PS: While we're at it - please no more "Descend at 250 knots", five seconds after we've nosed over at TopD!!!
Hear hear. Talking 717 in this case, not often as BN/SY/ML but every day into CS, PH and DN.
The FMS in our bus draws a path BACK from the runway to the TOPD, based on known and forecast winds (TOPD, intermediate levels, and surface conditions), aircraft weight, configuration, and speed requirements (ATC and/or aircraft).
We are trained to have the winds and ATIS is in the box by TOPD-40nm. A speed reduction means that the aircraft will be descending close to, or at, its best lift/drag ratio. Therefore it needs a flatter, earlier descent.
A "best speed to field, cancel speed restrictions below A100" is best achieved by telling our machine to descend at .78/320 with all restrictions cleared. It will push the TOPD closer to the field, staying higher for longer, keeping the TAS high and achieving the lowest ETI to the field.
If you tell us your speed requirement at around 140nm to run, we can comply very efficiently. If you tell us at about 100nm, it is usually too late to do the slowdown efficiently.