# Observe actual cycles and nested interruptions

Use genuine advancing clocks and explicit taps; interruptions remain inside gross cycle time.

Source: https://help.smartfact.ai/cyclebench/guides/cycles-and-interruptions

Audience: Operator

## Observe actual cycles and nested interruptions

1. **Start a local timing study**

   Start a local timing study.

   This lesson times your real practice taps with the browser clocks. It never measures a machine or validates a labour standard.

2. **Capture the exact station code**

   Capture the exact station code.

   000017 is declared context. Scanning a station never starts the clock or operates a machine.

3. **Describe the observed activity**

   Describe the observed activity.

   The activity is the observer’s description. It does not identify an employee or determine performance.

4. **Move to the timing controls**

   Move to the timing controls.

   The clock is still stopped. Use explicit taps to mark boundaries while keeping this page visible.

5. **Start the real practice interval**

   Start the real practice interval.

   The browser’s steady clock begins now. The displayed precision does not remove human reaction delay.

6. **Record the next cycle boundary**

   Record the next cycle boundary.

   This tap ends the first observed gross cycle and starts the next. The duration comes from the genuine browser clock.

7. **Name the observed interruption**

   Name the observed interruption.

   Describe the interruption before starting it. It will remain inside this cycle’s gross time.

8. **Start an interruption within the cycle**

   Start an interruption within the cycle.

   The cycle keeps running. Next and Finish are unavailable until the interruption ends; its time must never be added to or subtracted from gross.

9. **End the nested interruption**

   End the nested interruption.

   The genuine timer records the interruption inside the unfinished cycle. It does not create another cycle.

10. **Finish and review both cycles**

   Finish and review both cycles.

   The final tap ends cycle two and opens the actual results. Review the recorded gross times and nested interruption.

[Watch or practise this chapter](https://help.smartfact.ai/cyclebench/demo?guide=cycles-and-interruptions&chapter=cycles-and-interruptions)