Apparatus and methods for maintenance task analysis

1. A system for evaluating time requirements for performing maintenance on a maintenance object, said system comprising one or more processors and memory operable to:

provide a form on which a user describes a maintenance task;

make the described task available for maintenance time analysis as at least one of the following: a main task, a subtask of another main task, and an elementary operation; and

allow the user to combine a plurality of described tasks into one or more hierarchies designated by the users;

the one or more processors and memory operable to use a time associated with an elementary operation to analyze one or more described tasks and, wherein the time comprises an elapsed time, to use the elapsed time to determine an overlap correction applicable to at least one hierarchy.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein an order of combining described tasks into a hierarchy is controlled by the user.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user uses a described task in more than one hierarchy.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors and memory are operable to determine at least one of a labor time and an elapsed time associated with a described task.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the maintenance object comprises a vehicle.

6. A system for evaluating time requirements for performing maintenance on a maintenance object, said system comprising one or more processors and memory operable to:

describe a first maintenance task as a first hierarchy of subtasks;

describe a second maintenance task as a second hierarchy of subtasks;

relate the second task to the first task as a subtask of the first task;

use times associated with a plurality of elementary operations included in the subtasks to analyze at least one of the first and second tasks; and

wherein the times include elapsed times, determine an overlap correction to correct a time associated with a task.

7. A system for evaluating time requirements for performing maintenance on a maintenance object, said system comprising one or more processors and memory operable to:

describe a first maintenance task as a first hierarchy of subtasks;

describe a second maintenance task as a second hierarchy of subtasks;

relate the second task to the first task as a subtask of the first task;

use times associated with a Plurality of elementary operations included in the subtasks to analyze at least one of the first and second tasks;

determine a plurality of factors affecting the times; and

adjust the times to account for the factors.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the factors comprise at least one of the following: personal time, fatigue, and delay.

9. A method of evaluating time requirements for performing maintenance on a maintenance object, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a form on which a user describes a maintenance task;

making the described task available for maintenance time analysis as at least one of the following: a main task, a subtask of another main task, and an elementary operation;

allowing the user to combine a plurality of described tasks into one or more hierarchies designated by the user;

using a time associated with an elementary operation to analyze one or more described tasks; and

wherein the time comprises an elapsed time, using the elapsed time to determine an overlap correction applicable to at least one hierarchy.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein an order of combining described tasks into a hierarchy is controlled by the user.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the user uses a described task in more than one hierarchy.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining at least one of a labor time and an elapsed time associated with a described task.