Process Flow

Lead Time, Queue Time, and Process Lead Time

The two most powerful and popular templates to analyze process flow have both been updated to make it easier to answer these 3 common questions:

1. When can I have it? (Lead Time)
2. How long does it wait or get transported BETWEEN processes (Queue Time)
3. How long does it take to process a batch WITHIN each process? (Process Lead Time)

And the Swim Lane Functional Flowchart and Value Stream Mapping templates have also been updated for clearer understanding, visibility, and control of Pitch Pulse.

   

Learn more about the
Value Stream Mapping template

Learn more about the
Swim Lane Functional Flowchart template

Easier Data Entry

When we first introduced the Lead Time Chart (that so visually shows Queue Time and PLT), we changed data entry to require the user to manually enter Queue Time (the time between processes).

Although the end result is technically correct, our users have found that this made data entry unnecessarily cumbersome. So in the new upgrade, the user can simply enter Lead Time, and the template then calculates Queue Time.

When you actually use the new templates, you will quickly appreciate how much easier this is.

Get yours

Customers with a current Annual Maintenance agreement can at any time request us to send you all of the latest templates that have been released or improved within the past several months.

Get yours back

If your Annual Maintenance is not current,
then you can fix that...

Upgrade Now

See What's New

Own Yours Now

Own yours now

Or perhaps you might add more seats

Why not forward this email to a colleague

so they too can receive this newsletter
to continuously improve their tools
for continuous improvement

You already knew about Systems2win?

Why didn't you tell me?

Why is Pitch Pulse as important as Takt Time?

Almost everyone can recite the definition and formula for Takt Time.

Takt Time is your planning drumbeat. How often completed units NEED to come out the end of your process pipeline — as established by customer demand.

Takt Time formula = Working Time Available / Target Units to Produce

But the definition and formula for 'Pitch' is less commonly known or understood.

'Pitch' is your production drumbeat. How often work is released to the pacemaker process, and how often work progress is monitored throughout the entire value stream.

Pitch = Takt Time * Pitch Batch Size

For production schedulers, Takt Time is really important. But for the other 99% of your workers that actually produce and deliver your product or service... Pitch is far more useful.

For them, Takt Time is theory that they never see.

(unless they are producing a batch size of 1, so that Pitch and Takt Time happen to be the same number)

Pitch is the real-world 'planning drumbeat' that sets the pace for how often work arrives at their workstation, and how often management checks in to ensure that they are keeping up the pace.

Why are people confused about Pitch?

One reason might be that it is so poorly named.

Even people who speak English don't get any verbal cues as to what it actually means, and our translators have struggled to try to translate it.

So in the new upgrade, we have renamed it.

In English, we call it 'Pitch Pulse'.
In every other language, we just call it 'Pulse'.

Pulse

'Pulse' is how often work is released to the pacemaker process, and how often work progress is monitored throughout the entire value stream.

Pulse = Takt Time * Pulse Batch Size

'Pulse' is the real-world heartbeat of your value stream.

Learn more

Want Help?

In addition to the free training and videos on the Systems2win web site, and the Training and Mentoring available from Systems2win...

You can also request an introduction to an affiliated consultant —

to help you and your team get the most from your Systems2win tools.

Request Consultation

Systems2win is chosen
by Insights Success magazine
as one of 20 Most Admired
Tech Leaders of 2017

Read the article