Quality & Operational Excellence

Flow and Takt Time in Service Processes

Lean flow concepts apply as much to offices, hospitals and service centres as to factories. This course shows how to apply takt time, flow, work balancing, queues and work-in-progress limits to service processes, reducing waiting times and improving consistency for customers.

5 days Classroom or live online English

Smart Horizon Certified - Global Leadership Consultants

Take the course details with you.

Download the full standard outline: why attend, methodology, objectives, audience, competencies, the daily outline and current plans.

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Why attend

From knowledge to real-world impact.

Service queues and delays frustrate customers and staff. You will learn to design service processes that flow.

Workplace challenges

Professional Problems This Course Is Designed to Solve

The programme explores practical approaches to the following challenges. Results depend on how the learning is applied in your organisation.

Difficulty translating subject knowledge into practical workplace decisions.
Inconsistent approaches to the activities covered in the course outline.
Lack of a structured plan for applying and reviewing new skills.

Course methodology

How you will learn.

Service process simulations, takt calculations, workload balancing exercises and case studies.

Course objectives

What you'll take away.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

Explain flow and takt time in services
Calculate takt time from customer demand
Balance work across team members
Manage queues and work in progress
Reduce waiting and handoffs
Monitor flow performance

Target audience

Who should attend.

This course is suitable for:

Service operations managers
Process improvement practitioners
Team leaders in offices and centres
Healthcare managers
Shared service managers

Target competencies

Capabilities you will build.

Participants will develop competencies in:

Flow design
Takt calculation
Workload balancing
Queue management
Performance monitoring

Course outline

Your learning journey.

A focused, practical outline with time to explore, apply and reflect.

Day 1Flow in Services

09:00–10:08Service waste
10:08–11:00Flow principles
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Flow principles (continued)
11:45–12:53Simulation round 1
12:53–14:00Exercise

Day 2Takt Time

09:00–10:08Customer demand
10:08–11:00Takt calculation
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Takt calculation (continued)
11:45–12:53Variation
12:53–14:00Exercise

Day 3Balancing Work

09:00–10:08Work content
10:08–11:00Line balancing
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Line balancing (continued)
11:45–12:53Cross-training
12:53–14:00Workshop

Day 4Queues and WIP

09:00–10:08Queues
10:08–11:00WIP limits
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45WIP limits (continued)
11:45–12:53Handoffs
12:53–14:00Simulation round 2

Day 5Monitoring

09:00–10:08Flow metrics
10:08–11:00Visual boards
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Visual boards (continued)
11:45–12:53Improvement
12:53–14:00Action plan

The timings provided are estimates and may vary depending on the number of participants and the discussions taking place during the sessions. They are indicative only and do not constitute a binding commitment.

Dates & venues

Find a session that works for you.

Confirmed dates accept registration requests. Tentative dates are enquiry only.

Good to know

A few things to know.

How is the course delivered?

Our classroom programmes combine facilitated discussion, case studies, exercises and reflection. The precise format will be confirmed before enrolment.

Can you deliver this programme for our team?

Yes, you can enquire about a tailored programme. Share your goals, group size and preferred dates with our learning team.

Will I receive a certificate?

Participants who complete the programme receive a Smart Horizon UK certificate of attendance. Smart Horizon UK programmes are not externally accredited and do not award a professional qualification, licence or designation. Where a course title or outline refers to a professional certification (for example, AACE International's Certified Cost Professional), the programme supports learning and preparation only; the credential itself is awarded solely by the relevant professional body under its own application and examination requirements.

What should I confirm before booking travel?

Please confirm the session, exact venue, accessibility arrangements, fees and any visa requirements with the team before arranging travel. Tentative dates are not confirmed sessions.

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