Flat Rate Times

General

All correction codes also have an associated Flat Rate Time (FRT) that indicates how long it takes to perform an entire procedure. FRTs represent the amount of hands-on time (administrative, diagnostic, etc. is not included), and are calculated by trained professionals performing the procedure in a controlled environment numerous times.

The FRTs are listed in decimal hours. For example, a procedure with an FRT of 1.1 takes 1 hour and 6 minutes to perform. A procedure with an FRT of 0.25 takes 15 minutes to perform. The minimum FRT time is 0.05, or 3 minutes.

Unless explicitly mentioned in a procedure, the correction code FRT for any given procedure is all inclusive, and encompasses all work required to complete the procedure, even if that procedure is at top-level and has subordinate procedures. Similarly, the correction codes FRTs of all subordinate procedures within a top-level procedure are included (but hidden) within the top-level procedure's correction code FRT.

To prevent redundant and incorrect billing of FRT time, do not add the correction code FRTs of subordinate procedures individually to the correction code FRT of the top-level procedure. Instead, bill only the top-level correction code FRT.

FRT Creation Guidelines

Repair procedures are drafted and validated by Tesla's Service Development team with a focus on SAFETY, QUALITY, and REPEATABILITY being the main focus. A procedure is not approved if it risks the safety of the technician or the people around them. Procedures are developed with a safe and organized working environment in mind, further reinforcing a QUALITY process. The expectation is that the end user has a basic understanding of the vehicle prior to performing the repair(s).

Executing the FRT validations solidifies the technical repair procedure which ensures its REPEATABILITY. When utilized correctly, the FRT validation represents a baseline target from which a trained technician can perform the outlined task in an average amount of time. We acknowledge not all Service Centers or their surroundings were created equally. This is why all validations track the touch time a technician spends on a vehicle in an organized environment. This excludes the variability and intangibles of the day-to-day operations at any given Service Center. Examples of these intangibles include: administrative work, shop location, weather, shop layout, maintenance, training, and workspace organization.

SAFETY

Will this technical repair procedure be safe for a Technician to perform?
  • No risk of physical harm
  • Organized work environment
  • Correct use of tools
  • High Voltgage Awareness

QUALITY

How will the technician perform this technical repair procedure?

  • Is this a new procedure or revalidation of an existing procedure?
    • Engineering is consulted for review and feedback.
    • Procedural re-evaluation may be required when engineering and model changes occur on previously-evaluated vehicles and/or components.
    • Comparisons are drawn between different models and variants.
    • Determination is then made regarding whether further analysis is required.
  • Where is the procedure being performed?
    • Is a 2-post lift required?
    • Will an alignment be required?
    • Is assistance required?
    • Can the procedure be performed by Mobile Service?
  • Does the procedure highlight all the tools needed?
    • All validations use the standardized tool set that Tesla provides to all Tesla Service Centers.
    • Tesla specialty tooling is incorporated where applicable.
    • Hand tools are recommended unless specifically noted in the repair procedure.
    • Recommended tooling is called out in each step.

REPEATABILITY

Is the repair procedure repeatable maintaining safety and quality standards?

  • The repair is performed a minimum of 3 times to authenticate the procedure's FRT.
    • Time trials consist of a complete procedure broken down into individual steps.
      • The procedure is performed beginning to end.
      • Each step is sequentially times.
      • Time is recorded in Hours-Minutes-Seconds (00:00:00).
      • Once all validations are completed, the times are totaled and then averaged.
      • The final value is converted into decimal hours and rounded up or down to the nearest 0.05.
      • Overlapping steps are accounted for and removed for efficiency and accuracy and to also focus on technician touch time of the repair procedure.
    • Final peer review of documentation is then performed.
    • The validated procedure is then published.

Supplemental Repair Time

As of May 8, 2023, most service correction code FRTs increased by 20% to account for time spent supporting repair activities.