ABSTRACT
A popular application of standard data is to predict the cost of automotive repairs. Standard data have three advantages and two disadvantages. The three advantages of standard data are cost, consistency, and ahead of production. Among the three roses are two thorns: imagining the task and database cost. The database element can be either a constant element or a variable element. Once the database of standard data has been developed, use it for cost savings and consistency and because it can be done ahead of production. Data elements can be at either the motion or the element level of detail. Two decisions that must be made about the database are whether to use motions or elements and whether to use constant or variable elements. Time values obtained from standard data are more consistent than time values obtained from one study since they come from a bigger database.
