Takt Time Calculator

Calculates takt time, the interval at which one piece must be finished to meet customer demand, from shift length, excluded time and demand. With the cycle time of each process, it also shows the operators needed and which processes are over takt.

How to use

1. Enter "Shift length", "Shifts per day" and "Excluded time per shift".
2. Choose the "Demand period" (day, week or month) and enter "Customer demand in the period" and "Working days in the period"; takt time appears at once.
3. In "Cycle time of each process (seconds)", enter one process per line as a name and seconds to see operators, loading and a bar for each process.
4. In the bar chart, check which processes rise above the takt time line.

How it works

• Net available time = shifts × (shift length − excluded time), and takt time = net available time per day ÷ daily demand.
• Operators needed is the theoretical value: total work content ÷ takt time, rounded up. Line balance efficiency = total work content ÷ (number of processes × longest cycle time).
• Takt time is shown in seconds and in minutes and seconds.

Questions and answers

How do I calculate takt time?

Divide the net available time per day by the daily demand. Two 480-minute shifts with 50 minutes excluded each give 860 minutes a day. A demand of 21,500 pieces over 20 days is 1,075 a day, so takt time is 48 seconds.

What is the difference between takt time and cycle time?

Takt time is how often one piece must be finished to meet demand. Cycle time is how long a process actually takes to make one piece. Lead time is the total time from order to shipment.

How many operators do I need?

Add up the cycle times of all processes, divide by takt time and round up. A total work content of 226 seconds at a takt time of 48 seconds gives 4.71, so 5 operators.

What if a cycle time is longer than takt time?

That process cannot keep up with demand. The page names it, and the work needs to be split, improved or given a parallel station.