Cycle time in agile project management

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Agile software development is similar to lean manufacturing in that it focuses on just-in-time scheduling, process optimization, continuous improvement, and eliminating waste.

Therefore, within software development, cycle time is a key metric for calculating lead time, improving efficiency and speed of delivery. It is important for supporting the agile development principle of delivering working software frequently.

This is especially applicable in software testing, where cycle time tracking can play a compounding role in your deployment speed.

The role and benefits of cycle length
As

delivery time

, TAKT time, throughput, etc., cycle time is a time/velocity-related metric that media directors email list organizations use for a variety of purposes. Here’s how it benefits your organization/project in each case.

Shorter cycle time, higher efficacy
Reducing cycle time has a direct impact on process efficiency. Any increase in efficiency allows your team to handle more customer requests or resolve issues more quickly, resulting in a more productive development cycle.

For example, a team that refines its code integration and testing phases to reduce cycle time from two weeks to one can double the number of features it delivers in the same time frame.

Faster cycles can lead to higher quality
People assume that work completed quickly - typically seen as haste or rush - affects the quality of the result.

scrum project management

the opposite may be true.

Shorter cycle times encourage more frequent testing and iteration, leading to higher quality software. Fast feedback loops reduce the likelihood of major defects reaching production.

Calculating cycle time creates predictability
When you know how long a task takes, you can plan better. You can forecast delivery schedules more accurately and manage expectations with stakeholders.

For example, if you know that the average delivery cycle time for a new feature is three weeks, you can reliably schedule deliveries. This predictability builds trust with all stakeholders.