Takt time doesn’t describe the machine at all — it describes the customer. It is the rhythm the floor has to hit so that what gets made matches what gets ordered.
The takt time formula
Takt time = Net available production time ÷ Customer demand, for the same period. Net available time is the shift minus planned breaks and scheduled stops — not the full clock time.
A worked example
One shift on one part number (illustrative numbers):
Shift length
- Value
- 480 min
Planned breaks and stops
- Value
- 60 min
Net available time
- Value
- 420 min (25,200 s)
Customer demand this shift
- Value
- 300 parts
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Shift length | 480 min |
| Planned breaks and stops | 60 min |
| Net available time | 420 min (25,200 s) |
| Customer demand this shift | 300 parts |
Takt time = 25,200 s ÷ 300 = 84 s per part. A part has to come off the machine every 84 seconds to keep up. Run the numbers for your own shift in the takt time calculator.
Takt time vs cycle time
Takt is the target; cycle time is what the machine actually does. With the 84-second takt above, a machine running a 72-second cycle has slack for handling and small stops; one running a 90-second cycle falls six seconds further behind with every part.
ThingConnect measures the real cycle time of every part from the controller’s part counter, so the comparison against takt uses what happened on the floor, not the program’s estimate.