Cycle time is defined as?

• A. The time between order placement and payment receipt.
• B. The time a product spends in inventory before shipment.
• C. The time required to complete a unit or batch through a process from start to finish.
• D. The time from supplier ordering to delivery at customer.

Answer: (C)

Cycle time is the total time it takes for a unit (or a batch) to move through the entire process, from the moment work starts on it to when it is finished. It measures how long it takes to complete one pass through the process, including the steps and handoffs inside the workflow, not just the time from order to payment or from supplier to customer. This is different from how long a product sits in inventory (that’s inventory dwell time) or from order placement to delivery (that’s lead time). Cycle time directly relates to how fast you can complete work and how many units you can push through the process in a given period.