Configuring Cut off Times for Ordering

You can specify a daily cut off time after which customers cannot place orders, or apply changes to orders for the duration of a blackout period.

How does cut off time work?

This is how the cut off and blackout constraints work:

• If you want to place, cancel, or modify an order BEFORE the cut off time, you can do so provided the change applies no earlier than tomorrow. (Note that you cannot cancel an operating order).
• If you want to place, cancel, or modify an order AFTER the cut off time, you can do so provided the order falls after the blackout period that starts at the cut off time tomorrow. That is, the earliest time a change can apply is at:

  Today's cut off time + the blackout period + 24 hours

What if the order extends beyond the blackout period?

After the cut off time you can make changes to orders that start within the blackout period but extend beyond the current day blackout period + 24 hours. However, the changes can be effective beyond current day blackout period + 24 hours. For example, after cut off time, you could modify flow details or change the order end time, if the order runs beyond blackout period + 24 hours.

Configuration

This feature is configured using the following attributes. You must set both attributes to a non-zero value or the cut off functionality will not work. These attributes can be set at the system level or at group, area, or outlet level. Attributes set at a lower level in the hierarchy take precedence over attributes set on their parent objects.

Attribute	Description
Cut off time	Time in hours and decimal hours since midnight after which the daily blackout period constraints apply. For example, a value of 16.5 would give a cut off time of 4:30 pm.
Cut off blackout hours	Duration in hours and decimal hours after the cut off time for which the restriction applies

How does this affect notice periods?

To disable the relevant notice periods, set the following attributes to null (no value) wherever they are set:

• Lodge Notice Minimum

• Lodge Notice Maximum

• Change Notice

See Configuring Notice Periods for Ordering for a list of the notice period attributes that may be set on objects.

If you have configured notice periods AND cut off times and blackout periods then the system will consider BOTH attributes and will apply whichever is the longer. This is true even if one attribute is set on a parent object and the other on a child object.