Execution & Delivery

What is Lead Time?

Lead Time measures elapsed time from a request or backlog entry to delivery. It includes waiting before work starts and the Cycle Time from start to finish. Use it to understand how long customers wait for a result.

Formula

Lead Time = Queue Time + Cycle Time

Queue Time = time from request to active work start. Cycle Time = time from active work start to completion. Lead Time = Delivery Date - Request Date. Example: Feature requested January 1, development started January 8 (7 days queue time), completed January 13 (5 days cycle time). Lead Time = 12 days. Review work-in-progress limits and backlog readiness when investigating long queues.

Benchmarks and interpretation

  • Measure request-to-delivery lead time consistently, including the same waiting stages each time
  • DORA change lead time runs from code commit to production; its results are not benchmarks for request-to-delivery lead time
  • Compare similar work types and review both typical lead time and slower cases
  • Investigate long queues and blocked work; a lead-time number alone does not identify the cause of a delay

When to use Lead Time

  • Measuring the customer-perceived time from request to value delivery
  • Identifying whether delivery slowdowns are caused by queue time (planning problems) or cycle time (execution problems)
  • Setting internal SLAs for different types of work (bugs vs features vs tech debt)
  • Demonstrating continuous improvement progress to leadership through trend data
Common mistakes
  • Confusing lead time with cycle time in reports, which incorrectly attributes delays to execution when they are actually in planning and queuing
  • Measuring lead time only from when work starts development, which understates the customer-perceived waiting time
  • Reducing lead time by rushing work through without adequate testing, trading short-term speed for long-term quality debt
Practical tips
  • Examine queue time, WIP limits, and backlog readiness when reducing lead time; they are common sources of delay
  • Track lead time by work type (bug, feature, chore) separately because each has different drivers and acceptable thresholds
  • Use a cumulative flow diagram to visualise how work accumulates and flows through each workflow stage to pinpoint bottlenecks

Related terms

Cycle TimeSprint VelocitySprint

Free Lead Time Calculator

Enter your inputs in the free Cycle Time Calculator and review the result alongside its guidance.

Cycle Time Calculator
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