IntegrationIntermediatedatetimetimezonedata-quality
Handle timezone and datetime integration consistently
Real World Scenario
Global meetings synced to external calendar off by one hour during DST transition.
Expected Answer
• Store UTC in integration payloads ISO 8601 with Z suffix
• Salesforce DateTime fields org timezone vs user timezone awareness
• All-day events Date vs DateTime distinct handling
• Never assume server local timezone in middleware
• DST transition test cases in regression suite
• Document timezone source of truth per field
• User display conversion only at presentation layer
Follow-Up Questions & Answers
Click to expand — each follow-up includes a direct, interview-ready answer
Direct answer: Store UTC in integration payloads ISO 8601 with Z suffix Also consider: Salesforce DateTime fields org timezone vs user timezone awareness In practice: All-day events Date vs DateTime distinct handling Balance speed of delivery with maintainability.
Architect Perspective
Datetime bugs are subtle and global—UTC at integration boundary is non-negotiable standard.