# Reduce Cycle Time to Improve Software Delivery Predictability | LinearB Blog

> Improve cycle time by eliminating bottlenecks in your delivery pipeline. Cycle time monitoring and visualization helps to identify bottlenecks.

_This is a markdown rendering of a live HTML page on linearb.io, generated for AI/LLM consumption — it is not a markdown-only site. To get the full HTML page instead, request this URL with an explicit `Accept: text/html` header (no wildcard, no markdown preference)._


```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
  "itemListElement": [
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 1,
      "name": "Home",
      "item": "https://linearb.io/"
    },
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 2,
      "name": "Blog",
      "item": "https://linearb.io/blog"
    },
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 3,
      "name": "Reduce Cycle Time to Improve Software Delivery Predictability",
      "item": "https://linearb.io/blog/reduce-cycle-time-improve-software-delivery-predictability"
    }
  ]
}
```

[Home](https://linearb.io/)

/

[Blog](https://linearb.io/blog)

/

Reduce Cycle Time to Improve Software Delivery Predictability

# Reduce Cycle Time to Improve Software Delivery Predictability

![Photo of Dan Lines](https://assets.linearb.io/image/upload/c_limit,w_3840/f_auto/q_auto/v1/Dan_Lines_3fb5152de2?_a=BAVMn6ID0)

By [Dan Lines](https://linearb.io/blog/reduce-cycle-time-improve-software-delivery-predictability#dan-lines)

|

December 6, 2019

![Reduce_Cycle_Time_to_Improve_Software_Delivery_Predictability_399609d5d0](https://assets.linearb.io/image/upload/c_limit,w_3840/f_auto/q_auto/v1/Reduce_Cycle_Time_to_Improve_Software_Delivery_Predictability_399609d5d0?_a=BAVMn6ID0)

## What Is Cycle Time?

Cycle time measures the amount of time from work started to work delivered. It is a metric borrowed from lean manufacturing, and it is one of the most important metrics for software development teams. In plain speak, cycle time measures the amount of time from first commit to production release.

[![Visualize your Cycle Time in LinearB](https://assets.linearb.io/uploads/Screen-Shot-2019-12-02-at-3.42.13-PM-1.png)](https://assets.linearb.io/uploads/Screen-Shot-2019-12-02-at-3.42.13-PM-1.png) 

_Visualize your Cycle Time in LinearB_

## Why Is It Important?

Shorter cycle times indicate an optimized process, and faster time to market. Shorter cycle times for software teams lead to increased revenue, high customer renewal rates, and a happy efficient development organization. 

Longer cycle times indicate inefficiencies in the process and slower time to market. Longer cycle times for software teams lead to delivery delays for customers, lost prospects, and an unhappy inefficient development organization.

## How To Measure It?

Some engineering leaders try to measure cycle time using Jira or other project management tools. This method is manual and time-consuming and it relies on good data hygiene. Most leaders, however, lack visibility and understanding of their team’s cycle time.

LinearB instantly [measures cycle time for your organization](https://linearb.io/blog/how-to-calculate-cycle-time), and each development team with real-time reporting, trending, and bottleneck detection. If you’re ready to see your cycle time and other key metrics, [start your LinearB trial!](https://linearb.io/trial)

## How To Improve Cycle Time

**1\. Visibility with Bottleneck Detection:**

In order to improve your team’s cycle time, you have to not only have visibility into what your cycle is but to also expose the bottlenecks within the process. In addition to cycle time, LinearB provides metric breakdowns for “first commit to merge”, “time to merge”, “PR Open to Merge”, and “Merge to release”. This allows you to identify and focus on the bottleneck.

[![Quickly identify bottlenecks in your delivery pipeline. In this case, focus on the time from PR Merged to Release.](https://assets.linearb.io/uploads/Cycle-with-Arrow.png)](https://assets.linearb.io/uploads/Cycle-with-Arrow.png) 

_Quickly identify bottlenecks in your delivery pipeline. In this case, focus on the time from PR Merged to Release._

**2\. Performance Introspection and Testing**

With the bottleneck in your organization’s process identified, you need to investigate the cause of the issue. [Rarely are all teams or repositories performing equally](https://linearb.io/blog/cycle-time-measuring-and-improving-team-process). LinearB gives software engineering leaders visibility into performance by team, by repository, and by time. Drill down on performance to uncover issues and see where they can make a positive impact. 

[![Investigate the root cause of bottlenecks and hone in on issues slowing your delivery.](https://assets.linearb.io/uploads/Deep-Dive2.png)](https://assets.linearb.io/uploads/Deep-Dive2.png) 

_Investigate the root cause of bottlenecks and hone in on issues slowing your delivery._ 

**3\. Resolve Bottlenecks Proactively**

While visualizing your cycle time will help you identify bottlenecks, you need to be more proactive to resolve them.

LinearB has the ability to detect high-risk work in branches prior to PR initiation. Early detection of high-risk work allows teams to be proactive in minimizing risk early in the development lifecycle.

