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VSM guide / Takt time calculator
Takt time calculator
Takt time is the pace your customer sets: how often you must finish one good part to meet demand. Enter your demand and working time to get takt, check your process steps against it, and see how many operators a balanced line needs.
Check your process steps (optional)
The takt time formula
Takt time = available working time ÷ customer demand for the same period.
Available working time is the time the line is staffed and meant to run: shifts × (shift length − breaks − other planned stops). Do not subtract breakdowns, changeovers or scrap: those are losses your process must absorb, so they belong in capacity, not in takt.
Takt time vs cycle time vs lead time
| Measure | What it is | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| Takt time | How often the customer needs a finished part | Demand and available time |
| Cycle time | How often a step actually finishes a part | The process: work content, operators, machines |
| Lead time | How long one part takes from raw material to the customer, waiting included | Mostly inventory between steps |
On a value stream map you see all three: takt in the box under the customer, cycle times in the data boxes, and lead time on the ladder along the bottom.
Questions
What is takt time?
Takt time is the rate at which you need to finish parts to meet customer demand: available working time divided by demand. The word comes from the German for the beat or pulse of music.
Should breaks be included in takt time?
No. Subtract scheduled breaks, meetings and other planned stops from the available time. Unplanned downtime, changeovers and scrap are not subtracted; they reduce capacity and must fit inside takt.
What is the difference between takt time and cycle time?
Takt time is what the customer needs; cycle time is what your process does. When a step's cycle time is longer than takt, that step can't keep up with demand.
What if demand changes every week?
Calculate takt for the demand you plan to level to, usually the average over a few weeks, and keep a small finished-goods buffer for the swings. Recalculate when the average moves.
How many operators do I need?
Total work content (the sum of all manual cycle times) divided by takt gives the operators needed for a balanced line. The calculator above shows it when you enter cycle times.
What is pitch?
Pitch is takt time × pack quantity: how often to release or move one container of work. With takt 120 s and 20 parts per container, pitch is 40 minutes.