Analytics & Metrics

If you’ve just started to do Kanban and would like to have the definition of Lead and Cycle Time clearly explained, you’re in the right place. The Lead time is the time from when a request item is placed by the a client (and put on a board) to when all work on this item is completed - so the total time the client is waiting for an item to be delivered. The Cycle time is only the amount of time, that the team spent working on this item (without the time that it spent just waiting on the board). Therefore, the Cycle time should start being measured, when the item task enters the “working” column, not earlier.

This article clarifies how Cumulative Flow Diagram can be useful to track work progress and to have an ongoing view of the health of the project. The author describes why he started using Kanban and diagrams, and how this affected his work. In his opinion, the use of Cumulative Flow Diagram can help project managers in identifying the minimum time needed to complete tasks and to predict the project end date.

When building software for your business partners, you certainly want to be able to let them know when to expect what and at what cost. It’s a matter of businesses stability, and of mutual respect, also – more often than not – a necessity.
Find out how to improve the Lead and Cycle times, by getting to know a helpful list of practices to head your team in the right direction.

Kanban system can increase the visibility of the project flow. It allows to deliver products faster and of better quality, by limiting the work in progress. It helps you notice any problems or a blockage in the flow of the project immediately by analyzing the metrics. Find out more about Work In Progress limits and ways of monitoring the project - Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD) and Weekly Velocity Analysis.

The Lead Time in Kanban is the exact time, that your customer has to wait for their request to be delivered. Although the article could very well end here, Zsolt Fabók will explain a little more on this matter.
The main problem regarding the Lead Time are the many different definitions of what it actually is. Find out how people perceive it and what is the recommended approach.