Production & Operations

Cycle Time

The time required to complete one cycle of an operation or to complete a specific task from start to finish.

Cycle Time is the total elapsed time from when a production operation begins until a single unit of output is completed and ready for the next stage. It's one of the most fundamental metrics in manufacturing because it directly determines how many units you can produce in a day.

Understanding Cycle Time vs. Lead Time vs. Takt Time

These terms are often confused. Here's the distinction:

Cycle Time: How long ONE unit takes to be produced at a specific workstation (e.g., CNC machine takes 5 min per gear)
Lead Time: Total time from customer order to delivery (includes production + quality + packaging + logistics)
Takt Time: How fast you SHOULD produce to meet customer demand (customer demand ÷ available production time)

Components of Cycle Time

At any workstation, Cycle Time includes:

Setup Time: Preparing the machine/workstation (changing tool, loading material, calibration)
Processing Time: Actual work on the product (cutting, welding, stitching)
Inspection Time: Checking quality of output
Transfer Time: Moving the component to next station
Waiting Time: If next machine is busy, component waits (ideally this should be zero)

Real Factory Examples

Example 1: CNC Machining Center

Task: Produce a precision aluminum bracket
Setup: Load raw material, set zero, load cutting program = 10 minutes
Processing: Actual machining (drilling, milling, tapping) = 8 minutes
Inspection: Measure dimensions with vernier, visual check = 2 minutes
Transfer: Move to next station (painting) = 1 minute
Waiting: Paint booth is busy, bracket waits = 5 minutes
Total Cycle Time = 26 minutes for 1 bracket
Daily Production Capacity: 480 min ÷ 26 min = ~18 brackets/day (with losses)

Example 2: Garment Manufacturing (Shirt Stitching)

Task: Stitch one complete shirt
Cut pieces from fabric: Already done in cutting unit (not part of this cycle)
Sew shoulder seams: 4 minutes
Attach sleeves: 6 minutes
Sew side seams: 5 minutes
Attach collar & neckline finish: 4 minutes
Sew hem: 3 minutes
Buttonholes & button attachment: 3 minutes
Quality check: Measure, check for loose threads = 2 minutes
Pressing & folding: 2 minutes
Total Cycle Time = 29 minutes per shirt

Example 3: PCB Assembly (Electronics)

Prep PCB & apply solder paste: 1 minute
Place components using pick-and-place machine: 2 minutes
Reflow soldering (heating in oven): 5 minutes
Cooling: 2 minutes
Manual soldering of through-hole components: 3 minutes
Inspection & testing: 2 minutes
Total Cycle Time = 15 minutes per PCB

Why Reducing Cycle Time Matters

Even small reductions in cycle time have huge impact:

More Output with Same Machines: If cycle time reduces from 26 min to 20 min, daily output increases from 18 to 24 units (+33% more without buying new equipment)
Lower Product Cost: More units from same overhead costs = lower per-unit cost
Faster Delivery to Customers: Lead time improves, helping you win more orders
Better Cash Flow: Faster production = faster billing = cash received sooner
Reduced Capital Needs: Faster production means less Work-in-Progress sitting in the factory

Example Calculation: A textile factory making 100 shirts/day currently takes 2,900 minutes of stitching time (100 × 29 min). If cycle time is reduced to 25 min per shirt:

Daily capacity increases to 115-120 shirts
Assuming ₹200 profit per shirt, extra 20 shirts = ₹4,000 extra daily profit = ₹12 lakh extra annual profit (300 working days)

How to Reduce Cycle Time

1. Reduce Setup Time

Use Quick-Change tools (saves 2-3 min per setup)
Pre-stage materials before operator arrives at machine
Keep machine parameters (temperature, pressure) saved in memory for repeat jobs
Japanese technique "SMED" (Single Minute Exchange of Die): Reduce setup from hours to minutes

2. Reduce Processing Time

Upgrade to faster machinery if ROI justifies
Optimize cutting parameters (speed, feed rate) without sacrificing quality
Multi-task where possible (one operator handling 2 machines instead of 1)
Batch similar jobs to avoid repeated setup

3. Reduce Inspection Time

Use automated inspection (cameras, sensors) instead of manual checking
Implement Poka-Yoke (mistake-proofing) to catch defects at source (saves re-inspection time)
Simple inspection checklist (vs. complex manual gauging)

4. Eliminate Waiting Time

Ensure next workstation is always ready (no bottlenecks)
Balance workload across workstations
Use buffer stock between stations so production never stops

Practical Case Study: Reducing Cycle Time in Auto Components

Before Improvement:

Cycle Time = 26 minutes per brake disc
Daily Capacity = 18 units
Lead time to customer = 8 days

Improvements Made:

Replaced manual tool change with automatic tool changer: -5 min setup
Optimized cutting parameters (trial & error testing): -2 min processing
Bought automated micro-meter: -1 min inspection
Added buffer stock station: -2 min average waiting

After Improvement:

Cycle Time = 16 minutes (reduced from 26 min = 38% improvement!)
Daily Capacity = 30 units (up from 18)
Lead time to customer = 5 days
Payback on automation investment: 2 months (from increased sales)

Cycle Time Benchmarking

How to know if your cycle time is competitive?

Compare with Industry Standards: If Indian furniture makers average 45 min per chair and you're at 60 min, you're 33% behind
Compare with Best-in-Class: Leader might do it in 30 min; that's your improvement target
Track Your Own Trend: If your cycle time is reducing month-over-month, you're improving

Cycle Time Variation (Important!)

Not every cycle takes exactly 26 minutes:

Operator experience: New operator = +20% cycle time; experienced operator = -10%
Material quality: Hard steel takes longer to cut than soft steel
Machine maintenance: Dull cutting tool increases cycle time significantly
Environmental: Temperature affects metal dimensions slightly (affects setup time)

Smart manufacturers track "actual cycle time" vs. "standard cycle time" to identify problems. If actual is consistently 5 min higher than standard, something's wrong (tool wear, operator training needed, machine needs maintenance).

How ERP Systems Track Cycle Time

Time Stamp Everything: ERP records start time when job begins, end time when unit is completed
Calculate Automatically: Cycle Time = End Time - Start Time (automatically, no manual calculation)
Compare to Standard: ERP alerts if actual cycle time exceeds standard by >5%
Operator Performance Tracking: Which operators consistently beat standard cycle times? (Training opportunity)
Trend Reports: Monthly average cycle time trends. Is it improving or deteriorating?
Bottleneck Identification: Which workstations have highest cycle times? Focus improvement efforts there.