Cycle time variation is a metric and philosophy for
continuous improvement
A continual improvement process, also often called a continuous improvement process (abbreviated as CIP or CI), is an ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes. These efforts can seek " incremental" improvement over time or "brea ...
in business, aiming to reduce variations in the time it takes to produce successive units on a
production line
A production line is a set of sequential operations established in a factory where components are assembled to make a finished article or where materials are put through a refining process to produce an end-product that is suitable for onward ...
.
[Schonberger, Richard J. (2001). ''Let's Fix It!'', Free Press. ] The process supports organizations' application of
lean manufacturing
Lean manufacturing is a methods of production, method of manufacturing goods aimed primarily at reducing times within the Operations management#Production systems, production system as well as response times from suppliers and customers. It is ...
or
lean production
Lean manufacturing is a method of manufacturing goods aimed primarily at reducing times within the production system as well as response times from suppliers and customers. It is closely related to another concept called just-in-time manufact ...
by eliminating wasteful expenditure of resources.
It is distinguished from some of the more common applications by its different focus of creating a structure for progressively reducing the sources of internal variation that leads to
workaround
A workaround is a bypass of a recognized problem or limitation in a system or policy. A workaround is typically a temporary fix that implies that a genuine solution to the problem is needed. But workarounds are frequently as creative as true so ...
s and disruption causing these wastes to accumulate in the first place. Although it is often used as an indicator of lean progress, its use promotes a structured approach to reducing disruption that impacts efficiency, quality, and value.
[Ruffa, Stephen A.; Michael J. Perozzello (2000). ''Breaking the Cost Barrier: A Proven Approach to Managing and Implementing Lean Manufacturing''. John Wiley & Sons. ]
References
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Lean manufacturing