What can be determined using the offset within a maintenance strategy?

The offset within a maintenance strategy is a parameter that allows you to adjust the due dates of the maintenance packages in a maintenance plan.The offset can be used for two purposes:

To determine the first due date of a maintenance package. For example, if you have a quarterly maintenance package with an offset of 2 months, the first due date will be 2 months after the start date of the maintenance plan, and the subsequent due dates will be every 3 months after that.

To shift a maintenance package by a one-time amount. For example, if you have a monthly maintenance package with an offset of 10 days, the first due date will be 10 days after the start date of the maintenance plan, and the subsequent due dates will be every month after that. However, if you want to shift the second due date by 5 days, you can enter an offset of 5 days for the second maintenance package, and the due date will be 5 days later than the normal cycle. The offset will only apply to the second maintenance package, and the subsequent due dates will follow the normal cycle. The offset does not affect the call date for the maintenance order, which is determined by the call horizon and the scheduling period. The offset also does not create a preliminary buffer shifting the reference date of the maintenance order, which is determined by the lead float and the tolerance. References: 1: SAP Help Portal, SAP S/4HANA Asset Management, Learning Journey: SAP S/4HANA Asset Management, Topic: Maintenance Planning, Subtopic: Maintenance Strategy2: SAP Community, Maintenance Strategy-offset and float in days3: SAP Blogs, Highlights for Asset Management in SAP S/4HANA 2021, Topic: Maintenance Planning.