Reports and input templates often show different results depending on the date/time they are run because the underlying data changes as time passes.  To minimize confusion, reports should always include a date/time stamp.  When reports are run in Solver Cloud, the date/time is shown in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).  This post describes best practices in displaying a date/time stamp.

Date/Time run can be shown by dragging and formatting the Date field which is included under System and CurrentDate folder.  Applying the custom format:

 m/d/yy h:mm AM/PM “GMT”;

creates the results shown below in cell B6.  This works well generally, and is recommended when Solver users span across time zones.

Some clients operate in a single time zone and request the date/time stamp be adjusted to their local time zone – most often Eastern Time for me.  When doing this, it’s important to use a formula that considers whether we are in standard or daylight savings time.  Dragging the Date field into a hidden helper row or column and referencing that cell with the formula:

=IF(AND(B6>=DATE(YEAR(B6),3,1)+14-WEEKDAY(DATE(YEAR(B6),3,1)-1), B6 < DATE(YEAR(B6),11,1)+7-WEEKDAY(DATE(YEAR(B6),11,1)-1)),TEXT(B6-4/24,”m/d/yy h:mm AM/PM”),TEXT(B6-5/24,”m/d/yy h:mm AM/PM”))&” ET” 

creates the results shown below in cell B5.