Takt Time

Takt" is the German word for the baton that an

orchestra conductor uses to regulate the speed at

which musicians play.

In manufacturing terms, takt time is a calculated

value based on customer demand. Takt time is the

speed at which parts must be manufactured in

order to satisfy demand, and it is the heartbeat of

any lean system.

Takt Time

Example:

– Determine the daily demand (order) volume. Let's say we

have orders for 215 super widget units per day.

– Determine the number of working minutes in a day. Say

that we have an eight-hour day, with 30 minutes for lunch

and two 10-minute breaks. This means we have (8 x 60)-

30-10-10=430 minutes, or 430 minutes in a working day.

– Divide the number of minutes by the number of products

needed. In our current example, the calculation would be

430/215, which equals 2. This means that one unit must be

manufactured every other minute in order to meet demand.

Takt time is 2 minutes.

Takt Time

• Takt time is the goal. It must be reached to satisfy demand.

• Cycle time is a measured value, not a calculated value as takt time

is. In other words, you must go out to the floor, and measure the

time it actually does take to manufacture the product.

• When making time observations, it is important to measure both the

total cycle time for each operator (how long the job takes from

beginning to end), and the time of each of the component tasks that

make up the cycle. The cycle cannot be improved without a detailed

understanding of what makes it up, and often it is possible to

reassign component tasks to rebalance the operation.

• After making the observations, draw out an Operator Loading Bar

Chart to graphically express what is going on.