[![See highrisk branches and take action before they are deployed.](https://assets.linearb.io/uploads/filter-screenshot.png)](https://assets.linearb.io/uploads/filter-screenshot.png) 

_See high-risk branches and take action before they are deployed_

LinearB notifies users of long-living PRs waiting for review. Long living PRs and PRs waiting for review cause Cycle Times to increase. Alerting on these situations help teams reduce time from PR to Merge.

[![Receive notifications of Long Living PRs and get them moving again.](https://assets.linearb.io/uploads/LongLiving-PRs.png)](https://assets.linearb.io/uploads/LongLiving-PRs.png) 

_Receive notifications of Long Living PRs and get them moving again._

## Improve developer productivity with LinearB

Find us on

[](https://www.linkedin.com/company/linearb)
[](https://devinterrupted.substack.com/)

## Your next read

[![Cover image for Your software factory needs a context layer](https://assets.linearb.io/image/upload/c_limit,w_3840/f_auto/q_auto/v1/unnamed_4_b35455ae7a?_a=BAVMn6ID0)](https://linearb.io/blog/software-factory-2026-ai-benchmarks-code-review-roi)

Eng. Metrics

[Your software factory needs a context layer](https://linearb.io/blog/software-factory-2026-ai-benchmarks-code-review-roi)

Data from 2.7 million pull requests across 253 engineering organizations shows a widening gap between developers using AI deeply and everyone else. An adoption...

[![Cover image for AI agents are killing the pull request and reinventing CI/CD](https://assets.linearb.io/image/upload/c_limit,w_3840/f_auto/q_auto/v1/Blog_Post_Name_2400x1256_5_496cdfde2d?_a=BAVMn6ID0)](https://linearb.io/blog/circleci-rob-zuber-ai-agents-pull-request-cicd-sdlc)

Eng. Metrics

[AI agents are killing the pull request and reinventing CI/CD](https://linearb.io/blog/circleci-rob-zuber-ai-agents-pull-request-cicd-sdlc)

CircleCI CTO Rob Zuber explains why AI adoption is killing the pull request and forcing engineering teams to completely reimagine the software development...

[![Cover image for AI ROI comes from measuring engineering outcomes on day one](https://assets.linearb.io/image/upload/c_limit,w_3840/f_auto/q_auto/v1/Blog_AI_ROI_comes_from_measuring_engineering_software_security_2400x1256_2c5eae0862?_a=BAVMn6ID0)](https://linearb.io/blog/kraken-nik-sudan-measure-ai-roi-engineering-outcomes)

Eng. Metrics

[AI ROI comes from measuring engineering outcomes on day one](https://linearb.io/blog/kraken-nik-sudan-measure-ai-roi-engineering-outcomes)

Kraken Engineering Operations Lead Nik Sudan details how to establish day-one data infrastructure to accurately measure AI ROI. Discover why raw token adoption...

## Structured data

_Machine-readable metadata (JSON-LD) embedded in the page for search/AI context — not content rendered on the page itself._

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Organization",
  "name": "LinearB",
  "url": "https://linearb.io/",
  "logo": "https://assets.linearb.io/image/upload/v1715628027/logo-mark-lg.svg",
  "description": "LinearB is the engineering productivity platform that helps engineering leaders prove AI is improving throughput without sacrificing delivery confidence, flow efficiency, or developer experience.",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.linkedin.com/company/linearb"
  ],
  "award": [
    {
      "@type": "Award",
      "name": "LinearB is a Leader in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Developer Productivity Insight Platforms",
      "dateAwarded": "2026",
      "awardedBy": {
        "@type": "Organization",
        "name": "Gartner®"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Award",
      "name": "Great Place to Work Certification",
      "dateAwarded": "2025-2027",
      "awardedBy": {
        "@type": "Organization",
        "name": "Great Place to Work"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Award",
      "name": "America's Best Startup Employers 2025",
      "dateAwarded": "2025",
      "awardedBy": {
        "@type": "Organization",
        "name": "Forbes Magazine"
      }
    }
  ],
  "hasCertification": [
    {
      "@type": "Certification",
      "name": "SOC 1 Type 2"
    },
    {
      "@type": "Certification",
      "name": "SOC 2 Type 2"
    },
    {
      "@type": "Certification",
      "name": "GDPR Compliance certification"
    },
    {
      "@type": "Certification",
      "name": "ISO 27001"
    }
  ]
}
```

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Article",
  "headline": "Reduce Cycle Time to Improve Software Delivery Predictability",
  "url": "https://linearb.io/blog/reduce-cycle-time-improve-software-delivery-predictability",
  "author": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Dan Lines"
  },
  "datePublished": "2019-12-06T19:49:39.000Z",
  "dateModified": "2019-12-06T19:49:39.000Z",
  "image": "https://assets.linearb.io/image/upload/v1720000000/Reduce_Cycle_Time_to_Improve_Software_Delivery_Predictability_399609d5d0.png",
  "publisher": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "LinearB",
    "logo": "https://assets.linearb.io/image/upload/v1777485755/linearb-logo-2026.png"
  },
  "description": "Improve cycle time by eliminating bottlenecks in your delivery pipeline. Cycle time monitoring and visualization helps to identify bottlenecks.\n"
}
```

