Cycle Time vs Takt Time Calculator

How it is calculated

The tool compares the pace the customer needs with the pace your process delivers. Takt time is takt = available time ÷ demand, the maximum time you may spend per unit. Enter the available time and the cycle time in the same unit, minutes, because the result is labelled min/unit. The status is "On pace" when cycle ≤ takt (a cycle exactly equal to takt still counts) and "Over takt — bottleneck" when the cycle is longer. The third figure is the capacity for one shift at your cycle time, capacity = available time ÷ cycle, rounded to whole units; compare it with the demand. All three inputs must be above zero, otherwise there is no result. Use net available time (shift length minus breaks, meetings and planned stops), and a cycle time measured on the real process.

Common mistakes

• Using the full shift length as available time. Takt is based on the time you can actually produce, so take off breaks, meetings and planned maintenance before entering it.
• Mixing units, such as available time in hours and cycle time in seconds. Both must be in minutes, otherwise the status and capacity are meaningless.
• Entering the supply instead of the demand. The demand is what the customer takes in the period, not what you plan to make or what is in stock.
• Treating "On pace" as proof the line is fine. It compares one station against takt; a line is only as fast as its slowest station, so compare every station, and leave room for downtime.
• Entering a best-case cycle time. A cycle time measured once on a good day makes the status look better than a normal shift will deliver.