How To Make a Weekly Planner Template
A weekly planner template can be a valuable tool for managing your time and productivity. In this article, we will explore the importance of a weekly planner template and provide a step-by-step guide to help you create your very own customizable weekly planner template. Try Wrike for free Benefits of using a weekly planner template Weekly planner templates are effective in reducing stress levels, as well as efficiently setting and tracking goals. With a planner template, you can avoid overcommitting yourself and prevent burnout, which will allow you to make progress toward achieving your goals. Having a visual representation of your schedule and tasks via a weekly planner template does wonders for your focus and motivation levels. Whether you are a busy professional, a student, or a stay-at-home parent, a weekly planner can help you stay on top of your schedule and make the most of your time. Choosing the right format for your weekly planner template Weekly planner templates typically come in a paper-based or digital format. Consider your personal preferences before making a decision. Digital vs. paper-based planners Digital planners offer the convenience of access from multiple devices, easy editing capabilities, and customizable features. With digital planners, you can easily set reminders and notifications, make changes to your schedule, and have these changes automatically update across all of your devices. However, digital planners can also be a source of distraction if you are prone to checking your phone or computer frequently. Paper-based planners can provide a tactile experience and freedom from digital distractions. Some people also enjoy physically crossing off tasks on a to-do list or flipping through the pages of a planner. Keep in mind that paper-based planners can also be less convenient if you need to make changes or updates to your schedule frequently. Weekly planner layout options Once you have chosen your preferred format, it is time to select a layout for your weekly planner template. Some popular layout options include: Vertical or horizontal layouts for a single week (specific) Weekly spreads with individual days broken down into sections for appointments and tasks (more specific) A monthly overview with a weekly breakdown (broad) Customizing your planner for personal or professional use Your planner template should be tailored to your specific needs and preferences. Features such as habit tracking or goal setting can be added, along with personal touches like color coding. If you are using your planner for professional purposes, consider adding sections for meetings, deadlines, and projects. For personal use, think of adding sections for hobbies, exercise, and self care. Try Wrike for free Designing your weekly planner template Designing a weekly planner template can be a fun and creative process, allowing you to stay organized but also express your personality and style. Here are some tips to help craft a planner that works for you: Selecting the right tools and software For those that prefer a digital planner, you can choose from a variety of software options, such as Wrike and Google Calendar. Since both of these tools have their own unique features, do your research and choose the one that best fits your needs. Those that would rather use a paper-based planner can use design software such as Adobe Illustrator or Canva to create a printable template. These tools allow you to customize your planner and add your own personal touch. Incorporating essential elements in your planner Leaving space for areas dedicated to time blocking, appointments, and tasks will keep you organized and on track. Also, consider adding sections for goal setting, habit tracking, and weekly reviews. Adding visual elements and personal touches Be sure to include icons or images to represent different tasks or events, or even your favorite motivational quotes to keep you inspired throughout the week. Don't be afraid to get creative and make your planner your own. Whether you prefer a minimalist design or a colorful and vibrant layout, the most important thing is to design a planner that works for you and helps you stay organized and focused on your goals. Organizing your weekly planner template Organizing your planner involves dividing your week into time blocks, prioritizing tasks and appointments, and incorporating goals and habit tracking into your daily routine. Dividing your week into time blocks Time blocking involves dividing your week into sections and setting aside specific times for tasks and appointments. Consider leaving some flexibility in your schedule to allow for unexpected events or changes in plans. This can help reduce stress and ensure that you're able to adapt to changing circumstances. Prioritizing tasks and appointments Prioritizing tasks and appointments involves identifying the most important tasks and scheduling them during times when you are most productive. Remember that tasks that are both important and urgent should be given top priority, while tasks that are less important or less urgent can be scheduled for later in the week. If you are a morning person, schedule your important tasks for the early hours. If you are more productive in the afternoon or evening, write down those urgent tasks for later in the day. It's also important to be realistic when scheduling tasks and appointments. Don't overcommit yourself or try to schedule too many tasks in a single day. This can lead to burnout and decreased productivity. Incorporating goals and habit tracking Setting goals and tracking progress towards them, as well as tracking habits you are looking to develop or maintain, are great ways to monitor yourself. These goals and habits do not even have to be geared toward work, as they can focus on basic things like getting enough exercise, eating healthy, and meditating. By following these steps, you can create your very own personalized weekly planner template and take control of your time and productivity. Remember, your planner should be tailored to your personal preferences and work style, so don't be afraid to experiment and make adjustments as necessary. Organize your weeks more effectively with a weekly planner template created using Wrike's comprehensive work management platform. Begin your free trial now and stay on top of tasks and deadlines for enhanced results. Try Wrike for free Note: This article was created with the assistance of an AI engine. 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How To Make a Workflow Template