## More on linearb.io

### Top navigation

- [Book a Demo](https://linearb.io/book-a-demo)
- [AI Code Reviews — Catch security risks, bugs, and spec mismatches](https://linearb.io/platform/ai-code-reviews)
- [AI & Productivity Insights — See how AI tools affect cycle time and delivery speed](https://linearb.io/platform/ai-developer-productivity-insights)
- [Measure AI Impact — Track AI adoption and tie it to delivery outcomes](https://linearb.io/use-case/measure-ai-impact)
- [MCP Server — Chat with your data to spot patterns and boost output](https://linearb.io/platform/mcp-server)
- [Resource Allocation — Cost initiatives and shape your investment strategy](https://linearb.io/platform/resource-allocation)
- [Cost Capitalization — Capitalize engineering costs with audit-ready reports](https://linearb.io/platform/cost-capitalization)
- [Dev Team Management — Set targets and tie throughput to business outcomes](https://linearb.io/platform/goals-and-reporting)
- [DevOps Workflow Automation — Policy-based PR routing, approvals, and tests](https://linearb.io/platform/ai-workflow-governance)
- [AI Powered Support — Unify AI and human code delivery in one clear view](https://linearb.io/use-case/ai-powered-support)
- [Optimization — Surface friction with feedback and MCP insights](https://linearb.io/platform/developer-experience)
- [Reporting — Spot what's working and what needs attention](https://linearb.io/use-case/measuring-developer-experience)
- [Surveys — Turn developer feedback into actionable signals](https://linearb.io/platform/developer-surveys)
- [Platform overview](https://linearb.io/platform/overview)
- [Register now](https://linearb.io/event/the-great-software-factory-debate-2)
- [Customers](https://linearb.io/customers)
- [Pricing](https://linearb.io/pricing)
- [Why choose LinearB — Explore your data. Measure performance. Act to improve it.](https://linearb.io/why-linearb)
- [APEX framework — The operating model for AI-era engineering teams](https://linearb.io/resources/apex-framework)
- [Anti-FAQ — The questions other vendors won't answer](https://linearb.io/why-linearb/anti-faq)
- [Security — Enterprise-grade compliance and zero code access](https://linearb.io/security)
- [Build vs. buy — The hidden cost of building it yourself](https://linearb.io/resources/build-vs-buy)
- [Dev Interrupted Podcast — Conversations with engineering leaders](https://linearb.io/dev-interrupted/podcasts)
- [Reports & Guides — Deep dives on productivity and delivery](https://linearb.io/resources)
- [Webinars — Expert sessions on productivity and AI](https://linearb.io/resources?category=workshops)
- [Metrics Benchmarks — See how your engineering org stacks up](https://linearb.io/resources/software-engineering-benchmarks-report)
- [Blog — Product updates and practical insights](https://linearb.io/blog)
- [Help Center — Documentation, setup, and support](https://linearb.helpdocs.io)
- [API Docs](https://docs.linearb.io/api-overview)
- [Status](https://www.linearbstatus.com/)
- [Integrations](https://linearb.io/integrations)
- [LinearB Library](https://linearb.io/library)
- [Engineering metrics](https://linearb.io/library/engineering-metrics)
- [Platform engineering](https://linearb.io/library/platform-engineering)
- [Engineering glossary](https://linearb.io/library/engineering-glossary)
- [Developer productivity](https://linearb.io/library/developer-productivity)
- [AI in software development](https://linearb.io/library/ai-in-software-development)
- [Engineering management](https://linearb.io/library/engineering-management)
- [Developer experience](https://linearb.io/library/developer-experience)
- [DevOps](https://linearb.io/library/devops)
- [Engineering operations and the context layer](https://linearb.io/library/engineering-operations)
- [Engineering efficiency](https://linearb.io/library/engineering-efficiency)
- [Software delivery](https://linearb.io/library/software-delivery)
- [Research and data](https://linearb.io/library/engineering-benchmarks-and-research)
- [LinearB is a Leader in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Developer Productivity Insight Platforms](https://linearb.io/resources/gartner-magic-quadrant-dpi-platforms-2026)
- [Sign in](https://app.linearb.io/login)
- [Enterprise](https://linearb.io/solutions/enterprise)
- [Contact](https://linearb.io/contact-us)
- [About us](https://linearb.io/about-us)
- [Careers](https://linearb.io/careers)
- [Service agreement](https://linearb.io/services-agreement)
- [Privacy policy](https://linearb.io/privacy-policy)
- [DPA](https://linearb.io/data-processing-agreement)
- [Security FAQ](https://linearb.io/security-faq)
- [Substack](https://devinterrupted.substack.com/)

### Footer

_Additional links from the site footer, not repeated from the top navigation above._

- [GitHub](https://github.com/linear-b)
- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/linearb)
- [Twitter](https://twitter.com/LinearB_Inc)