Throughput Calculator
Measure how fast your process delivers good units: enter output and time to get the throughput rate per hour and per shift. Free, instant and fully in your browser.
Units per hour
60
units per hour
Throughput = units produced / time period
Throughput is the real delivered rate of good units. Compare seconds per unit against your takt time: above takt, the process cannot meet demand and needs improvement.
What is throughput?
Throughput is the rate at which a process delivers good output — how many units it actually completes per unit of time. It reflects real performance including stoppages, speed losses and quality losses, which makes it a practical capacity measure. Expressed per hour or per shift, throughput tells you whether a line can meet demand; comparing the implied seconds-per-unit against takt time shows whether the process is fast enough.
How to calculate throughput
- 1
Count good output
Record the number of good units the process produced over a representative period.
- 2
Record the time
Enter the length of that period in hours, and your shift length for the per-shift projection.
- 3
Read the rate
Throughput = units divided by time. The tool also projects units per shift and the average seconds per unit.
Frequently asked questions
How is throughput different from cycle time?
Cycle time is how long one unit takes at a station; throughput is the system's delivered rate over time, including losses. A station may have a fast cycle time yet low throughput if it stops often.
How does throughput relate to takt time?
Takt is the rate demand requires; throughput is the rate you achieve. If your seconds-per-unit exceeds takt, throughput is below demand and you must improve flow, reduce losses or add capacity.
How does Yamazo Studio help?
Yamazo Studio turns shop-floor video into time studies and waste analysis, exposing the losses that hold throughput below its potential so you can remove them.
Related lean tools
Lift throughput by removing waste
Throughput rises when losses fall. Yamazo Studio turns shop-floor video into time studies and waste analysis — one offline Lean Operating Desk.
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