# Takt Time

Operations · `Takt Time` · verification: source checked

Takt time is the available production time divided by customer demand. It gives the rate at which a product must be completed to match demand, and is used as the pacing reference for a lean production system. For example, 480 available minutes per day divided by 240 units of daily demand gives a takt time of two minutes.

## Specification

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Kind | metric |
| Origin | German aircraft industry, 1930s; Toyota, 1950s |

## Formula

```
Takt time = T / D
```

- `T`: Available production time
- `D`: Customer demand

## Study notes

- Takt is German for a precise interval of time, such as a musical meter.
- First used as a production management tool in the German aircraft industry in the 1930s, as the interval at which aircraft were moved to the next production station.
- Widely utilized within Toyota in the 1950s and in widespread use throughout the Toyota supply base by the late 1960s.
- Toyota typically reviews the takt for a process every month, with a tweaking review every 10 days.
- The stated purpose is to precisely match production with demand.
- A second worked case in the source: demand of two new products per month gives a takt time of two weeks.

## Sources

1. [Takt Time - Lean Enterprise Institute](https://www.lean.org/lexicon-terms/takt-time/) (accessed 2026-10-25)

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