Step 8: Matching Punches

The Punch Matching process transforms raw punches into a first cut of Intermediate Payable Time. It does this by first selecting punches that fall within the date range specified by the Building the Rule Map process. The Punch Matching process calls the schedule resolution process to resolve the time reporters' schedules.

To match punches:

1. Select all appropriate punches for processing.

   The system gathers punches from either the time reporter's scheduling table (WRK_ADHOC_TAO) if Forecast Payable Time was chosen on the Time Administration Run Control page (or the time reporter is of the exception type), or the reported Punch Time Table (TL_RPTD_TIME).

   To select the appropriate punches for processing, the system checks the TL TA Batch file which contains the list of time reporters to select from and the start/end date for each time reporter. The system identifies the first punch to process by looking for the last out punch that occurred before the start date in the TL TA Batch file, no matter how far back in the calendar it must go. If it locates an out punch before the start date, it knows that it must use the first in punch on the start date as the initial punch for processing. Otherwise, it begins processing with the last in punch that occurred before the start date. This ensures that the system begins processing with the correct first punch, even if that punch was entered before the initial start date.

   If the last punch selected using the end date is not an out punch, the system checks the future for the next out punch and stores all punches up to and including the next out punch.

2. Apply pre-rules rounding.

   Time Administration checks the rounding options you selected on the Workgroup page to determine whether it should round punches. There are three options for rounding on this page: Round Punches Before Rules (Punch Rounding), Segment Rounding, and Day Rounding.

   Each rounding option can have a different effect on how time is processed and the amount of time that is converted to Payable Time. In other words, two time reporters could each record the same in and out punches for a day or a week, but depending on the rounding options you select, the amount of time sent to Payable Time could be different for each time reporter.

   The Punch Matching process is only concerned with the first option: Round Punches. The other two types of rounding are applied as part of the Round Punches subprocess described in Step 11 − Performing Post-Rules Rounding.

   Note: The Round Punches process is skipped if Forecast Payable Time is chosen on the run control page, because scheduled punches are already rounded.

3. Apply daybreaker logic.

   This subprocess is initiated only when the Split By Day Breaker option is selected on the Workgroup page. Depending on the day breaker logic you select, you can apply all the time worked in a shift to the day on which the shift begins; split the time using a day breaker; apply all the time to the day on which the shift ends; or assign the time to the day in which the majority of the time falls. So for example, if a time reporter works a shift that begins at 8:00 p.m. and continues until 5:00 a.m. of the next day, and you select 12 midnight as the day breaker, 4 hours would accrue to the day on which the time reporter began work, and 5 hours would go to the subsequent day.

4. Calculate the duration of punches.

   When the system encounters a series of punches, it converts punch time into output that resembles elapsed time. It does this by matching a punch with the next corresponding punch and then calculating the difference between them (the amount in TL_QUANTITY). The resulting in and out segments, as indicated in the following table, are then sent to Intermediate Payable Time for use in rules processing.

   Punches	Begin	End	TL_QUANTITY
   In	8:00	10:00	2.00
   Break	10:00	10:15	.25
   In	10:15	12:00	1.75
   Meal	12:00	13:00	1.00
   In	13:00	15:00	2.00
   Break	15:00	15:15	.25
   In	15:15	17:00	1.75
   Out	17:00