Lean Manufacturing & Operations worked example

Standard Work Combination Time with manual work time of 18 sec: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop manual work time to 18 sec, then walk the calculation through step by step. Sum manual time, auto machine time, and walk time to find the total standard work combination time for one operator cycle.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Manual work time: 18 sec (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 35)
  • Auto machine time: 20 sec (held at the documented default)
  • Walk time: 5 sec (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Combination Time = Manual Time + Auto Time + Walk Time.
  • Total combination time per cycle works out to 43 sec at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Element 1 works out to 18 sec at these inputs.
  • Element 2 works out to 20 sec at these inputs.
  • Element 3 + 4 works out to 5 sec at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where manual work time sits at 35 sec and the headline result is 60 sec, this scenario comes in 28.33% below the baseline at 43 sec.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to manual work time, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. A simple sum can overstate cycle time when manual and automatic times overlap; true combination tables show machine time running in parallel with the operator's next manual element.

Results at a glance

  • Total combination time per cycle: 43 sec (headline result)
  • Element 1: 18 sec
  • Element 2: 20 sec
  • Element 3 + 4: 5 sec

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Standard Work Combination Time calculator, set manual work time to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.