How long does an AI implementation actually take?
In our own delivery: one week for the assessment, 72 hours to a first internal pilot, four to ten weeks to productive rollout. The range depends on data quality and how many systems need connecting, not on the size of the model. Ongoing operations continue after that, on a monthly notice period once the minimum term ends.
Most timeline estimates in this category are marketing copy, "days, not months," with nothing behind the claim. What actually determines the schedule is the same in almost every project we run, and it is worth naming plainly before the detail below.
The assessment takes about a week regardless of company size, because it is bounded by how quickly we can review your data and systems, not by how big they are. The pilot is the step most vendors skip past: we commit to an internal pilot within 72 hours, because a slide deck is not a result. Rollout is where the range opens up, four to ten weeks, driven mostly by how many systems need a connection and how many people need access rights and training.
None of this is billed per request once it is live. If your current tooling is, the cost comparison calculator shows roughly where the break-even sits for your own usage volume. What we operate afterwards is covered on the operations and Service Level page, including what happens if a timeline slips.
- Effort: one internal contact through the assessment, more from rollout onward for access and training
- Cost: priced after the assessment, in writing, before the project starts
- Risk: acceptance criteria fixed before the pilot begins, not renegotiated at the end
Calculate your own break-even, own operation against billing per request →