Toyota Way Fieldbook : A Practical Guide for Implementing Toyota's 4Ps

160 THETOYOTAWAYFIELDBOOK

the standardization of work for material handlers, including routes that are
completed during the pitch time or a multiple of the pitch. Material quantities
are standardized, and the quantities per container may be adjusted to match the
requirement per pitch. For illustrative purposes we assume that this process is
capable of advanced heijunka and produces each item in the exact sequence,
and that the total available work time is eight hours. Demand is 400 total pieces,
and the ratios are shown in Table 7-4.
Based on the quantity required and the ratios, the repeating heijunka pat-
tern (which minimizes batching) would be: ABACABAD—ABACABAD—
ABACABAD
The pitch time to repeat the pattern is determined by dividing eight hours
by the demand of 400 pieces and multiplying by the number of pieces in a pat-
tern (pitch):

28,800 seconds (eight hours) per day / 400 pieces 
72 seconds per piece

And:

72 seconds per piece x 8 pieces per pitch 


576 seconds per pitch (9 minutes 36 seconds) or 6.25 pitch-cycles per hour.

Table 7-4. Quantity of Parts as a Relative Ratio

Part Name Quantity per 8 hours Ratio

200 4

100 2

50 1

50

400

1

A

B

C

D

Total

TIP

Set Your Pitch Based on Current Conditions

Unless you are well along in your lean journey, you will not likely

set a one-hour pitch initially. We recommend progressing in halves.

If you currently move material at a daily pitch (or it is not defined),

start with a shift-by-shift pitch. Then incrementally reduce the

pitch by one-half as the processes become more capable and

refined.