MANUFACTURING CRITICAL PATH TIME

Description: The manufacturing critical path time (MCT) is the time interval from when a manufacturing order is created until the first element of that order is received by the customer. MCT shows the minimum amount of time required to actually create a product and deliver it, which can include the time needed to obtain necessary parts from suppliers. This measure is ideal for lean production environments, which are designed to have minimal buffer inventory on hand. It is also useful as a baseline measurement for manufacturing improvement initiatives.

MCT can also be used to measure the performance of suppliers; for example, a long MCT and high supplier quality may indicate the use of extensive supplier inspection activities, while a long MCT and short delivery lead time indicate the presence of a significant finished goods inventory buffer.