Suggest an editImprove this articleRefine the answer for “What does "lead time" mean?”. Your changes go to moderation before they’re published.Approval requiredContentWhat you’re changing🇺🇸EN🇺🇦UAPreviewTitle (EN)Short answer (EN)**Lead time** is the time that passes from when a task enters the system to when it is fully completed. **Key point:** in other words, how long the client or customer waits for the result, from the moment of the request to the delivery of value.Shown above the full answer for quick recall.Answer (EN)Image**Lead time** is the time that passes **from when a task enters the system to when it is fully completed**. In other words, **how long the client or customer waits for the result**, from the moment of the request to the delivery of value. --- ### Example If a user submitted a request on March 1 and the task was finished on March 10, then **lead time = 9 days**. This includes all stages: analysis, waiting, work, testing, and release. --- ### Why measure lead time 1. **Transparency for the client** - shows how long a request actually takes to complete. 2. **Assessing predictability** - a stable lead time means a stable process. 3. **Finding bottlenecks** - a growing lead time signals that tasks are getting stuck somewhere. 4. **Planning deadlines** - helps forecast the completion date of new tasks. --- ### Lead time vs Cycle time | Metric | Starting point | Shows | |---|---|---| | **Lead time** | When the task appeared in the backlog | How long the client waits for the result | | **Cycle time** | When work on the task began | How long the active work takes | --- ### Conclusion **Lead time** is a key indicator of the speed of delivering value. The shorter and more stable it is, the **faster and more reliably the team meets the client's needs**.For the reviewerNote to the moderator (optional)Visible only to the moderator. Helps review go faster.