Word of the Day 13 August 2026

takt time

On a production line, the average production time per unit that is necessary to meet customer demand.

Why this one

Borrowed from the German word for a musical beat, and the metaphor is exact: it is the rhythm demand sets, not the speed your line happens to run at.

In use

Orders are up again, so takt time drops to about ninety seconds a unit and we'll need another pair of hands on the back end.

Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.

Sources