Buffer time is a variable amount of time a task is expected to take that accounts for occassional situations the operator must respond to.

## How to identify and understand buffer time
Imagine you ask somebody how long it takes them to take out the trash. They tell you it takes 5-10 minutes. You ask them why it takes 10 minutes sometimes instead of 5 minutes, and they tell you that sometimes the trash is overflowing and it has to be picked up before it can be thrown out.

That's an example of buffer time: it's extra time around the basic task that's because of a variable in how the work is done.

Here's another example: when a person needs to ask their supervisor a question sometimes it takes only a minute and other times it takes 15 minutes. The reason is because sometimes they don't know where the supervisor is, so they have to search for their supervisor.