Line balancing is a core CI discipline — distributing work across operators so that each operator's cycle time is as close to takt time as possible, minimizing idle time and preventing overloading. The problem is that line balancing is traditionally done with data collected in the past.
A line balance study takes a snapshot of cycle times at a specific point in time. The product mix changes. Operators rotate. New subprocesses are added. The line balance that was optimal three months ago may be significantly suboptimal today.
Traditional line balancing requires conducting a new time study every time conditions change. That's expensive, slow, and creates a cycle where CI is always reacting to conditions that existed weeks ago rather than what's happening now.
TaktClock captures actual elapsed time for every session: operator, MO, part, process, subprocess, actual time, standard time. That data accumulates every shift. The Yamazumi view shows the current actual-versus-expected distribution across all operators — updated from live sessions, not from a time study.
The line balance visible in TaktClock is the balance that actually exists right now, with the current product mix, the current operator assignments, and the current process conditions. A CI engineer can look at the Yamazumi tab this morning and make a line balance adjustment before the shift is over.
When cycle time data is live, line balancing shifts from a periodic project to a continuous practice. The CI engineer has a current-state Yamazumi available every day. The Bottleneck tab shows which subprocess is causing the most delay — updated every shift, without a time study.
Kaizen targets derived from live data are correct. Improvements are validated against current conditions. The feedback loop between improvement implementation and measured impact becomes days instead of months.
30 minutes. Live screen share. We'll configure it against your areas, your processes, your standard hours.