Cycle time is the total amount of elapsed time between the start and end points of work. 1
Cycle Time System
Cycle Time Perspectives
Zooming In: Parts of Cycle Time
Cycle time is often measured across multiple process stages to diagnose delays. 1
Measuring multiple cycle time stretches of a process is perfectly valid and often necessary in most contexts. Decomposing cycle time into multiple stretches helps expose where delays accumulate within a process.
Calendar Pragmatist
Point (Who): Customer / value recipient. Uses the calendar because it’s the simplest and most understandable measure.
View (What they see): Time flows continuously from request to delivery. Nights, weekends, and holidays still count because the customer is waiting the entire time. 1
What they optimize for: Faster end-to-end delivery and reduced waiting time.
What they’re right about: The customer experiences elapsed time, not working time. Measuring cycle time this way exposes real delays and queues in the system.
What they miss: Teams may still need internal metrics (like active work time) to diagnose where delays occur.
Weekend Eraser
Point (Who): Internal efficiency tracker / manager trying to measure team productivity
View (What they see): Time should only count when people are actively working, so nights, weekends, and holidays should be subtracted.
What they optimize for: Measuring productivity and active effort.
What they’re right about: Active work time can help diagnose capacity, staffing, or effort.
What they miss: Customers experience calendar time, so subtracting non-working hours hides real delays in delivery.
To-Do
Cycle Time Distinctions
What Is Cycle Time?
What is Not Cycle Time?
Cycle Time System
Zooming Out: Larger Systems Containing Cycle Time
Zooming In: Parts of Cycle Time
Cycle Time Relationships
What Common Failure Modes Emerge When Applying Cycle Time?