In this work step, you can define a reference time for the technical completion of the order.
For the processing of maintenance tasks, a certain period of time is usually lost between when the order is entered and when it is completed.
Because master records can be changed during this time, it may be that master record fields, such as, for example, location data and/or account assignment data, have changed between when the order is entered and when it is executed.
The reference time defines which date is called on for the order. Based on this date, the account assignment fields and location fields of the object are determined.
If, for example, you have entered a notification for a piece of equipment with malfunction start 08.09.93 and the reference time is the malfunction start, then the location data and account assignment data of 08.09.93 are called on as default values for the maintenance task in the maintenance processing, irrespective of the time at which the maintenance task is performed.
If you do not make any settings, the date of the technical completion is always used as the basis for the reference time.
Note that maintenance notifications have their own reference time.
If the reference times are different, this can mean that the notification data is listed under another object or in another period than the order data, in the maintenance history or in the PM Information System.
This does not mean that information is lost, only that the order data and data for the notification(s) can be displayed differently from the different viewpoint - order or notification - which may also be desired.