Läpikulkuajan

Läpikulkuajan is the total time required for a unit to pass through a process from entry to exit. In Finnish usage, it is commonly equated with throughput time or transit time and is a central metric in operations management. It covers all phases the unit experiences in the system, including actual processing, waiting, handling, and transport between stages.

Applications include manufacturing and logistics, where läpikulkuajan measures the end-to-end time from the receipt of raw materials or an order to the shipment of the finished product. In services, it can describe the time from customer arrival to service completion; in information technology, the time from a request submission to the delivery of the result. Läpikulkuajan is often analyzed to identify bottlenecks and improve flow.

Components and interpretation: The metric typically comprises processing time (the time spent performing work), move or transport time (between stations), waiting time (queues), and setup or changeover time. Distinguishing from cycle time, the former is the total time in a process; the latter may refer to the time to complete a single operation or the time between consecutive outputs, depending on context.

Measurement and improvement: Läpikulkuajan is measured with timestamps in enterprise systems (ERP, MES) and value stream mapping. Firms seek to reduce it by bottleneck elimination, line balancing, reducing setup times, smoothing demand, implementing pull systems, and improving layout and information flow.

See also: Lead time, cycle time, and value stream mapping.