NEW: Discover the cplace blog with engaging articles, valuable insights and useful information from the world of PPM! Explore now

Cycle Time

cplace Glossary

What does Cycle Time mean? 

“Cycle Time” means “lead time”. It describes the total time from start to finish of a development process, including possible delays. In some cases, it is also referred to as “project cycle time”. 

What is the role of Cycle Time in Kanban? 

In agile project management like Kanban, lead time is part of time management. It begins when the development team starts work and ends when the finished product is delivered to the customer. It therefore encompasses the entire cycle time of a project. The goal is to keep the cycle time as short as possible to ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction. Cycle time also serves as a key performance indicator (KPI) in the Kanban system. It allows teams to evaluate the efficiency of their work process and identify weak points or bottlenecks. 

What is Lead Time? 

Lead time refers to the time from when the customer places the order to when the customer receives the final product. Lead time therefore includes cycle time. Lead time and cycle time can be visually represented with the help of flowcharts. For this purpose, the data collected during the workflow is processed by special software solutions. Such a diagram provides information on how to optimize the process, for example if the gap between the inquiry/order entry and the start of work is too large.