What is Cycle Time?

Cycle time refers to the time it takes for an item to go through the production or development process from start to finish. That is, from when active work begins on the item until it is ready to be delivered.

The main difference between Cycle Time and Lead Time lies in the scope of measurement.

Cycle time is measured by recording the start and finish dates and times of each item as it progresses through the board.

The Cycle Time formula is (Completion Date - Start Date) + 1, to account for items finished on the same day they started.

Strategies to improve Cycle Time include limiting work in progress and addressing bottlenecks.

Teams can use historical data to calculate the average cycle time of their process, aiding in future predictions.

Regularly analyzing Cycle Time data can help identify improvement areas and validate the effectiveness of changes.