# How do I measure how long items take?

Add a duration measure to a select field. Teamhood then measures how long each item spends between the start values and the end values you choose, such as from **In Progress** to **Completed**.

[Open in Teamhood](https://app.teamhood.com/go/settings/fields)

## Add a measure

You need permission to edit fields.

1. In **Settings → Organization → Fields**, open a select field, such as **Status**.
2. Choose **Measures**, then **Add measure**.
3. Enter a **Name**. Two measures on one field cannot share a name.
4. Under **Starts at**, choose **Item created**, **First entry** or **Last entry**. For an entry, pick one or more values.
5. Under **Ends at**, choose **Last entry** or **First entry**, and pick one or more values.
6. Choose **Save measure**.

**Status** starts with two measures, **Cycle time** and **Lead time**.

## Use the measure

Each measure adds three fields under its field's history heading, such as **Status history**. **Cycle time** is the duration, and **Cycle time start date** and **Cycle time end date** are its dates. Show any of them on cards or filter by them. Tables offer the duration as a column.

> **A new measure also covers past items.** See [How duration measures work](../../how-it-works/duration-measures/).

## Next

- [How duration measures work](../../how-it-works/duration-measures/)
- [How time in a status is measured](../../how-it-works/time-in-status/)