Are you looking to streamline your work processes and increase productivity? One tool that can help with that is a workflow template. In this short guide, we’ll cover the essentials of creating an effective workflow template, from understanding what it is to choosing the right tools and designing the template. Try Wrike for free Understanding Workflow Templates A workflow template is a visual representation of a specific process, outlining the steps and tasks required to complete it. Used in a wide variety of industries, from manufacturing to marketing, these templates act as a guide for the team to follow, outlining the steps to take and what needs to be achieved at each stage. They are useful for both simple and complex processes and can be adapted to fit the needs of any organization. The Evolution of Workflow Templates in the Digital Age In the digital era, workflow templates have undergone a significant transformation. The shift from paper-based to digital workflows has unlocked new levels of efficiency, transparency, and flexibility in managing business processes. Digitally-enabled workflow templates allow for real-time collaboration, where multiple team members can view, edit, and update the status of tasks simultaneously. This not only enhances team collaboration but also ensures everyone is on the same page. Advanced technologies such as cloud computing have made workflow templates accessible from anywhere, at any time. Whether you're working from the office, home, or on the go, you can access your workflow templates, making remote work easier and more efficient. Integration with other software systems is another crucial development. Today's workflow templates can interact with CRM, ERP, and other business systems, automating data transfer and reducing the need for manual data entry. Moreover, digital workflow templates can now incorporate conditional logic, where tasks and processes change based on specific conditions or inputs. This brings a new level of dynamism and customization to workflow templates, allowing them to adapt to varying business scenarios. Benefits of Using Workflow Templates Using a workflow template can provide a range of benefits for your organization. They streamline your processes, making sure everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Here are some of the main benefits: Streamlined, consistent processes to save time, reduce errors, and create smoother production cycles Ability to identify bottlenecks, unnecessary steps, and areas where automation can be implemented to improve overall efficiency Improved communication and collaboration with team members to reduce confusion and meet deadlines Common Types of Workflow Templates There are many types of workflow templates that can be created, depending on the process in question. Some common types include: Project management templates outline the steps required to complete a project, from planning to execution. Marketing campaign templates plan and execute marketing campaigns, from ideation to launch. Sales templates outline the steps involved in the sales process, from lead generation to closing the deal. HR procedure templates detail the steps involved in HR procedures, such as onboarding, performance reviews, and disciplinary action. Customer support templates describe the steps involved in providing customer support, from initial contact to resolution of the issue. Planning Your Workflow Template Now that you have an understanding of what workflow templates are, it’s time to plan what to include in yours. Here are several key steps to take when planning a workflow template: Identifying Your Process Identify the process you want to create a template for, as this will form the foundation of your document. Take some time to consider what steps are required to complete the process and who is involved, whether it be onboarding new employees or processing customer orders. If you are creating a workflow template for onboarding new employees, consider identifying steps such as conducting background checks, setting up email accounts, and assigning mentors. Defining Your Goals and Objectives Now is the time to ask yourself several questions. What do you want to achieve by creating this template? Is it to streamline the process, improve productivity, or reduce errors? If you have clear goals, it will be easier to stay on track throughout the template creation process. For example, if your goal is to streamline the onboarding process, include objectives such as reducing the time it takes to onboard a new employee and improving the consistency of the process. Mapping Out the Steps and Tasks The next step is to map out the steps and tasks required to complete the process via a flowchart or another visual representation. Break the process down into smaller, achievable tasks, and consider the dependencies between them. Tip: If one of the steps in your onboarding process is to conduct a background check, separate the tasks into three chunks: requesting the check, waiting for the results, and reviewing the results. Try Wrike for free Choosing the Right Tools and Software Choosing the right tools and software is crucial for any business or organization to improve productivity and efficiency. With so many options available, it can be overwhelming to decide which ones to use. Let’s take a closer look at two of the main types of software: workflow management software and collaboration and communication tools. Workflow Management Software Options Workflow management software can help streamline the process of creating and following a workflow template. Here are two potential options, each with its own unique features and benefits. Wrike: A fantastic option for teams looking to collaborate, Wrike allows multiple users to work on the same task simultaneously. Visual