Defining the Processing Order When There Is Segmentation
The same processing order rules that apply when element assignments occur together with positive input entries and driver instances in an unsegmented calendar apply in the case of segmented calendars, except that the rules apply per slice or segment.
For example:
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In each slice or segment, earning/deduction assignments are calculated first within each unique user field set and dictate the processing order of any matching positive input entries.
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In each slice or segment, after processing earning/deduction assignments, the system processes positive input entries with matching user field sets in instance number order.
Note:
If positive input overrides an element assignment, the positive input inherits the processing order of the assignment it replaces.
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Next, in each slice or segment, the system processes positive input entries without matching user field sets in instance number order.
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After processing the positive input entries, the system processes driver occurrences with no element assignment or positive input user field set match.
Note that these rules govern only the processing order of the elements within each slice or segment. To determine the order of processing among the different slices and segments, the system follows one of the rules described below, depending on the source and type of segmentation (element or period segmentation):
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When an assigned element is sliced because it is included in an element list for a segmentation event (element segmentation due to a segmentation event):
In this situation, the system divides the assigned element into different slices, but the same process order number, and in some cases the same user fields and other assignment data, apply to the element in each slice. If this is the case, the system calculates the assignment with the lowest process order number first, followed by all positive input instances with the same user field set, one slice at a time, in the order of the slices (from first slice to last), in each slice in which the user field set occurs, before moving on to the next set. For example, the system processes deduction D1 with a process order number of 10 and the user field of State = California in slice 1, slice 2, and then slice 3 along with any matching positive input, before processing D1 with a process order number of 20 and a user field of State = Nevada in the same slice order. If there are positive input entries without matching user fields, these are processed next, in instance number order rather than in the order of the slices.
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When an assigned element is set up to trigger slicing when its begin and end dates do not coincide with the pay period begin and end dates (element segmentation based on assignment dates):
In this situation, the assignment itself triggers element segmentation and there may be other assignments of the same element in each slice of the pay period, each with its own process order number, user fields, and other assignment-specific data. In this case, the system calculates the assignment with the lowest process order number first, followed by all positive input instances with the same user field set, one slice at a time, in positive input instance order, in each slice in which the user field set occurs. It then processes the assignment with the next lowest process order number within its slice, followed by matching positive input entries in instance number order, and so on. If there are positive input entries without matching user fields, these are processed next, in instance number order.
See Matching Earning and Deduction Assignments with Positive Input Entries When There are User Fields, Understanding Segmentation Setup.
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When there is period segmentation and all elements—including assigned elements—are divided into different segments.
In this situation the system processes elements in segment order—that is, elements in segment one before those in segment two, and elements in segment two before those in segment three. If there is element segmentation (slicing) within the different segments, then one of the previous two rules applies depending on the cause of the segmentation.
Example 1: Assigned Elements Are Sliced Because They Are On Segmentation Event List; All Overrides Entered Using Earning/Deduction Assignments
A deduction D1 is included in the element list for a segmentation event.
The deduction does not have an accumulator driver.
Payroll is processed monthly.
The system generates segmentation triggers for April 11 and April 21; this divides the pay period into three slices for that element.
Assignments cover the entire pay period.
All user fields are entered as overrides on the element assignment pages.
This table lists the deduction assignments:
Note:
In this example, earning/deduction assignment is abbreviated E/D Assignment.
| E/D Assignment | E/D Assignment | |
|---|---|---|
|
Element Name |
D1 |
D1 |
|
Instance Number |
1 |
2 |
|
Process Order |
10 |
20 |
|
Amount |
900 |
600 |
|
User Field 1 (State) |
State 1 |
State 2 |
|
User Field 2 (Company) |
AAA |
AAA |
The system resolves six instances of the deduction in the following order:
| Res. Nbr. | Slice Nbr. | Slice Dates | Amt. | User Field 1 (State) | User Field 2 (Company) | Override Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
1 |
April 1– 10 |
300 |
State 1 |
AAA |
Element Assign. |
|
2 |
2 |
April 11– 20 |
300 |
State 1 |
AAA |
Element Assign. |
|
3 |
3 |
April 21 – 30 |
300 |
State 1 |
AAA |
Element Assign. |
|
4 |
1 |
April 1– 10 |
200 |
State 2 |
AAA |
Element Assign. |
|
5 |
2 |
April 11– 20 |
200 |
State 2 |
AAA |
Element Assign. |
|
6 |
3 |
April 21 – 30 |
200 |
State 2 |
AAA |
Element Assign. |
The system resolves assignments based on the process order number (the lowest process order number receives the highest priority), and within a given user field set, it processes slice 1 first, then slice 2, and finally slice 3 before moving on to the next user field set.
Example 2: Element Segmentation Triggered Directly by Earning/Deduction Assignment; Positive Input Entries with User Fields; All Overrides Entered Using Earning/Deduction Assignments and Positive Input
Deduction D1 is set up to trigger element segmentation (and proration) when it is assigned to a payee with begin and end dates that do not coincide with the period begin and end dates.
Deduction D1 is first assigned to a payee with begin and end dates of April 16–30. Later, it is assigned to the same payee with begin and end dates of April 1–15. This divides the pay period into two slices.
The process order number of the first assignment is lower than the process order number of the second, even though the second assignment has the earlier assignment begin and end dates.
There is positive input for D1 in both slices (April 1–15 and 16–30).
There are user fields associated with all of the element assignment and positive input entries.
Note:
In this example, earning/deduction assignment is abbreviated E/D Assignment, positive input is abbreviated PI, the positive input action type of override is abbreviated Over, and the positive input action type of additional is abbreviated ADD.
| E/D Assignment | E/D Assignment | PI (ADD) | PI (Over) | PI (ADD) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Element Name |
D1 |
D1 |
D1 |
D1 |
D1 |
|
Instance Number |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
Process Order |
20 |
10 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Begin and End Dates |
April 1–15 |
April 16–30 |
April 1–15 |
April 1–15 |
April 16–30 |
|
Amount |
1000 |
500 |
600 |
200 |
400 |
|
User Field 1 (State) |
State 1 |
State 2 |
State 2 |
State 1 |
State 2 |
The system resolves four instances of the deduction in the following order:
| Res. Nbr. | Slice Nbr. | Slice Dates | Amt. | User Field 1 (State) | Override Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
2 |
April 16–30 |
250 |
State 2 |
Element Assign. |
|
2 |
1 |
April 1–15 |
600 |
State 2 |
Positive Input |
|
3 |
2 |
April 16–30 |
400 |
State 2 |
Positive Input |
|
4 |
1 |
April 1–15 |
200 |
State 1 |
Positive Input |
In this example, the element assignment with the lowest process order number (10) is the assignment with the user field value of State 2 in slice 2; it is processed first, followed by the matching positive input additional row in the first slice for 600, and then the matching positive input additional row for 400 in the second slice (all slices in a given user field set are processed one after another in positive input instance order). Lastly, the system processes the positive input override for 200 in slice 1 based on the process order number (20) of the matching element assignment in that slice.