EinzeltageUmlauf

EinzeltageUmlauf (literally "single-day circulation") is a metric in logistics and operations research that describes how quickly individual units move through a closed supply chain within a 24-hour period. It highlights single-day circulation and complements longer-term cycle-time and turnover measures.

Two common forms are used:

- Average cycle form: the mean time a unit spends in the system from entry to exit, expressed in days. Shorter averages indicate faster flow.

- Day-completion form: the share of units that complete their cycle within one calendar day.

Calculation requires timestamp data on entry and exit. For a given observation window, the average cycle time is the sum of all individual durations divided by the total number of units; the day-completion share is the number of units with duration ≤ 1 day divided by the total.

Applications include assessing throughput speed, comparing facilities, and identifying bottlenecks in warehouses, production lines, or distribution networks. It can inform staffing, batching policies, and shift design.

Example: a distribution center processes 10,000 units in a day, of which 6,000 exit within 24 hours. The day-completion share is 0.6; the average cycle time for the day might be 0.92 days.

Limitations: results rely on accurate timestamps and consistent observation windows and can be affected by batching, weekend effects, or shift patterns. It should be used alongside other metrics such as overall throughput and inventory levels.

See also: cycle time, inventory turnover, throughput, days of inventory outstanding.