learners can organize their assignments via cards, boards, and Gantt charts. Monday.com: This tool builds a core foundation for teams to organize work that can be customized by adding industry-specific products, such as applications or integrations. Collaboration and Communication Tools Effective communication and collaboration are essential for any workflow to run smoothly, allowing employees to interact without having to be in the same physical location. Slack: A popular tool with features such as channels, direct messaging, and file sharing, Slack is great for teams who want a centralized location for communication and collaboration. Microsoft Teams: As part of a collection of other Microsoft tools such as Outlook and SharePoint, Microsoft Teams works great for teams who already use Microsoft products and want a seamless integration with their workflow. Designing Your Workflow Template Designing a thoughtful workflow template, whether it be in the form of a flowchart, checklist, or series of steps, will ensure a streamlined and efficient process. Consider the following before designing your own template: Creating a Visual Representation An engaging visual representation makes it easier for everyone to follow and understand the process, reducing errors and inefficiencies. For instance, a flowchart is a great way to visually represent a workflow template. It allows you to see the steps involved in the process and the order in which they need to be completed. Alternatively, a checklist allows you to check off each step as it is completed, ensuring that nothing is missed. Assigning Roles and Responsibilities Assigning roles and responsibilities keeps everybody accountable for their part in the process. This can also help identify any bottlenecks or areas where the process can be improved and minimize confusion and delays. Setting Deadlines and Milestones Finally, setting deadlines and milestones is a must when designing an effective workflow template. Deadlines ensure that the process is completed on time, while milestones track progress and identify any areas where the process can be improved. Strive to be realistic when setting deadlines and milestones to avoid stress and inefficiencies. Future Trends in Workflow Templates As we look to the future, the evolution of workflow templates is set to continue, driven by advancements in technology and changing business needs. Here are some trends to watch out for: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML): AI and ML are set to revolutionize workflow templates. They can analyze past data to identify patterns, predict future outcomes, and recommend the best workflows. This means your templates will become more intelligent, adapting and improving over time. Automation: As automation technologies become more sophisticated, we can expect to see an increase in the automation of routine tasks within workflow templates. This will free up human time for more complex and strategic tasks, increasing overall productivity. Integration with IoT: The integration of workflow templates with the Internet of Things (IoT) will enable more real-time tracking and optimization of workflows. For instance, sensors on a manufacturing line could feed data into the workflow template, triggering specific actions when certain conditions are met. Data Visualization: Future workflow templates will incorporate more advanced data visualization tools, making it easier to understand process flows and identify bottlenecks or inefficiencies. Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR): VR and AR technologies could be used to create immersive, interactive workflow templates. This could be particularly useful for training purposes, helping staff to better understand and follow complex processes. Embracing these trends will help businesses to stay ahead of the curve, ensuring their workflow templates continue to drive efficiency, productivity, and innovation. Conclusion Creating a workflow template can help your organization streamline processes, improve productivity, and reduce errors. To create an effective workflow template, start by understanding what it is and the benefits it provides. Then, identify the process you want to optimize, map out the steps and tasks, and choose the right tools and software. Finally, design the template, assign roles and responsibilities, and set deadlines and milestones. Follow these steps, and you'll be on your way to a more productive and efficient workflow. Optimize your processes by creating a well-designed workflow template with Wrike's powerful work management features. Start your free trial today and elevate your team's efficiency and productivity. Try Wrike for free Note: This article was created with the assistance of an AI engine. It has been reviewed and revised by our team of experts to ensure accuracy and quality.
How Alpha Brainwaves Boost Productivity and Creativity
We all wish we could be more productive, creative, and satisfied with our work responsibilities, performance, and results. Wouldn't it be great if you were the best you could be — brainstorming ideas, solving problems, and maintaining zen as you grow in your career and tackle more challenging issues? But these days, due to post-pandemic fatigue and many other stressors at home and work, many professionals are burnt out and searching for new inspiration to re-engage with the world and contribute better at work. Alpha brainwaves are a natural solution — an optimal brain state we can learn to tap into for improved productivity and creativity. This article discusses alpha brainwaves and their effects. We’ll discuss what they are, their top benefits, and tips to control your alpha brain frequency for better performance at work. Let’s begin. What are brainwaves? At any point in time, billions of neurons in our brains are communicating with each other using electrical signals. These signals generate movements or oscillations known as brainwaves or frequency. Brainwaves are formed when groups of neurons send signals to other groups of neurons. There are five main types of brainwaves differentiated by their frequency range. Each one is associated with different types of brain activity and states of consciousness. They are measured in cycles per second or Hertz (Hz) frequency ranges. Types of brainwaves Let’s take a look at the five brainwaves: 1. Delta waves Generally between 0.5 and 3 Hz, delta waves are the most sleepy waves. As you sleep, your brain moves through different sleep cycles. When you’re in deep sleep, your brain produces delta waves, which help with physical restoration, memory, and learning. 