Introduction

This page introduces the topic and BlueWorx support for time zone information across SAP functional areas.

Important Information

If Time Zone support is not active then the time data in SAP does not belong to any time zone. For example: if you have an Order creation date and time of 2pm on the 1st of January 2022 you cannot place that geographically. As long as everyone is working in the same time zone this doesn't much matter.


The time zone data from the SAP system is used:

  • If there are custom time zones configured these will be available in BlueWorx
  • If the time zone data is not up to date in SAP then in will be equally correct/incorrect in BlueWorx and SAP
  • When matching a SAP time zone to the device time zone a best estimate is made based on offset to UTC (Coordinated Universal Time).

BlueWorx Time Zone Support requires additional libraries which will need to be added to your Neptune Mobile Client build for Time Zone Support in your mobile application.


SAP Note for maintaining time zones - https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/198411


Contents


SAP Support for Time Zones

Initial SAP support for working with Plant Maintenance data across different time zones was introduced in ECC EHP4 with Enterprise Business Function LOG_EAM_TZS_1. This has to be enabled via the SAP Switch Framework. Through further configuration Time Zone support becomes available for:

  • The Work Order Cycle:
    • Orders
    • Notifications
    • Confirmations
  • Master Data
    • Measuring points
    • Measurement documents


The Work Order Cycle and/or Master Data can be activated in SAP configuration. There are no additional fields in SAP to record the time zone of recorded data, all data on activation is assumed to be in the system time zone. This also applies to data (orders, notifications, etc.) created prior to activating Time Zone support, although SAP will show a warning if viewing data created prior to the activation of Time Zone support. There is no data conversion on activating SAP Time Zone support.


Once active SAP allows the user to view the items listed above in a time zone of their choice.

Work Order in SAP GUI using Hawaii time zone

In the image above the time data is shown in the HAW - Hawaii time zone.

With ECC EHP5 SAP extended Time Zone Support to:

  • Pieces of equipment 
  • Functional locations 
  • Revisions 
  • Structure lists 
  • Multilevel lists 
  • Serial number history


BlueWorx Support for Time Zones

From BlueWorx Support Pack 11, BlueWorx will automatically support the SAP Time Zones when working with:

  • Orders
    • Operations
    • Order and Operation Status History
    • Confirmations (excluding CATS time entry)
    • Confirmation History
    • Reservations & Requisitions (Order Components)
  • Notifications
    • Items
    • Causes
    • Activities
    • Tasks
  • Measurements
    • Measurement points
    • Measurement documents
    • Measurement History
  • Equipment Exchange for Serialized Equipment
  • BlueWorx Inspections
  • Asset Timeline


For more information on fields see Time Zone Support by Application Areas


If the SAP system is configured to support entering and viewing data with reference to a time zone then BlueWorx will read this configuration and activate it's own Time Zone Support. Associated content such as the Operation Calendar, the Crew Calendar and Gantt also show time data in the active time zone.


When Time Zone Support is Active

When time zone support is active the time zone will show in the page header. When shown applicable time data will be shown in the active time zone (as shown in the time zone).


The term applicable time data is used as not all SAP date and time fields are managed with time zone support in SAP.

In the image above the applicable time data is shown in time zone NZST - New Zealand Standard Time.

Default dates (when creating new order data) will be in the active time zone, however when using date and time pickers they will highlight the device/browser local date and time. In most cases this will match the active time zone.

In the image above the Basic Start and End dates are automatically created in the active time zone.  In this case NZST as shown in the header. BlueWorx internally converts applicable time zone fields to and from UTC timestamps to maintain integrity of time data across changes of time zones.


When Time Zone Support is Not Active

When Time Zone Support is not active the date and time data is transferred to and from SAP without conversion. This could be because of inactive Time Zone Support in SAP, or due to a mobile application that has not yet been updated to allow BlueWorx Time Zone Support. Default dates (when creating new order data) will use the local device/browser time. BlueWorx internally will not convert date and time fields, working directly with the date and time with no reference to time zones. Most time data will also be recorded as a UTC timestamp, however the date and time data without conversion will be used and shown.