Takt Time Calculator
Takt time is the pace a lean process has to keep: the time available divided by what the customer needs. Enter your shift pattern and daily demand, and add your total work content to see how many operators the line needs.
Takt time
60 sec
One finished unit every 1 minute meets demand.
- Available time per day
- 880 min
- Units per hour needed
- 60
- Operators needed
- 4 → staff 4
4 stations at 60 s of work each, 100% of takt. Real stations are rarely this even, so check each one against the line.
Example values are filled in. Replace them with your own; nothing you type leaves your browser.
Worked example
The example values, step by step
- Step 1 · Time per shift
480 min − 40 min breaks
= 440 min
- Step 2 · Available time
440 min × 2 shifts
= 880 min a day
- Step 3 · Takt time
880 min ÷ 880 units
= 1 min (60 s)
- Step 4 · Operators needed
240 s work content ÷ 60 s
= 4 operators
Reading the result
In the example, the line must finish one unit every minute to meet demand. With 240 seconds of manual work per unit, that needs four balanced stations of about 60 seconds each.
If a station's cycle time is above takt, it will fall behind demand. Move work from it to stations with spare time, then update standard work.
Common data mistakes
- Using total shift time without taking off breaks and planned stops.
- Using a forecast that is far from actual demand, so takt is wrong from the start.
- Treating takt as a target for how fast people should work, rather than the pace demand sets.
The methods behind the number
The formula
How it's calculated
- Available time
- (Shift length − Breaks) × Shifts per day
- Takt time
- Available time ÷ Customer demand
- Operators needed
- Total work content ÷ Takt time
Takt is set by the customer
Takt time is the pace you need to work at to meet demand, which can differ from the pace you are able to work at. If demand changes, takt changes with it.
Plan below takt
Few processes run perfectly. Many teams aim for station cycle times a little below takt so small problems do not stop the line from meeting demand.
Use it to balance the line
Compare each station's work content with takt on a yamazumi chart. Stations above takt are bottlenecks; stations well below it are where to move work from.
Frequently asked questions
Is takt time the same as cycle time?
Should I include breaks in available time?
Why round operators up?
What is the takt time formula?
What if cycle time is longer than takt?
Does takt time apply to services?
Sources and further reading
- Lean Enterprise Institute lexicon: takt time ↗
- Mike Rother and Rick Harris, Creating Continuous Flow (book)
For vendors
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