Operational cycle time (OCT) is the total time that is taken by a particular process to go through all the steps, from start to finish, in order to complete an operation. It is usually measured in minutes or hours.
The operational cycle time can be broken down into the following components:
Work time: This is the total time taken to complete the operation, including time taken to setup and execute the process.
Queue time: This is the time spent waiting for resources, such as materials, parts, tools and machines, to be available for the operation.
Re-work time: This is the time taken to adjust or re-work a process that has already been completed due to errors or other issues.
Inspection and testing time: This is the time spent to perform inspections and tests on a process before it can be considered complete.
The operational cycle time gives a company a measure of how efficiently their processes are running, how productive their employees are, and how quickly they can produce the desired results. It can also be used to compare processes among different departments or locations, or identify areas of improvement.
By using a measure of OCT, companies can get an understanding of their overall operations, such as throughput and turnaround time, and make necessary changes to reduce cycle times. This can help to drastically improve productivity and profitability.
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