What are lead time and cycle time?
Lead time and Cycle time are key metrics in Agile and Kanban that help understand how quickly a team turns an idea into a finished result. Both measure time, but at different stages of a task's lifecycle.
Lead time
This is the time from when a request is made to when the result is delivered to the user. It includes everything: waiting, analysis, development, testing, release. It shows how long the client actually waits for value.
Example: the order arrived on March 1, it went to production on March 10 → lead time = 9 days.
Cycle time
This is the time of active work on a task, that is, from the start of the work to its completion. It shows how efficiently the team implements tasks, without counting the time spent waiting in a queue.
Example: the task was picked up on March 3, finished on March 8 → cycle time = 5 days.
Why they are needed
- help identify bottlenecks in the process;
- show where tasks "get stuck";
- help assess predictability - the more stable the cycle time, the more reliable the planning.
The difference, briefly
| Metric | What it measures | When it starts | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead time | Time from request to release | When the client made the request | The client |
| Cycle time | Time of active work | When the team picked up the task | The team |
Summary: Lead time shows the speed of delivering value, while cycle time shows the speed of doing the work. Both metrics help make the process predictable and flexible.
Short Answer
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