What does "cycle time" mean?
Cycle time is the time that passes from the start of active work on a task until it is finished. In other words, it shows how long the task actually took to complete, not counting the waiting time before it started.
Example
If a task was picked up on March 3 and finished on March 8, then cycle time = 5 days - that's how much time it took the team to complete the task.
Why measure cycle time
- Assessing process efficiency - helps understand how quickly the team completes tasks.
- Predictable deadlines - if cycle time is stable, future results can be forecast accurately.
- Identifying bottlenecks - a rise in cycle time at a specific stage points to overload or blockers.
- Resource planning - shows how many tasks can realistically be finished in a period.
Cycle time vs Lead time
| Metric | What it measures | From what to what |
|---|---|---|
| Cycle time | Time of active work | From the start of execution to "Done" |
| Lead time | Time waiting for the result | From the task's arrival to "Done" |
Conclusion
Cycle time is the actual execution time of a task. The shorter and more stable it is, the smoother and more predictably the team works.
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