Excursion and Deviation Calculation
Last updated: May 8, 2026
Excursion Calculation (How CONTXT Measures Temperature Deviations)
In CONTXT, an excursion is any period of time when the shipment’s temperature goes outside the configured shipping temperature range (STR).
To calculate an excursion, CONTXT measures:
When the temperature first goes out of range
– This is the first ping that is less than the lower limit or greater than the upper limit of your product’s shipping range.When the temperature returns back into the approved range
– This is the first ping that falls within the defined limits again (≤ upper limit and ≥ lower limit).Total duration of the excursion
– CONTXT calculates the excursion time from the first out-of-range ping to the first in-range ping.
– If your product profile includes allowable excursion tolerances (e.g., “8–10 °C for up to 6 hours”), CONTXT uses this logic to determine whether the excursion is within your allowable window or considered a violation.
🔁 Continuity Requirement
There must be no gaps in the temperature data across the entire shipment profile.
Every ping in the timeline must have a recorded temperature that can be compared to the range.Missing, null, or skipped pings break continuity and must be addressed or flagged as incomplete data.
Continuous data ensures accurate excursion detection, duration calculation, and compliance reporting.
Why This Matters
Clear, continuous ranges allow CONTXT to accurately:
Track when a deviation starts and ends
Measure how long the product was exposed
Compare against your allowed tolerances
Flag excursions that exceed limits
Determining Within, Below or Above Temperature Range
When evaluating a shipment profile, each temperature ping must be assessed against the defined range. In addition, the temperature must be continuously recorded throughout the entire profile — no gaps or undefined values are allowed.
Example Shipment Range: 2°C to 8°C
✅ Within Range
A ping is within range if the temperature is greater than or equal to the lower limit and less than or equal to the upper limit.
Example: 2°C, 5.5°C, and 8°C are all within range.
🔻 Below Range
A ping is below range if the temperature is less than the lower limit.
Example: 1.9°C is below range for a 2°C–8°C shipment.
🔺 Above Range
A ping is above range if the temperature is greater than the upper limit.
Example: 8.1°C is above range for a 2°C–8°C shipment.
How are Excursion Calculated?
Example 1 – Mid-Shipment Excursion (Temporary Deviation Returning to Range)
Shipment Range: 2 °C – 8 °C
Excursion Tolerance: 8 °C – 10 °C for up to 6 hours
During shipment, if the temperature rises above the upper limit of 8 °C and later returns to 8 °C or below, the excursion duration is calculated from the first ping that exceeds 8 °C to the first ping that returns to ≤ 8 °C.
Example:
18:00 → Temperature rises to 9 °C
18:10 → Temperature remains at 9 °C
18:20 → Temperature remains at 9 °C
18:30 → Temperature returns to 7.6 °C
Excursion Duration: 30 minutes (from 18:00 to 18:30)
Example 2 – Single Out-of-Range Ping at Shipment End
Shipment Range: 2 °C – 8 °C
Ping Interval: 10 minutes
If the final recorded ping of a shipment is out of range and the shipment closes before a return-to-range ping occurs, the excursion duration is assumed to be equal to the interval between the final two pings.
Example:
18:00 → 7.5 °C
18:10 → 9 °C (final ping; shipment closes)
Excursion Duration: 10 minutes
Example 3 – Multiple Out-of-Range Pings at Shipment End
Shipment Range: 2 °C – 8 °C
Ping Interval: 10 minutes
If multiple consecutive pings are out of range and the shipment ends before returning to the acceptable range, the excursion duration is calculated from the first out-of-range ping to the last recorded ping + the duration between the last two pings of the shipment
Example:
18:00 → 9 °C (first out-of-range ping)
18:10 → 9 °C
18:20 → 9 °C (final ping; shipment closes)
Excursion Duration: 30 minutes (from 18:00 to 18:20 + 10min duration (18:20 - 18:10) )
