In a context where industries are constantly looking for more productivity, "Takt-time" appears to be an essential solution. A true emblem of Lean Management, it makes it possible to reduce as much as possible the loss of time and waste (MUDA). Concretely, Takt-time is the optimal production time that a company must aim for according to customer demand. Takt-time is part of a general approach of Just-in-Time and flexibility.
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Some details about Takt-time
The Takt-time is the mathematical result of a simple calculation that allows to have an optimal production time. To obtain it, we divide the production capacity of the company by the average demand of its customers, this gives:
The company's production capacity corresponds to its available time. The latter consists of the actual working hours of its employees as well as the potential limits on the use of its machines (in the case of industry). The average demand corresponds to the units to be produced or the total number of tasks to be performed. The result obtained makes it possible to obtain a Takt-time, which corresponds to the ideal production time per unit sold. The goal of this approach is to achieve a production without waste but exactly sufficient to meet the demand. It is then necessary that employees manage to maintain this pace of production in order to have an organized and flexible supply chain.
Takt-time, why do it?
The regularity offered by Takt-time also means that a company is better able to adapt to different periods. Indeed, production capacity and demand are not always identical and depend on many factors, such as seasonality for example. Companies that use Takt time often "reset" it on a monthly or even weekly basis in order to streamline overall logistics. The purpose of Takt-time is to achieve a production with a cadence in perfect harmony with the demand. Thus, companies using this method first seek to avoid overproduction. This method also defines a tool to balance the workload between the different operators. Indeed, in contexts of intensive production, work overload can quickly be present and become a source of instability in a supply chain. This aspect is therefore also part of the "Takt-time" approach.
The implementation of Takt-time
Of all the innovations brought by Lean Management, the Takt-time method is one of the most difficult to implement. Indeed, it requires great rigor in its logistics application. This design requires a high availability and operationality of employees who must be regular.
The implementation of Takt-time can take place in 3 distinct stages:
The data collection necessary to then calculate the Takt-time. It is first necessary to consider the customer demand, but especially the production capacity of the company. To do this, it is necessary to measure the actual working time of the operators (deduction of their break times, hazards, etc.) or even the possible duration of use of the equipment. The latter may indeed subject their users to certain time or other constraints.
The application of Takt-time. It is a question of ensuring that employees are reactive, especially in the event of difficulties on the production line. In general, the regularity of the production rate makes it possible to quickly overcome the problems encountered by operators.
The updating of the Takt-time over time. To stay relevant over time, it is crucial to keep your Takt-time up to date. The company's production capacity and demand change quite often over time.
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Let's illustrate this method of Lean Management with a company that manufactures offices.
If the company receives 4 orders from an office per day, then the takt-time should be calculated as below:
1 day in the company is equivalent to 8 hours of work. By counting the breaks, we arrive at 6:30 am of actual work during the day.
This means that the company will have to produce 4 offices in 6h30, or about 1h37 per office.
Thus the Takt time must be equal to or less than 1h37, getting as close as possible. Conversely, we should not fall into overproduction.
This calculation is to be repeated each time demand changes from one period to another, or when there is a change in production capacity. To optimize the latter, companies can also use the TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) method.
In other words...
Takt-time is a relatively simple tool to calculate but more difficult to set up. Indeed, many variables can be taken into account and change the value of production capacity. Businesses may also face difficulties in adapting to certain sales periods. It is indeed necessary to have a certain visibility and sufficient forecast data. But the usefulness of Takt-time in production lines is beyond doubt. Successfully implementing it means guaranteeing a supply chain that is as fluid as it is stable over time.
