The use of a standard data library:

	reduces the need to perform additional time studies - freeing observers for other tasks,
	is 95% faster than time study - can also be used to estimating and methods analysis,
	deskills the standards development process - can be used by staff at any level.,
	increases consistency and traceability - improves costing and planning,
	creates a centralized knowledge base -  data becomes a corporate asset.

Set up time study templates in Excel and download them to Timer Pro on your PDA and collect time study data.

The results of a Timer Pro time study are summarized in Excel. This example of creating time study standard data will follow the use of the highlighted times for the activity Get Part and its 3 variations: Small, Medium and Large.

By clicking on the Process Analysis button in cell B2, the average time in column I is converted to seconds for all elements in the time study and sent to the Task List as discussed in the next step.

Step 3. Time Study Results are Filed into an Excel-based Standard Data Library.

The standard data library is organized by indenting related data on subsequent rows and columns.

For example, the Get Part options are logically placed under the Pick / Individual Items as follows:

Cell A22     Pick  

Cell B23             Individual Items

Cell C24                                  Get Part, Small

Cell C25                                  Get Part, Medium

Cell C26                                  Get Part, Large

The activities from the time study are simply highlighted and copied from the Task List window and pasted into the appropriate location (cell) in the Excel data library.

Each standard data library supports up to 20 levels of data structure and up to 1000 rows

Step 4. Standard Data Library is Accessed by the Data Application Expert.

Standard data libraries can be called from any Excel workbook. The structure defined in the standard data library Excel sheet is presented as a series of folders that are opened to drill down to the standard time for the task i.e. the time that came from the original source time study.

In the example shown here:

1. The Pick folder was opened
2. Followed by the Individual Items folder
3. Then the Get Part, Medium part was selected
4. As soon as the Get Part, Medium selection is clicked the standard data details are retrieved
5. The activity description and frequency of occurrence can then be updated as required
   

Users can rapidly navigate around the standard data library to select all the activities that represent the job they are estimating.