Cycle Time
The total time from when work begins until it's delivered to production—one of the most important engineering metrics.
Definition
Cycle Time measures the elapsed time from when a developer starts working on a task until that work is deployed to production. For pull requests specifically, it's the time from first commit (or PR opened) to merge. It's a key indicator of development velocity and process efficiency.
The Four Phases of Cycle Time
Coding
Time from first commit to PR opened
Tip: Break work into smaller chunks
Pickup
Time from PR opened to first review
Tip: Set review SLAs, use PR notifications
Review
Time in active code review
Tip: Smaller PRs, clear descriptions
Merge
Time from approval to merge
Tip: Auto-merge after approval, reduce CI time
How to Calculate Cycle Time
For PR-based workflows: measure from the first commit in the PR (or when PR was opened) to when the PR is merged.
Cycle Time Benchmarks
| Performance Level | Cycle Time | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Elite | < 24 hours | Same-day shipping capability |
| High | 1-7 days | Weekly delivery cadence |
| Medium | 1-4 weeks | Sprint-based delivery |
| Low | > 4 weeks | Significant bottlenecks present |
Industry median: ~83 hours. Top quartile: <58 hours. Bottom quartile: >124 hours.
Why Cycle Time Matters
Cycle time is often called the "canary in the coal mine" for engineering teams:
- Reveals bottlenecks: Long cycle times indicate slow reviews, unclear requirements, or deployment friction
- Predicts delivery: Consistent cycle times make sprint planning more accurate
- Improves quality: Shorter cycles mean faster feedback and fewer defects
- Reduces risk: Smaller, faster changes are easier to review and roll back
Common Cycle Time Killers
Review Bottlenecks
- • PRs waiting days for first review
- • Single-reviewer dependencies
- • Large, complex PRs
Process Friction
- • Slow CI/CD pipelines
- • Manual deployment steps
- • Multiple approval gates
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cycle Time in software development?
Cycle Time is the total elapsed time from when a developer starts working on a task until that work is deployed to production. It includes coding, code review, testing, and deployment phases.
What is a good Cycle Time?
Elite teams achieve cycle times of less than 1 day. High-performing teams average 1-7 days. The median organization averages around 83 hours (about 3.5 days). Anything over a week indicates room for improvement.
How do you calculate Cycle Time?
Cycle Time = Time when work is deployed - Time when work started. For pull requests specifically: PR Cycle Time = Time PR merged - Time of first commit (or PR opened, whichever is earlier).
What's the difference between Cycle Time and Lead Time?
Cycle Time measures from when work starts to when it's done. Lead Time measures from when work is requested (e.g., ticket created) to when it's done. Lead Time includes waiting time before work begins.
How do you reduce Cycle Time?
Key strategies include: smaller pull requests, faster code reviews (aim for <4 hours), automated testing, reducing work in progress, removing deployment friction, and addressing blockers quickly.
Track Your Team's Cycle Time
DevSpy automatically tracks cycle time across your GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket repositories.
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