Takt time is the pace at which units must be completed to meet customer demand. It equals available working time divided by the number of units required in that time. If a line has 27,000 seconds available per shift and must ship 450 pallets, takt time is 60 seconds per pallet.
Formula
Takt time = net available time / customer demand. Net available time excludes planned breaks and meetings. The example above is illustrative: 7.5 working hours is 27,000 seconds, and 27,000 / 450 = 60 seconds per pallet. Takt is set by demand, not by how fast the equipment can run.
Takt vs cycle time
Cycle time is how long a step actually takes. If a step's cycle time is longer than takt, it is a bottleneck and the line will fall behind. Balancing work so each station runs at or below takt is central to lean manufacturing.
Use in pallet and logistics work
Pallet manufacturers use takt to staff nailing and assembly lines against order volume. Warehouses apply the same idea to end-of-line packaging, where palletizing, wrapping and labeling must keep pace, and to dock scheduling for outbound trailers.
Related Terms
- Throughput
- Dock Utilization
- Palletizer
- Pallet Build
- Pallet Mill
- Order Fulfillment
- Stretch Wrap Machine
- Browse all glossary terms
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate takt time?
Divide net available working time by customer demand for the same period. For example, if a shift has 7.5 productive hours, which is 27,000 seconds, and customers need 450 pallets, takt time is 27,000 divided by 450, or 60 seconds per pallet. Use time actually available for work, excluding planned breaks, and update the figure when demand or shift patterns change.
What is the difference between takt time and throughput?
Takt time is the required pace, set by demand. Throughput is the actual output a process achieves over a period. If throughput is lower than demand, at least one step is running slower than takt. Comparing the two shows whether a line needs rebalancing, more capacity or a schedule change.