1. What is Cycle Time?

Cycle time measures the average time between the completion of successive units in a process. It's a fundamental metric in manufacturing, operations management, and process improvement.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the simple cycle time formula:

Where:

• Total Time — The complete duration of the process (in seconds)
• Number of Cycles — How many times the process was completed

Explanation: This calculation gives the average time taken for one complete cycle of the process.

3. Importance of Cycle Time Calculation

Details: Cycle time is crucial for process optimization, capacity planning, bottleneck identification, and productivity measurement across various industries.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter total time in seconds and number of cycles. Both values must be positive numbers (time > 0, cycles ≥ 1).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between cycle time and takt time?
A: Cycle time is actual time taken per unit, while takt time is the required time per unit to meet customer demand.

Q2: How can cycle time be reduced?
A: Through process improvements, eliminating waste, parallel processing, and automation.

Q3: What are typical cycle time applications?
A: Manufacturing lines, service processes, software development (sprint cycles), and logistics.

Q4: Should cycle time include wait times?
A: For total cycle time (lead time), yes. For process cycle time, typically only active processing time is included.

Q5: How does cycle time relate to throughput?
A: Throughput is the inverse of cycle time (units per time period). Shorter cycle times mean higher throughput.