What does Cycle time represent?

• A. The time that elapses from the beginning of a process or operation until it's done.
• B. The time to deliver the final product.
• C. The time spent waiting between steps.
• D. The time a team spends in meetings.

Answer: (A)

Cycle time is the duration from when work on a unit actually starts until that unit is completed. It measures how long it takes to move a piece of work through the processing steps, including any delays that occur during processing, but excluding the time the item waits before work begins. This helps teams understand how quickly they can finish work once they start, and it supports predicting delivery when combined with how many items they can start over a period. It differs from lead time, which spans from the initial request or need to delivery; cycle time focuses on the active processing window. The other terms describe waiting before processing, overall delivery time, or unrelated activities like meetings.