2. Theta waves As you begin to awaken, your brain activates by producing theta waves. These measure between 3 and 8 Hz and take you from sleepy and inactive repose to a more wakeful state. Theta waves can be likened to the line between consciousness and unconsciousness. 3. Alpha waves Next up, we have alpha waves. These measure between 8 and 12 Hz. They dominate when you are awake and alert yet relaxed. Alpha brainwaves make it easy to absorb new information and connect dots between different thoughts and parts of your brain, increasing creativity. 4. Beta waves The waves after alpha are low-amplitude and high-frequency. Beta waves measure between 12 and 35 Hz. They’re activated when you’re moving in high gear, making decisions, and solving problems. Beta waves are often induced in response to fast-paced, unanticipated, or stressful situations. 5. Gamma waves Beyond beta are the even faster gamma waves. Gamma waves measure upward of 35 Hz. The brain produces this frequency when you’re at the peak of your day and full of adrenaline, energy, and purpose. Gamma waves are activated when your brain is working hard and fast, processing information, multitasking, and firing on all cylinders. What are alpha brainwaves? As mentioned, alpha brainwaves are a pattern of electrical activity produced in the brain. Alpha is a distinctive brain frequency that emerges when you are awake and relaxed, and have a soft focus on a single task or a wandering mind. Alpha waves are smack in the middle of the brainwave spectrum. They are a balance between high-amplitude, low-frequency brainwaves like delta and theta, and low-amplitude, high-frequency brainwaves like beta and gamma. Alpha brainwaves begin to fluctuate whenever you wake from a nap or a good night’s sleep. You’re not yet processing much information or focused on solving difficult problems. Subconsciously, however, your electroactive neurons are firing signals back and forth and making connections on events and issues you may have had running through your mind while awake and asleep. This subconscious brain activity powers increased creativity and, in some cases, productivity, even though you aren’t actively working. What are the effects of alpha brainwaves? Brainwaves contain information that helps you do things and complete tasks. Seeking a promotion, contributing to team meetings, comforting a hurting friend — these are actions you take influenced by the different brainwaves and their associated mental states. Alpha brainwaves create a calm, immersive, and functional mind state. Under this effect, you can focus on a single problem and complete creative assignments. You may feel yourself entering into the flow state, engaged with your work and thoughts — focused yet relaxed. You may not notice time passing by. Let’s see exactly how alpha brainwaves affect mental performance and mood. Productivity Alpha brainwaves close our minds to distractions and extraneous brain activity. This, in turn, optimizes brain functions, focus, and work performance. This 2012 scientific study infers that alpha brainwaves can help suppress distractions, especially when the distractions are anticipated or expected. Using neurofeedback, test subjects could increase alpha brainwave activity to boost their attention levels and achieve set goals. If you find yourself in a less productive state than you’d like to be in — for example, frazzled at work and unable to keep up with your tasks — pause and try one of the alpha brainwave-inducing techniques listed below. They’ll help you produce alpha waves as needed. Or tune into a better-suited brainwave to get you through your to-do list. Learning to control your brainwaves better is a part of biohacking. You apply biological knowledge and lessons from experiences to be the best possible version of yourself. Creativity Overwork, stress, and non-stop work saps your mental energy and kills creativity. The brain needs moments to pause and recharge to connect dots between experiences and problems to be solved. When you deprive yourself of rest, you deprive your brain of alpha brainwave production. Alpha waves in the brain induce creative thinking and new solutions. If your work entails imaginative input and expression, learning to influence your alpha states can help you work efficiently and reach your full creative potential. Take regular breaks between work hours to recharge and rest your brain so it can produce more alpha waves. It may seem counterintuitive to take breaks when you have a lot to do, but it is better for your creativity and performance in the long run. Happiness Alpha brainwaves are dominant when you are in the present, not forcing anything. This meditative mood lulls you into a flow state where you are too immersed ‘in the now’ to worry about other things. This increases your happiness levels and alleviates symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression as your mind stays free and focused on the task at hand. Happiness is often based on what we perceive, not actual reality. Controlling your brainwaves can help you regulate your emotions and stay happy. Pause whenever you feel overwhelmed, take stock of your environment, and try any of the techniques listed below to produce alpha brainwaves as needed. As mentioned above, short breaks are valuable as they allow you time to produce alpha waves and release happy hormones. How to increase your alpha brainwaves Now you know about the benefits of alpha brainwaves, we will share tips to increase your alpha brainwaves so you can achieve more of your goals. If you have trouble concentrating for a long time or working on a single task, you can influence your alpha brainwaves to improve your attention span and productivity. Since alpha brainwaves occur