"How long will it take?" is one of the first questions to answer before starting a project.
The duration depends on concrete factors: how well defined the process is, how many programs need to be connected, how many exceptions there are, and how available the team is for testing.
The short answer
For a first process that's relatively simple and well defined, these phases generally take 6–12 weeks in total. Some can overlap:
- Process analysis: 1-2 weeks
- Design: 1-2 weeks
- Development and integration: 2-4 weeks
- Testing and fixes: 1-2 weeks
- Go-live and settling in: 1-2 weeks
Overall estimate: 6–12 weeks from the first meeting to a working process. A focused first release can arrive sooner; more integrations, data to prepare, or exceptional cases can stretch the timeline. The precise estimate is defined after analyzing the process.
What affects the duration
How clear the process is today
If the team can describe the steps, the rules, and the exceptions, you start fast. If nobody has ever mapped the flow and "everyone does it their own way," a longer analysis phase comes first. This is the factor that weighs the most.
How many systems need to communicate
Automating a flow inside a single tool is much simpler than integrating email, management software, CRM, and shared folders. Every integration adds complexity.
How many exceptions there are
A process with clear rules is automated quickly. A process where "it depends on the case" requires more logic, more testing, and more time.
How available the team is
An underestimated factor. If the team that knows the process has no time to explain it, validate the choices, and test the solution, the project slows down. Not because of the technology, but because feedback is missing.
How much you want to do in the first phase
Automating 80% of a process is much faster than automating 100%. Edge cases stretch the timeline disproportionately. In the first phase it's better to leave them to human handling.
What to clarify with a 24-hour estimate
A one-day estimate may refer to a ready-made template or to a limited part of the process. Before comparing it with a custom project, clarify what it includes:
- Whether it includes process analysis and testing
- Which steps it covers and which stay manual
- Whether it includes connecting with the software you use
A well-built automation takes time because it has to fit into your real workflow, not live alongside it.
When a project can take longer
A project that runs past this window should have explicit reasons and milestones: for example, more integrations, data to clean up, exceptions to handle, or limited team availability. Agreeing on these points helps you know what to expect.
The schedule should be set on the agreed scope, with checks before going live.
Our approach
For a simple first release, activities can partly run in parallel:
- Week 1: we map the process and choose what to automate
- Weeks 2–3: we design the solution and validate it with the team
- Weeks 3–6: we build, integrate, and test
- Weeks 6–8: we launch the first flow and fix whatever comes up
If the project requires more integrations or handling of exceptions, the overall path can reach 12 weeks or more. You can see examples of flows in our catalog of working demos.
The most important thing
It's not speed. It's making sure the first result is solid.
An automation that goes live quickly but doesn't work well is worse than one that takes two more weeks but that the team actually adopts. That's why we insist on the initial analysis phase: understanding the process well before touching it is the time investment with the highest return.