guides

How long software development actually takes

Timelines slip for predictable reasons: unclear scope, slow client-side decisions, and third-party integrations behaving differently from their documentation.

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Outcomes

Discovery: two to three weeks
MVP or focused system: 8 to 16 weeks
Departmental platform: 4 to 8 months, phased
Operational core: 9 months upwards, always phased
Decision latency on your side is the most common delay

Problems this solves

Dates set before scope

A date without a scoped plan is a wish; we set the date after discovery and keep the phase boundaries visible.

One big delivery at the end

Phased delivery means something usable exists long before the final milestone.

Dependencies outside the project

ERP access, third-party sandboxes and customer availability are the most common causes of slippage.

How delivery runs

01
Discovery
One to two weeks producing scope, risks and an indicative plan.
02
First usable release
Typically six to ten weeks in for an operational system of moderate scope.
03
Integration and migration
Usually the longest single stretch, because it depends on other systems.
04
Go-live and hypercare
Cut-over with a rehearsed plan, followed by close support.

Realistic timeline

Weeks 1–2

Discovery and plan.

Weeks 3–10

First usable release in pilot use.

Weeks 11–20

Integrations, migration, go-live.

What moves the price

Decision speed on your side

Unanswered questions are the most common source of delay in otherwise healthy projects.

Third-party availability

Sandbox access and vendor response times sit outside the team's control.

Scope changes

Additions are scheduled explicitly rather than absorbed, so the effect on the date is visible.

Where projects go wrong

Fixed date and fixed scope together

One of the two must flex; we say which at the start.

Cut-over in a peak period

Scheduled away from commercial peaks with a rehearsed rollback.

FAQ

Questions buyers ask

Can it be faster?+

Parallel teams compress calendar time but increase cost, and coordination overhead has limits.

What causes overruns most often?+

Scope added without change control, and waiting for access to third-party systems.

Bespoke Software Development Company UK

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