What does 'Cycle Time' signify?

'Cycle Time' signifies the total time taken to complete a discrete unit of work, which includes all the stages that the work item goes through from initiation to completion. This measurement is crucial for understanding the efficiency of a process and identifying areas for improvement. It encompasses all delays and active work, providing a holistic view of the time spent on delivering a service or product.

Understanding cycle time helps organizations pinpoint bottlenecks in the workflow, assess their capacity, and enhance their planning and prioritization processes. By focusing on reducing cycle time, organizations can improve their responsiveness and overall service delivery, aligning with the ITIL principles of continual improvement.

This definition differentiates cycle time from the other choices, which either measure different aspects of work processes or do not fully capture the concept of total completion time.