ledtid

Ledtid is a term used in Norwegian and other Scandinavian languages to denote lead time in supply chain, production, and project management contexts. It describes the interval between the initiation of a request, such as placing an order, and the delivery or fulfillment of the finished product or service.

In practice, ledtid encompasses all phases from order placement to customer receipt, including supplier lead time, production or processing time, waiting or queue time, inspection or quality checks, and transportation or handover. It can be measured for an entire supply chain or broken down by stage to identify bottlenecks.

Ledtid is distinct from cycle time. Cycle time measures the duration of a single operation or process step, while ledtid covers the total time from request to delivery, including delays between steps. Variability in any component of ledtid can affect overall performance, inventory levels, and service reliability.

Measurement and management practices include tracking average and percentile lead times, recording order dates and delivery dates in an ERP or SCM system, and analyzing distribution patterns to forecast risk. Reducing ledtid typically involves supplier collaboration, process optimization, parallel processing, standardization, automation, and strategic planning such as nearshoring or adjusting decoupling points.

Understanding ledtid helps organizations balance responsiveness and efficiency, optimize inventories, and align capacity planning with customer expectations.

See also: supply chain management, procurement, inventory management, cycle time, safety stock.