Digigen's planning guidance allows two to four weeks for discovery and roughly ten to twenty-four weeks for a focused first web release afterwards. Larger platforms can need six months or more. These are estimates to discuss, not promised delivery dates. The agreed plan should show working milestones, dependencies and who must make each decision.
What happens during discovery?
We map the users and workflow, check the systems involved and agree what belongs in the first release. The two-to-four-week planning window depends on access to your team and the questions that need investigation. Missing decisions can later lead to rework or blocked integrations.
Design and technical proof can overlap
The central workflow should become testable while technical uncertainties are reduced. A prototype can validate the journey as an integration spike tests identity, source data, offline behavior, or an external API. Parallel work helps only when dependencies and decision ownership remain clear.
What should a milestone demonstrate?
A milestone should let you try a useful workflow with its data, permissions and error handling in place. For example, an approved job could appear in a dispatch queue and be assigned to a driver. Agree how it will be tested and who can accept it.
The client side of the timeline
Access to decision-makers, subject experts, content, credentials, legal review, data samples, and timely acceptance directly affects delivery. A plan should assign these responsibilities instead of treating every delay as an engineering variable.
What needs time before launch?
Allow time for production configuration, migration, accessibility and security checks, training, monitoring and a support handover. Agree how to roll back a release if it fails. A successful build is only one of these checks.
| Option | Best fit | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 4 weeks | Focused discovery and an agreed first-release scope | Requires stakeholder and system access |
| 10 to 24 weeks after discovery | A focused first web release | Assumes bounded roles and integrations |
| 6 months or more | A larger platform with several user roles and systems | Break the work into usable milestones |
| Ongoing programme | Modernisation or expanding live products | Needs stable release, support, and prioritisation practices |
Cost and timing examples are Digigen planning guidance, not market averages or a fixed quote. Confirm the scope, assumptions and current provider requirements before making a project decision. About Digigen.