Time Zone Alerts

This document explains how to use a pick list and control file to alert operators to time zones. It changes the color of the Debtor Home Phone field to red when it is no longer acceptable to phone. This requires familiarity with using the Access Rights form to create pick lists and control files and to attach them to fields and forms.

Managers with accounts in several states or countries often seek a way to alert operators using time zone information. Perhaps it is too early or too late to phone a particular area. Using a pick list and control file, it is easy to alert your operators to changes in Time Zones so that they know when it is acceptable to phone an account.

This example uses the internal pick list on the Debtor Timezone field.

Time Zone Pick List

CV11 ships with an internal pick list attached to the Debtor Timezone field. To use this example, simply pick the appropriate time zone for each account.

To view the pick list, you can open the Access Rights for the Debtor's Timezone field and select the folder icon next to the pick list field.

This is a simple list of time zone values taken from standard time zone tables. It accurately represents the different time zones in relation to Greenwich Mean Time.

Pick List for Debtor Timezone

"0" Local Time
"13" (0) Greenwich Mean Time
"-100" (-1) SE Greenland
"-200" (-2) Atlantic Ocean
"-300" (-3) Greenland Time
"-350" (-3.5) Newfoundland Time
"-400" (-4) Atlantic Time
"-500" (-5) Eastern Standard Time
"-600" (-6) Central Standard Time
"-700" (-7) Mountain Standard Time
"-800" (-8) Pacific Standard Time
"-900" (-9) Alaska Time
"-1000" (-10) Hawaii
"-1100" (-11) Pacific Ocean
"1200" (+/-12) International Date Line
"1100" (11) Kamchatskiy, E Russia
"1000" (10) Eastern Russia, Syndey, Australia
"950" (9.5) Mid Australia
"900" (9) Japan
"800" (8) China
"700" (7) W Mongolia
"650" (6.5) Burma
"600" (6) Almaty (Alma ATA), Russia
"550" (5.5) India
"500" (5) Ural Mountains, Russia
"450" (4.5) Afghanistan
"400" (4) NW Caspian Sea
"350" (3.5) Iran
"300" (3) Moscow, Mid-East, E Africa
"200" (2) E Europe, E Central Africa
"100" (1) Mid Europe/Africa

Time Zone Control File

Next, open the Access Rights form for the Debtor form and create a control file as shown below.

// Control file for Debtor
// Please add your report snippet below.
// This field can contain up to 23 alphanumeric characters.

@varZone# = -500
@varTime# = 0
@varCur# = @t
@varTime = @(de.ti-varZone)
@varTime = @varTime*100
@varCur = @(varCur+varTime)
@SETde.ho.color = #CCFFCC
@SETde.ho.color = #FF0000 if(@varCur > 170000)
@SETde.ho.color = #FF0000 if(@varCur < 080000)
@SETde.ho.color = #CCFFCC if(@varCur = 080000 .. 165959)
@SETde.ho.color = #CCFFCC if (@de.ti = Local Time)

//end of file

Adjusting The Samples For Your Time Zone

The pick list contains all the time zones. Please find your time zone on the list and make sure that the value in the first column is entered in the control file as @varZone#.

In the example, this value is "-500," that is, Eastern Standard time. So, if you are in Eastern Standard time, you won't have to change this.

The control file is set to consider times between 8AM and 5PM as okay to phone. This uses the 24 hour clock. Please adjust these as needed for your own requirements.

For example:

@SETde.ho.color = #FF0000 if(@varCur > 170000)
This means after 5PM, the field will turn red.

@SETde.ho.color = #FF0000 if(@varCur < 080000)
This means before 8AM, the field will turn red.

@SETde.ho.color = #CCFFCC if(@varCur = 080000 .. 165959)
This means between 8AM and 5PM, the field will turn green.

@SETde.ho.color = #CCFFCC if (@de.ti = Local Time)
This means for Local Time, the field will turn green.

Using The Time Zone Pick List

Once the control file is attached to the Debtor form, select the appropriate time zone from the pick list.

Behind the scenes, Collect! stores the value for this time zone and calculates its difference in hours from your time zone, using the control file.

If this difference means that the target time zone is earlier than 8 AM or later than 5 PM, right now, the debtor's Home Phone field will turn red, alerting the operator that it is too early or too late to phone.

These values are set in the control file lines,

@SETde.ho.color = #FF0000 if(@varCur > 170000)
@SETde.ho.color = #FF0000 if(@varCur < 080000)
@SETde.ho.color = #CCFFCC if(@varCur = 080000 .. 165959)
@SETde.ho.color = #CCFFCC if (@de.ti = Local Time)

These times may be modified to suit your needs. Please note the numeric format used for the time.

The Debtor Timezone field works very nicely with the WIP List if you want to load operator's work queues according to time zone. Please refer to Reload Work In Progress List for information.

Time Difference

In Collect! Version 11.3 Build 8.1 and newer, when the time zone is not "Local Time," the title bar displays the Debtor's current time.

In earlier versions of Collect!, you can also show the difference in time using the control file. We add an additional variable to use to calculate the time difference, @varDif#.

@varZone# = -500
@varDif# = 0 //Rest of control file as shown above
//And then some additional lines as shown below.

@varDif = @(de.ti-varZone)/100 @SETde.u2.caption = Time Dif
@EDITde.u2 = @varDif if (@de.ti != Local Time)

//end of file

This will display the number of hours that the account's Time Zone differs from the Local Time. It also changes the label of the User 2 field to display "Time Dif."

Setting The Time Zone Automatically

You can set each debtor's time zone automatically using a report and control file that ship with the Collect! Demodb. Or you can download the Set Time Zone package from the Collect! Member Center. Please refer to Help topic, Set Time Zone for details.

See Also

- Managing Work Queues By Time Zone
- How To Calculate Time
- How To Use Control Files
- How To Modify Or Create A Pick List
- Reload Work In Progress List
- Set Time Zone