Touch time

Definition

The hours a vehicle is actually being worked on inside the days it sits in the shop.

Why It Matters

Cycle time counts the days a car is in the building and this counts the hours anybody worked on it, and the gap between them is where a body shop loses money: a vehicle waiting on a part or a calibration appointment occupies a stall and earns nothing. Insurers score the first number and the second is what a buyer can improve. Ask for both by job for a quarter, and read a wide gap as a parts and scheduling problem.