you can see, the values are separated by 4 hour increments, which is in accordance with the defined schedule.

When a new reading is taken for a checkpoint, the following fields are updated in the Checkpoint Task:

Last Date, which contains the last date and time on which a reading was taken for the checkpoint.
Next Date
Non-compliance Date
Non-compliance Next Check Date

Continuing with the previous example, if you took the reading on Nov 2, 2015, at 03:30 P.M.:

The Last Date value would be Nov 2, 2015, at 03:30 P.M., which is the time that you took the reading.
The Next Date value would be updated to Nov 2, 2015, at 07:00 P.M.
The Non-compliance Date value would be updated to Nov 2, 2015, at 11:00 P.M.
The Non-Compliance Next Check Date value also would be Nov 2, 2015, at 11:00 P.M.

As you can see, the Next Date and Non-compliance Date values are updated according to the defined schedule and not according to the Last Date value.

Note: You can also define a schedule in which the next date that a reading should be completed is a certain amount of time after the reading was last completed. With this type of schedule, the Last Date value would be used to determine the Next Date and Non-compliance Date values. For example, if the defined schedule in this example was Due 4 hours after last occurrence, the Next Date value would be Nov 2, 2015, at 07:30 P.M. (i.e., 4 hours after the date and time in the Last Date field).

Schedule a Checkpoint Task for an ML or LR

Procedure

Access the RD Overview page.
Select the Routes tab.

The Routes section appears, displaying a list of Routes.
Select the Route that you want to access.

The datasheet for the selected Route appears.
Select the Measurement Location or Lubrication Requirement for which the Checkpoint Task needs to be scheduled.

The datasheet for the ML/LR appears, with all of the fields populated.
Select the Schedule tab.

The datasheet for the Checkpoint Task appears.
To build the schedule, as needed, enter values in the available fields.

Note: When you schedule a Checkpoint Task for an ML or LR, the minimum time between events should at least be 15 minutes.
Select .

The schedule is created.

Reset Checkpoint Next Dates

This topic describes how to simultaneously modify the Next Date for all of the Checkpoints on a Route that currently have schedules defined.

Procedure

Access the Route containing the Checkpoints for which you want to modify the Next Date.
In the Route Map pane, select , and then select Reset Checkpoint Next Dates.

The Reset Checkpoint Next Dates window appears.
In the Select a Date box, select the date to which you want to update the Next Date values.
Select OK.

Results

The Next Date values for all Checkpoints on the Route with existing schedules are updated.
Non-compliance Date values are updated based on your specified compliance tracking schedule.

Reschedule All Checkpoints on a Route

Procedure

Access the Route for which you want to reschedule all Checkpoints.
In the Route Map pane, select , and then select Reset Checkpoint Schedules.
The Edit Schedule appears.
Select either the One Time or Recurrence check box.
In the Time Zone box, select the time zone in which you want the first scheduled execution to occur.
In the Start box, specify the date on and time at which you want the first scheduled execution to occur.
If you selected the Recurrence check box, in the Every section, specify the frequency at which you want the synchronization to occur.
Select or clear the Adjust for Daylight Saving Time check box.
If you selected the Recurrence check box, in the End section, specify when the recurring synchronization should end.
Select Save.

The Reset schedules window appears.

Select one of the following options:

Option	Description
Only Checkpoints with existing schedules	If you select this option, only Checkpoints with existing schedules on the Route are updated.
All Checkpoints	If you select this option, all Checkpoints on the Route, including those without existing schedules, are updated.

Select OK.

Depending on your selection, only Checkpoints with existing schedules on the Route are updated, or all Checkpoints on the Route are updated.

Delete All Checkpoint Schedules on a Route

Procedure

Access the Route for which you want to delete all Checkpoint schedules.
In the Route Map pane, select , and then select Reset Checkpoint Schedules.
The Edit Schedule appears.
In the Edit Schedule window, select Delete.

The Delete schedules dialog box appears.
Select OK.

Results

All Checkpoint schedules on the Route are deleted.
All Next Dates and Compliance Dates for all Checkpoints on the Route are deleted.