Flow

Cycle Time

The time to complete one unit of work from start to finish at a process — distinct from takt time and lead time.

Cycle time is how long it actually takes to produce one unit at a given step, measured from start to finish of the work. It is an internal, process-driven number — unlike takt time, which is set by customer demand, and lead time, which is total elapsed time including waiting.

Balancing each station's cycle time below takt time is the goal of line balancing. The relationship between cycle time, WIP, and throughput is governed by Little's Law.

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Related Terms
Takt Time
The rate of customer demand — available production time divided by demand — that sets the pace production must match.
Lead Time
The total elapsed time from order (or raw material) to delivery (or finished product), including all waiting.
Line Balancing
Distributing work evenly across stations so each cycle time is at or below takt, minimizing idle time and bottlenecks.
Throughput
The rate at which a system produces finished, sellable output — ultimately limited by the bottleneck.
Little's Law
A fundamental relationship: WIP = Throughput × Lead Time, explaining why cutting WIP shortens lead time.

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