when you’re in a restful, wakeful mind space, engaging in activities that simulate such experiences can increase the production of alpha brainwaves in the brain. Examples of such activities include: Practicing mindfulness Meditating and meditative practices Listening to brainwave music Going on a nature walk Deep breathing and breath work Drinking lots of water Stretching and doing yoga Being in nature Entering into the flow state Using wearable devices with EEG sensors Let’s take a look at a few of these in detail. Hydration Drinking water throughout the day has significant positive effects on physical and mental performance. The human brain needs water to function well. A constant supply helps it produce more alpha waves, calm the brain’s electrical activity, and regulate focus. A study that tested performance on a simulated driving test found that minor to moderate levels of dehydration (water loss of Fueling your body with water allows your brain to replenish and sustain energy throughout the day, especially at work. Always keep a bottle of water close to you to remind yourself to drink. You can also set reminders to stay hydrated on busy days. Deep breathing Taking long, bellyful breaths while focusing on nothing but your breathing is a time-proven way to bring oneself back to the present, interrupt unwanted thoughts, calm anxieties, and increase alpha brainwaves. Before you begin a workday or whenever things get chaotic, take a moment to close your eyes and turn your attention inward as you take a few long, deep, slow breaths. You can produce alpha waves by recreating your sleep or wake-up ritual – i.e., when you stop trying to focus on anything and try to relax instead. The popular 4-7-8 breathing technique involves inhaling for four seconds, holding the breath for seven seconds, and exhaling for eight seconds. Meditating while breathing deeply boosts alpha brainwave production. Combined, they help to release tension, minimize stress, and get you in a better headspace to create meaningful work. Listening to music Listening to brainwave music using headphones is one of the quickest and easiest ways to activate alpha waves in the brain. It’s a shortcut. Choose a soundtrack made to stimulate alpha brainwave frequencies and begin focused work. Certain kinds of music are better suited to create a serene environment, e.g., low-fidelity (Lo-Fi), instrumental, binaural, isochronic, and white noise tracks. These kinds of music can induce your brain to stimulate alpha brainwaves and create a calm, creative, and productive mental state. If your office, home, or co-working space is often noisy or you need to relax while thinking through a work problem, put on headphones and brainwave music to block distractions and lull your brain into a productive trance. Try these curated Spotify playlists to get your brain into this focused mood: Alpha brainwaves playlist African lo-fi playlist Brain food playlist Yoga Practicing yoga regularly calms the mind and nervous system, producing an abundance of alpha brainwaves that positively influence decision-making and performance at work and home. Yoga also balances brain activity. The relaxed state associated with alpha brainwaves increases when performing yoga, improving mental health and relieving feelings of anxiety and angst. Yoga keeps you focused on the present, making room for creativity and happiness. Starting your mornings with yoga is a great way to produce more alpha waves and set yourself up for success throughout the day. Create a morning routine or workflow that works for you and helps you structure productive days. Use Wrike to improve personal and team productivity Enhancing productivity and creativity is never a one-and-done deal. It’s a continuous, lifelong process to get better at managing your mental states, perspectives, and reactions to create value and enjoy the journey toward achieving your ultimate goal. For teams, it’s advisable to invest in tools that facilitate team productivity and collaboration as this can exponentially increase organizational output. These tools are crucial for today’s workplace, where global and cross-functional collaboration is the norm and hybrid workplaces are here to stay. Business owners, leaders, and managers must prioritize creating work environments where teams and individuals can be productive and thrive. Such an environment would foster good company culture, employee autonomy, and the necessary transparency for involved team members on every project. Team members would be willing to give their all — boosting their alpha brainwaves and productivity to contribute more to the company’s goals. You need work management software that can help set teams up for success, with functionalities including: Task and project management Task delegation and assignments Project timelines and shared views In-app @mentions for communication and updates Automated reminders to keep teams on track without mental or communication clutter Time tracking functionalities to measure productivity and task requirements Folders and subfolders for organizing multiple projects efficiently Review and approval functionalities for creative teams and departments to get work done faster Automated, in-depth reports to measure organizational performance over time Integrations with other business-critical tools to ensure a smooth and seamless workflow and tech stack Wrike’s work management platform provides all these and more. Our software caters to teams of all sizes, from professional service providers to enterprise project management teams. If you’re ready to take charge and significantly boost your team’s productivity from the personal to the team level, you’re in luck — Wrike helps brilliant teams enhance productivity and improve performance and results. Get started with a free two-week trial.
Problem-Solving Techniques and Tips (That Actually Work)
When faced with a doozy of a problem, where do you start? And what problem solving techniques can you use RIGHT NOW that can help you make good decisions? Today's post will give you tips and techniques for solving complex problems so you can untangle any complication like an expert.
What Is the Cycle Time Formula?
