Internal time requirements vary by project scope, but most implementations require a designated project owner spending five to ten hours per week for the duration of the engagement, plus periodic input from marketing, sales, and service team leads during discovery, review, and training sessions. Training itself extends across the first 90 days post-launch, not as a single event.
The split recommended across the industry is roughly 40% strategic planning, 40% user adoption, and 20% technical execution. The partner handles the technical execution, but strategic planning (defining goals, approving workflows, confirming pipeline stages) and user adoption (attending training, providing feedback, reinforcing new processes) require active internal participation. Full adoption of new CRM processes typically takes 18 to 24 months because it involves changing daily habits across multiple teams. The first 90 days are the most time-intensive for the internal team, with role-specific training sessions, feedback loops, and workflow testing consuming the bulk of the hours.