Takt Time for Executives

We recently had the opportunity to host 15 top executives from a multi-billion dollar manufacturing company for 3 days of Lean training, benchmarking tours, and strategizing. During this process, we gained insight into Takt Time. These executives were all knowledgeable in Lean, many of them having sponsored dozens of kaizens or Six Sigma projects. They were familiar with the basic Lean lingo, including Takt Time.

Challenges in Implementing Takt Time and Line Balancing and a Surprising Discovery

When it came time to go through the Factory Flow Simulation, they split up into two teams. They competed to design a production system that would minimize inventory and lead time while maximizing profit in airplane building. When it came time to introduce Takt Time and line balancing to the exercise, we were in for a surprise. None of these highly educated and experienced executives made the connection between the time it took to build a plane, the Takt Time, and the effect on staffing.

As we explained how Takt Time could be used, the VP of Marketing got it right away. He was arguably the person with the least amount of experience and knowledge of Lean, traditional manufacturing, and work balance.

The Importance of Approaching Takt Time with an Open Mind

The lesson learned was that Takt Time is counter-intuitive. It is deceptively similar to concepts of line speed and total cycle time (though totally different). It is such a simple concept that people assume that they “get it” without working through it backward and forwards. Because of this, we advise executives to assume they do not understand Takt Time and approach it with an open mind.

Driving Home the Concept of Takt Time: Using Value Streams to Help Executives Understand

One of the best ways to drive home the concept of Takt Time for executives is to ask them to figure out Takt for each of their major Value Streams. This will force them to figure out available time and demand for each one, which in itself can be an eye-opening exercise. This will give them a sense of the heartbeat of their business, in addition to raising interesting questions about how demand is determined and work hours are set.

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