Imagine that your customer just sent you an urgent request. They need a specific deliverable as soon as possible and ask how long it will take to get it done. Knowing they need it urgently, you want to deliver as quickly as possible. You believe your team can turn around the customer’s request within the next two weeks, so you set a strict deadline, promising to meet your customer’s expectations. With the customer communication handled, you quickly reach out to your team to inform them of the request and urgent work. To your surprise, your team feels frustrated, annoyed, and bothered by the fact that you’ve promised such a quick turnaround — because it’s going to be nearly impossible for them to do the work in that short period. You thought a specific task would take 40 hours to produce from start to finish, but your team says it will take at least 80 hours to complete that task. The work has been scoped inaccurately, the customer has been promised a deliverable they may not receive, and your team’s morale plummets as they work extra hours to try and deliver on the guarantee you committed to. You and your team are knee-deep in a mess, and you wish you would have known more accurately how long the work would take to complete. You want to prevent this from happening again in the future to ensure both your team members and your customers stay satisfied and happy. That’s where the cycle time equation comes in. We’ve rounded up the fundamentals of cycle time, its benefits, two other formulas it works alongside, how it should be calculated, and how to track it. With a solid understanding of the cycle time formula, you can avoid ending up in these types of scrambles and deliver high-quality work in a timeframe that’s reasonable for both your customer and your team. What is cycle time? Cycle time is a calculation that comes from the world of lean manufacturing. The cycle time is the amount of time it takes to complete a specific task from start to finish. You can think of it as the time it takes to produce one unit or item from beginning to end. In our example from earlier, it’s the actual amount of time (80 hours) your team told you it would take to get the work done. The cycle time formula is all about revealing the speed of delivery. It’s a crucial metric that allows you to measure how long it takes to complete a product or deliver a service. It can also be considered part of continuous improvement efforts since it can expose areas of inefficiencies that you and your team could address. It’s also a valuable metric when it comes to measuring productivity and efficiency within a business. Cycle time can be applied across a broad range of industries and types of work. In software engineering, it refers to how long it takes to deploy code, or in supply chain management, it can explain how long it takes to fulfill a product order. But, industry aside, it also applies when managing projects of any size. Even if you aren’t working with physical product development, calculating cycle time can help you understand how long it takes to get work done — from beginning to end. What are the benefits of calculating cycle time? Calculating cycle time can be a huge benefit to your business. Here are some of the key benefits of calculating cycle time and why you should be using the cycle time formula if you aren’t already: Increased profitability from cost savings. With the speed of delivery top of mind, when you maximize cycle time, you reduce costs and increase your profitability. Having a clear understanding of how and where time is being spent is a quick way to understand where you can cut back. In one case study, an organization’s pretax profits increased from 2% to 13%, in part due to an in-depth understanding of cycle time alongside other lean principles. More consistent production. When you have an in-depth understanding of your production flow, you can implement processes and tools to ensure consistent production rates. By honing in on your production rate to standardize it, you’ll eliminate the chances of under and overproducing. Highly-satisfied customers. Have you ever been in a situation similar to the one in the introduction? Where you promised a customer a deliverable within a timeframe you weren’t able to meet? It happens all the time when we don’t have a clear understanding of how long it takes to complete specific tasks. When you calculate cycle time, you can figure out your production rate and provide more realistic timelines that you can stick to. More efficiencies within your team’s working structure. When reviewing and assessing your cycle time, the data offers an opportunity to address inefficiencies. For example, maybe your cycle time indicates that you can’t deliver quickly enough and provide the turnaround times that you’d like. In that case, you can determine whether you can increase your production batch to deliver more quickly. You can use cycle time as a major player when it comes to identifying process improvements. Improved project scoping. If you lack a clear understanding of how long it takes for your team to complete specific tasks in their work, it’s challenging to scope work accurately with your customers. This leads to frustration on your team when they realize a project is way more than they bargained for, as well as with your customers when they realize you need to push out your deadline. Cycle time will give you a more accurate project scope than simply taking an educated guess. Outpace your competitors. Want to beat your competitors and retain loyal customers? Outpace your competition by being the partner who delivers within the quickest production time. You can use the real-time data and visibility provided by your cycle time to stay ahead of the market. Calculating cycle time will help ensure you’re putting your business at a competitive advantage and blowing your competition out of the water. A better understanding of business spend. Based on the cycle time of any given task, you can determine the worth or value of individual processes. Having an understanding of cycle time and how many resources are being paid to complete production tasks within a specific period can give you a clearer understanding of business spend. In turn, you can focus on optimizing the processes that create the most value and bang for your buck. What