TAKT Time
What’s the PACE in Your Factory?
TAKT Time: How to Set the Right Pace for Your Factory
TAKT time is the rate at which your factory must complete a finished unit to meet customer demand.
It is not about how fast people or machines can work.
It is about how fast the system needs to work — no faster, no slower.
Factories that ignore TAKT are usually:
- busy but late
- full of work-in-progress
- firefighting at the end of every shift or week
What Is TAKT Time?
TAKT Time = Available Production Time ÷ Customer Demand
It tells you:
- how often one finished unit must be completed
- the rhythm the entire production system should follow
TAKT time sets the pace for:
- staffing levels
- line balance
- work release
- improvement priorities
TAKT Time vs Cycle Time (Quick Clarification)
- TAKT time = what the customer needs
- Cycle time = how fast a process currently runs
For a stable system:
Cycle time must be equal to or less than TAKT time, consistently.
Simple TAKT Time Calculation
- Example
- Available time: 2,400 minutes per week
- Customer demand: 100 units per week
TAKT time = 2,400 ÷ 100 = 24 minutes
One finished unit every 24 minutes
This does not mean:
- making two units every 48 minutes
- rushing early and slowing later
- producing extra “just in case”
It means the system should be capable of completing one unit every 24 minutes, evenly.
Worked UK Factory Example (Realistic & Practical)
Factory scenario
- Single production line
- UK manufacturing SME
- One product family
Shift pattern
- Monday–Friday
- 1 shift per day
- 07:30–16:00 (8.5 hours on site)
Breaks & losses
- 30 min lunch
- 2 × 10 min breaks
- 20 min daily changeover
- 10 min planned meeting / housekeeping
Total unavailable time per day:
- Breaks: 50 min
- Changeover: 20 min
- Other: 10 min
Total = 80 minutes
Available production time
- 8.5 hours = 510 minutes
- 510 − 80 = 430 minutes per day
Customer demand
- Weekly demand: 225 units
- 5-day week → 45 units per day
TAKT calculation
TAKT time = 430 ÷ 45 = 9.55 minutes
The factory must complete one finished unit every ~9½ minutes
What This Means on the Shop Floor
If your line:
- produces a unit every 7 minutes → that is too fast, overproduction builds
- produces a unit every 12 minutes → orders fall behind
Both create waste:
- excess WIP
- waiting
- expediting
- quality problems hidden in piles of stock
The goal is not speed.
The goal is consistency to demand.
Why Producing Faster Than TAKT Causes Problems
This is where many factories struggle.
If a process can run faster than TAKT:
- some operators, teams, departments get ahead of others - they look they are more productive
- buffers grow - that means you've spent money on labour and raw materials to turn it in to Work In Progress which is now stuck, idle on the shop floor.
- downstream processes wait
- problems stay hidden - having buffers of stock can hide the problems. Find a duff part, no problem just pick through until you find a good one.
Finance often sees this as “efficiency”.
In reality:
Overproduction and waiting are two of the biggest cost drivers in factories.
Lean systems deliberately slow fast processes down to TAKT to stabilise flow.
Before applying improvement systems, manufacturers often need
an objective view of where performance is really being lost.
Our Factory Performance Diagnostic Review provides that clarity.
Push vs Pull in Practice
Done right, lean production systems with Pull Systems grow the business. Without growing the costs and by reducing the Chaos!
| Push Manufacturing | Pull Manufacturing | |
| Making Parts in Batches | A factory makes parts in batches of 5 on a machine. each part takes 2 hours. They have only sold 1 part. 8 hours are wasted making parts yet to be sold. The material and labour has to be paid for. Machine Capacity is lost making parts not sold. | A factory makes parts in batches the same as the sold amount. They have only sold 1 part, they make 1 part. 8 hours ARE NOT wasted making parts yet to be sold. They can get on with the next parts. Machine Capacity is spent ONLY making parts sold. |
| Making Parts to Forecast | A factory produces 100 units of a product based on forecasts, but actual orders only account for 60. The remaining 40 units require storage, discounts, or marketing campaigns to sell. | The same factory produces only when orders are received. If 60 units are ordered, only 60 are produced — eliminating wasted time, materials and storage costs. |
Conclusion : Push Vs Pull in Production
Understanding push vs pull is fundamental to Lean thinking.
While push systems, making in batches, making the same things at the same time feels like it will be cheaper.
It often leads to overproduction and inefficiencies, lost time on machines.
Pull systems enable manufacturers to work in harmony with demand, creating efficient, waste-free, and flexible production environments.
Pull systems don't mean no stock though, they mean stock in the right place in the right amount.
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Lean Production Services
We’ve developed services to support organisations on their Lean Production Systems journey. Take a look and if you’re not sure which is relevant but you want to stop the chaos then call Mark on 07712 669396 for a chat.
The best day to start improvement was when the chaos started, the next best day is today!
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Push vs Pull Production Systems : Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between push and pull production systems?
Push production is based on forecasts. Parts, goods are made in advance and pushed through the process, often leading to overproduction. Pull production only makes products when there is actual demand, reducing wasted time, materials and machine capacity. Aligning production closely with customer needs.
Why does pull production reduce waste?
Pull production reduces waste by eliminating unnecessary inventory and overproduction. Since each stage of the process only starts when the next stage requests it, resources, men, materials, machines are used more efficiently and work-in-progress levels stay low.
Can push and pull systems be combined in manufacturing?
Yes. 100%. Some businesses use a hybrid approach, producing base stock using push methods while finishing products with pull scheduling. This can balance efficiency with flexibility, especially in industries where demand fluctuates. The right consultant will be able to advise you on this approach.