Knowledge Base

Takt, Cycle & Lead Time

3 min read IE validated

In plain English

There are three simple 'clocks' in any operation. Takt time is how often you need to finish one item to keep up with customer demand. Cycle time is how long a step actually takes. Lead time is the total time from starting to the customer getting it.

The parts, simply

Takt time
Available time ÷ customer demand. The drumbeat you must match.
Cycle time
How long one step really takes, start to finish.
Lead time
Total time from first step to the customer, including all waiting.

Why it matters to your business

If any step's cycle time is longer than your takt time, you will always fall behind — that step is your bottleneck. Knowing these three numbers tells you exactly where to add help, and whether you can promise a delivery time honestly.

Everyday example

A sandwich shop at lunch

You get 120 customers in 2 hours, so you must hand over a sandwich every 60 seconds (takt). Making one takes 90 seconds (cycle). That 30-second gap is why the queue grows. Splitting the job into two stations brings the cycle under 60 seconds and the queue disappears.

How SenseFlow does this for you

Tell SenseFlow your output and hours and it works out your takt automatically, measures each station's cycle time from your layout, and highlights the exact step holding you back.

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