are the challenges of calculating cycle time? There are plenty of benefits to using the cycle time formula in your project, but it can be difficult to use correctly. Some common issues that can arise when calculating cycle time include: Communication siloes: Team members each working on their own tasks without regular and effective collaboration can lead to issues in the project's workflow. Lack of prioritization with tasks: With so many tasks being worked on at once, it can be hard to pick out where efforts should be focused for the good of the team. Can throw supply and distribution channels out of whack: When altering cycle times, there is a risk that this will offset the balance of your project's supply and distribution, which is important to stay aware of. Cycle time vs. takt time vs. lead time To best understand the cycle time formula, we need to talk about how cycle time works in relation to a couple of its closest formula counterparts: takt time and lead time. First, it’s essential to understand that cycle time, takt time, and lead time are different. In particular, cycle time and lead time are necessary metrics in the Kanban project management method. These metrics often get confused for one another, and while they’re related, they differ and are used to measure productivity in different ways. Let’s take a quick look at each metric. 1. Cycle time As we previously mentioned, cycle time represents the amount of time it takes to complete one task, production, service, or process from start to finish. It’s the amount of time required to produce a product or service or complete an entire cycle. We’ll get into the specifics of the cycle time formula later, but keep in mind that the formula is calculated by examining net production time (NPT) and the number of units produced within that production time. 2. Takt time In contrast, takt time is the speed at which a product needs to be manufactured to satisfy customer demand. It’s similar to cycle time but emphasizes production speed in relation to how many customers are demanding your product or service. In a perfect world, cycle time would match takt time. It makes sense, right? The rate at which your team produces a product, project, or deliverable matches the customer demand you’re up against. If your cycle time exceeds your takt time, your customers will be dissatisfied because you can’t keep up with the demand. And vice versa; if your cycle time is less than your takt time, there may be opportunities to improve your processes and work more efficiently. Your process might be too complex, or you might have too many staff members for the amount of demand you need to deliver on. 3. Lead time The third formula we need to understand is lead time. Lead time is the amount of time it takes to run through the entire production cycle from the order stage to the final payment stage. This metric reveals the time that elapses between order and delivery and gives insight into how long your process takes from the customer’s perspective. In a nutshell, taking a look at these formulas together can provide insight into how efficiently your business is operating as a whole. The cycle time formula, takt time, and lead time allow you to understand your business processes from the inside out. When you use these formulas together, you’ll experience higher overall customer satisfaction because you’ll be able to provide accurate estimates on how long production will take. It’s a win-win scenario for you, your team, and your customers. So, how exactly can you use the cycle time formula to get a grasp on how long it takes to get specific tasks done? Let’s run through how to calculate cycle time and a few examples to help you get started. How do you calculate cycle time? How exactly is cycle time calculated? The calculation itself is a relatively straightforward division equation that goes as follows: Cycle Time = Net production time (NPT) / Number of units produced That’s pretty simple, right? Not so fast! When calculating cycle time, it’s essential to understand that the net production time shouldn’t take into account any breaks or waiting time that affect the production process. This number strictly measures the time it takes to complete the task or produce the product, minus the extra fluff and downtime. Let’s take a look at a few examples. Cycle time in professional services First, let’s look at a project-based example that applies to the professional services industries. Suppose you work at an organization and lead the internal marketing team. This year, you want your team to focus on building out your overall content strategy, which includes producing more online content and boosting your SEO rankings. With this in mind, one of the strategies you’re implementing is producing more blog content. You need to understand how many blogs your team members can produce before determining how the blog content will fit into the overarching content strategy. Let’s say you have five content writers. Each content writer averages approximately two and half hours of production time for a 1,500-word blog post. You want to understand the cycle time to generate 20 blog posts total because you’d like to publish 20 blogs per month. Using these numbers, we can calculate the cycle time for the entire team as follows: Cycle Time = 2.5 hours / 1 blog post totaling 1,500 words The cycle time is 2.5 hours, and if we multiply this by the total number of blog posts we want to generate, we can see that it will take 50 hours for the team to complete 20 blog posts. 