3643245 - How does time event pairing work within Clock In Clock Out - SAP SuccessFactors Time Tracking

This article explains the pairing mechanism of time events in the CICO time tracking system.

• SuccessFactors Time Tracking

1. Time events can have either a Start or Stop classification
2. Subsequent Start events will be paired with each other
3. As Start event will also be paired with a Stop event but then the chain is stopped
4. This distinction is configured within "Configure Clock In Clock Out"
   
   

Pairing Rules and Logic

The automated pairing follows these specific rules for incoming time events:

• Start following Stop: Standard clock-in event where a new period of attendance starts with no pairing occurring
• Start following Start: The person is still at work but the nature of attendance has changed, implying the end of previous attendance and resulting in pairing of the previous attendance period
• Stop following Start: Standard clock-out event where the previous attendance period ends, resulting in pairing of the ended attendance period
• Stop following Stop: This cannot be used for pairing and requires manual intervention

SAP Help article: Clock In Clock Out in SAP SuccessFactors Time Tracking

The CICO solution always creates a Time Event Pair if a valid Time Event is recorded at most 24 hours after a valid Time Event of type Start for the same employee's employment

Time Offset Value

Definition and Purpose

Time offset represents the local time difference from UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) and is crucial for ensuring accurate time event pairing across different time zones and systems. The time offset value helps synchronize time events from various sources to maintain consistency in the pairing mechanism.

Note: Time event pairing logic expects all time events created on the same day to use consistent time offset values. If imported time events use a different time offset than time events created manually, the pairing algorithm cannot correctly match them. Also, it might result in following error “The time event has not been paired as there is no corresponding time event to pair with,” as described in KBA 3290208.

Impact on Pairing Mechanism

Time offset values significantly affect the pairing mechanism in several ways:

• Pairing Failure: Time events will not be paired if the time offset for the new and previous time event are different.
• Cross-Time zone Issues: Different offset values between time events can prevent successful pairing even when events are logically related
• 24-Hour Rule: Time events crossing 24 hours (including exactly 24 hours) will not be paired, which is standard system behavior.

For troubleshooting please refer to

KBA 3231525 - Clock In time event has status Paired despite there is no Clock Out entry

KBA 3253532 - No time recording can be found in Time Sheet UI even though the time events are paired successfully.

To ensure proper pairing:

• Maintain consistent time offset values across all time events for the same employee SAP Help Creating Manual Time Events
• Verify time offset settings in terminals and external systems before importing time events
• Use the "Time Offset" field in Manage Clock In Clock Out to verify consistency. SAP Help Reviewing Time Events

Related Documentation

• SAP SuccessFactors Time Tracking Configuration Guide
• Time Event Type Configuration
• Manage Clock In Clock Out User Guide

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