The amount of time that elapses between the moment a work item is accepted until it is realized in production. This cycle time is a good measurement of the maturity and agility of an organization, with the goal of reducing it as much as possible.
The cycle time metric includes not only process automation, but also human-powered processes such as issue tickets, change reviews, documentation, etc. This increases understanding of the broader process and invite innovation in every aspect of the development cycle.