2.5 hours x 20 blog posts = 50 hours Using this information, you can now build in the total number of hours needed to generate blog content into your team’s schedule and do a more effective job building out your content strategy. Cycle time in delivery services Here’s another example. Let’s walk through how cycle time applies in terms of a service delivery task. Suppose you work for the postal service and run the regular mail delivery routes. You run the same route every week, so you’re relatively quick at navigating the neighborhood. You’re working a 12-hour shift with a one-hour lunch break and an additional 30-minute break. In this example, we want to eliminate the breaks, otherwise known as downtime, to ensure we are strictly calculating the production time only. So your net production time is 12 - 1.5 = 10.5 hours. You manage to deliver bundles of mail to 300 addresses during your 10.5-hour production time. Cycle Time = 10.5 hours / 300 bundles of mail In this scenario, it takes approximately 0.035 hours, or 2.1 minutes to deliver one bundle of mail. That’s a speedy delivery! Cycle time in production settings We can also calculate cycle time in a production line setting to determine how much to price an individual item. Let’s say you’re starting a small business and will be selling handmade t-shirts. You need to know how many t-shirts you can produce in a certain period of time to know how much you should charge. In your pricing model, you want to cover labor and materials and make a profit. You’re working a 10-hour shift with a 30-minute break. So your net production time is 10 - 0.5 = 9.5 hours. You produced 50 handmade t-shirts today. Cycle Time = 9.5 hours / 50 handmade t-shirts It takes you just over 11 minutes (0.19 hours) to produce one t-shirt, so you can use this calculation to account for labor costs and add them to your material costs. Be sure to throw in a little extra to make sure you’re profiting off your small business and monitor your cycle time as you progress to adjust your rates as needed. Who calculates cycle time? Not sure who is responsible for calculating cycle time? Cycle time impacts the overall efficiencies and success of any business, which means many different industries and roles calculate cycle time. Whether you’re a project manager, product manager, manager of software developers, production line head, process improvement manager, manufacturer, supplier, or any level in between, you can and should be calculating cycle time. If you’re completing any sort of product delivery, service, or project from start to finish, you can calculate the cycle time for that task or set of tasks. The good news is that you don’t have to worry about calculating cycle time manually and get bogged down in the math. There are a variety of tools that make calculating and tracking cycle time easy for anyone responsible for doing so. For example, you can calculate cycle time using a tool like a cycle time calculator. And to boost your productivity tracking even further, you can use a project management tool to help you understand your workflows and calculate cycle time thoroughly and comprehensively. How to optimize your production workflows with Wrike Wrike can help you optimize your production workflows and stay on top of your cycle time calculations with ease. How does Wrike help track cycle time? Here are a few noteworthy features that can make your calculations simple, easy to understand, and easy to share. 1. Use cumulative flow diagrams Cumulative flow diagrams are data visualizations that work well with Kanban project management, and Kanban boards tie in well with cycle time and lean principles. These diagrams allow you to view cycle time, throughput, and work in progress. You can build a Kanban board directly in Wrike and use it to gather insights into productivity using your team’s analytics. 2. Compare estimated time and actual time You can enhance your team’s time tracking by comparing estimated time and actual time spent. Remember, you’ll need the actual production time to calculate cycle time, but it can be helpful to compare the production time against your team’s predictions on how long tasks will take them. To measure and report on the estimated time it will take to complete a task, you can set up a custom field and have your team members enter the estimated time for a task. Then, you can use the time tracker feature and have your team members calculate the actual amount of time they’re spending on each task. Run customizable reports to compare and contrast the estimated and actual time spent. 3. Streamline collaboration Wrike integrates with over 400+ leading software providers, which means you can optimize your production workflows without having to leave behind the tools you already know and love. Additionally, collaboration is a necessary component of optimized workflows, and Wrike has you covered. With the ability to collaborate directly within the software and share documents and reports instantly, you can easily visualize your team’s processes at every stage while communicating more effectively. 4. Rely on templates Working on a complex project that may include multiple cycle times as your team works through each stage of the project lifecycle? Use the Complex Project with Phases Template in Wrike to track cycle times from the initiation phase through the launch phase. Each phase of the project management lifecycle has its own folder, making it simpler to track multiple tasks within one project at the same time. Although cycle time is often tied back to Kanban methods, you can also use this metric as part of an Agile methodology framework. Agile encourages delivering high-quality products in short periods of time (see how that works nicely with cycle time?) Use the Agile Teamwork Template to start planning sprints and working in shorter iterations. Understand (and maximize) your team’s time Nobody likes that panicked, stomach-dropping feeling when they realize they’ve over-promised and are bound to under-deliver. Fortunately, tracking and understanding your team’s cycle time will not only help prevent overcommitments to your customers but will also help keep your team members happy and working efficiently. Cycle time isn’t just a measure of how much you’re producing — it’s a metric that will help you deliver high-quality work and leave you with loyal, satisfied customers. Whether you’re using cycle time for product delivery, a service, software development, or another type of project, the cycle time formula can help you improve your customer satisfaction levels and continuously improve the way you and your team get work done. Are you ready to start tracking cycle time for your team? Sign up for a free trial of Wrike and start optimizing your workflows and boosting customer satisfaction today.
What Is Resource Management and Why Is It Important?
Resource management requires a thorough understanding of and transparency into your objectives and capacity. By establishing a good process for resource management planning, you’re maximizing efficiency and overseeing the utilization of those resources.