For Kanban, these three metrics measure flow — how smoothly work moves from request to completion.
| Metric | Simple definition | Measures from → to | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead Time | Total time from when the work is requested until it is completed. | Request created → Done | A bug is reported Monday and fixed Friday. Lead time = 5 days. |
| Cycle Time | Time from when the team actually starts working on the item until it is completed. | Work starts → Done | The bug is reported Monday, but work starts Wednesday and finishes Friday. Cycle time = 3 days. |
| Throughput | Number of work items completed in a period of time. | Completed items per day/week/sprint | Team completes 12 tickets in one week. Throughput = 12 items/week. |
Your Agile metrics slides define throughput as the number of work items completed in a given time period, lead time as the time from request to delivery, and cycle time as the time from active work start to completion.
Simple teaching explanation
Lead time = customer waiting time.
Cycle time = team working time.
Throughput = how many items the team finishes.
Example using Kanban board
A task moves like this:
Backlog → To Do → In Progress → Review → Done
Suppose:
- Student submits a helpdesk request on Monday
- Team starts working on it on Wednesday
- Team finishes it on Friday
Then:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Lead Time | Monday to Friday = 5 days |
| Cycle Time | Wednesday to Friday = 3 days |
| Throughput | If 10 tasks were finished that week, throughput = 10 tasks/week |
Key difference
Lead time includes waiting time. Cycle time only includes active work time.
So if work sits in To Do for 4 days before anyone starts, that waiting time increases lead time, but not cycle time.
REF: AI Tools as is
