Kanban guide · Flow and metrics
Cycle Time in Kanban: Definition, Calculation and How to Reduce It
Cycle time measures how long one work item takes from the moment work starts until it is finished. It is the metric customers care about most: "once you start, how long until I have it?"
Key takeaways
- Cycle time is the time from starting an item to finishing it.
- Use percentiles to set service level expectations.
- Lower WIP, smaller items and fewer waits reduce cycle time.
Definition and calculation
Cycle time = finish date − start date for a single item. Teams decide exactly where "start" and "finish" are on their board, usually the commitment point and the delivery point, and use the same definition consistently.
Reading a cycle time scatterplot
A scatterplot shows one dot per finished item: the date it finished on the horizontal axis and its cycle time on the vertical. Horizontal percentile lines show, for example, that 50% of items finished within 4 days and 85% within 9 days. Outliers high on the chart are worth investigating.
Service level expectations
Teams often use the 85th percentile as a service level expectation: "85% of items are finished within 9 days of starting." It sets realistic expectations without detailed estimates. See Kanban planning.
How to reduce cycle time
- Lower WIP limits: by Little's Law, less WIP shortens cycle time.
- Split large items into smaller ones.
- Remove waiting: most cycle time is often spent waiting, not working; see flow efficiency.
- Tackle blockers quickly and analyse their causes; see blocker clustering.
- Reduce handoffs with cross-functional teams.
- Watch aging items daily with a WIP aging chart.
Free templates for this topic
Frequently asked questions
What is a good cycle time?
It depends on the work. What matters is that cycle time is predictable and trending down over time.
Is cycle time the same as lead time?
No. Lead time usually starts when the request is made; cycle time starts when work begins. See cycle time vs lead time.
What is cycle time in Kanban?
Cycle time is the time an item takes from when work starts to when it is finished, usually from the commitment point to the delivery point on the board.
How do you calculate cycle time?
Cycle time = finish date − start date for each item. Decide whether to count elapsed days or include both start and end days, and use the same convention every time.
How do you calculate average cycle time?
Add the cycle times of finished items and divide by the number of items. Percentiles, such as the 85th, are usually more useful than the average.
What causes long cycle times?
Too much work in progress, waiting between stages, blockers, large items and frequent context switching. Most cycle time is often waiting rather than active work.
How can you reduce cycle time?
Lower WIP limits, split work into smaller items, remove waiting stages, tackle recurring blockers and swarm on ageing items.
What is the 85th percentile cycle time?
The time within which 85% of past items were finished. Teams often use it as a service level expectation for new work.
Is cycle time the same in manufacturing and Kanban?
Not always. In manufacturing, cycle time can mean the time to complete one unit at a process step, while in Kanban for knowledge work it usually means the whole time from start to finish of an item.
Should weekends count in cycle time?
Most teams count calendar days because that is what customers experience. Whatever you choose, apply it consistently.
What is the difference between cycle time and takt time?
Cycle time is how long items actually take. Takt time is the rate at which items must be completed to meet customer demand: available time divided by demand.