What Is Takt Time?
Takt time refers to the rate at which you make a product or complete a service order to meet customer demand. In other words, it’s the amount of time you have available to create each unit of your product or provide your service.
“Takt” originates from the German word for cycle time: taktzeit. In the 1930s, German engineers allegedly brought the term into Japanese manufacturing. Takt time then became a crucial component of Toyota’s production process and developed a solid connection to lean manufacturing.
Takt Time in Lean Manufacturing
Takt time lean manufacturing is all about reducing waste and maximizing efficiency. Managers accomplish this by ensuring that production line workers have just enough materials and resources to complete their tasks within the available timeframe.
Takt Time Formula
Takt Time = Total Available Production Time / Average Customer Demand
For example, Manufacturer A has a total available production time of 100 hours per week. It also has an average weekly customer demand of 10 orders. Consequently, to meet customer demand in an average week, it needs to manufacture each order within a 10-hour time frame. Divide the 100 hours of total production time by the 10 average orders to arrive at this number.
Takt Time Calculator
Takt time is one of the easiest operations formulas to tackle, but doing it manually still takes time. Forward-thinking managers automate the process using a takt time calculator to determine the necessary rate for producing products or services.
How To Implement Takt Time at Your Organization
Now that you know what takt time is and how to calculate it, you may be wondering how you can implement it in your organization. There are a few different ways to do this, but one of the most effective is to use a takt time board. This board displays information about the current production rate, the number of units produced, and the number of units remaining in the production queue.
Another way to implement takt time is to use production planning software that can help you track progress and optimize your process. This type of software often includes features like Gantt charts and project management tools. These features streamline the process of improving efficiency and meeting customer demand.
How to Leverage Takt Time to Improve Operations
There are several ways you can leverage takt time in your business operations. One way is to use it as a goal-setting tool. By understanding the takt time of your manufacturing process, you can set production goals that ensure you’re meeting customer demand.
Another way to leverage takt time is to use it as a performance measurement tool. You can track your team’s performance by measuring their output against the takt time. Doing so makes it easier to accomplish the following tasks:
- Set individual and team quotas.
- Determine how many workers you need to keep up with demand.
- Monitor the performance of your manufacturing process.
- Monitor the effect new machines or work processes have on production times.
Benefits and Limitations of Takt Time
Benefits of Takt Time
Some managers and business owners have successfully led companies on intuition alone. Introducing technology to influence decision-making can face some pushback in these organizations. Use these benefits to sway the decision-makers:
- Can be used in any manufacturing or service environment
- Helps you set production goals
- Helps you monitor the performance of your team
- Makes it easier to identify bottlenecks and their sources
- Motivates workers and managers to eliminate non-value-adding tasks
Limitations of Takt Time
- Does not take into account the variability of customer demand
- Can result in overproduction if customer demand decreases
- Can contribute to worker burnout during labor shortages
