Takt time is the heartbeat of a line — how often a unit must be completed to meet demand. Available production time divided by customer demand sets the pace every workstation must hit.
The example
27,000 sec, 450 units.
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Value |
| 2 | 27000 / 450 | — |
| 3 | Takt | → 60 sec/unit |
The formula
The formula:
How it works
How it works:
- Available time is net production time per shift — after breaks and planned stops.
- Divide by customer demand (units needed in that time) for the takt.
- The result is the seconds (or minutes) per unit the line must sustain.
- Compare takt to your cycle time: cycle must be ≤ takt to keep up with demand.
Takt sets the target; cycle time meets it. If takt is 60 seconds but a station’s cycle time is 75, that station can’t keep pace and the line falls behind demand. Balancing every station’s cycle time to just under takt is the core of line design — takt is the number every workstation is engineered around.
Try it: interactive demo
Available time (sec) and demand (units).
Variations
From hours
Time in hours:
Units per shift target
From takt:
Cycle vs takt
Can we keep up?:
Pitfalls & errors
Net available time. Subtract breaks and planned downtime from the shift first.
Consistent units. Time and takt in the same unit (seconds with seconds).
Cycle ≤ takt. If cycle exceeds takt, the line can’t meet demand.
Practice workbook
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate takt time in Excel?
What's the difference between takt and cycle time?
How do I get the units-per-shift target?
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