Build and compare a workload chart
Enter target takt time in seconds. Add stations and tasks, enter each task duration, and select its assigned station. Each colored segment in the chart represents one task. The sample is fictional.
Use Set current state as baseline before changing assignments. Moving a task redistributes time without changing total work time. Deleting a station moves its tasks to the first remaining station; at least one station is retained. Reset sample restores both the working state and baseline.
Takt time and time above takt
Takt time is available production time divided by customer demand, expressed in consistent units. This tool accepts your target takt rather than calculating demand.
The chart follows the yamazumi approach of stacking work elements against takt. Here, each bar represents a station. Total time above takt is the sum of each station's positive excess over the target. It is not a direct prediction of output or elapsed line cycle time.
Check whether a reassignment is feasible
The tool supports manual comparison, not automatic optimization. It does not validate task precedence, travel, parallel work, machine capacity, safety or operator qualifications. Check those constraints before applying a proposed assignment.
Sources and edition dates
- Lean Enterprise Institute — Operator Balance Chart · Checked
- Lean Enterprise Institute — Takt Time · Checked
English edition updated 2026-09-21. Translation date: 2026-09-21. Japanese source content updated: 2026-09-13.
Reviewed by RYO on 2026-09-21. Published 2026-09-21.