How long an LLM integration with an enterprise system takes depends almost entirely on scope, and the honest range spans from a few weeks to a few months rather than a single fixed timeline. A narrow, read-only integration against one well-documented system, for example exposing three or four lookup tools over an existing REST API with standard OAuth, can typically move from discovery through testing in a few weeks once requirements are clear. A broader integration spanning multiple systems, including write actions that need approval workflows, a formal security review, and a compliance sign-off for regulated data, realistically takes a couple of months and sometimes longer, particularly when the target system's API documentation is incomplete or its configuration is heavily customized, which is common with long-running SAP or Salesforce instances. Identity and access setup, such as registering an OAuth application and agreeing on a permission model with an internal security team, is one of the most common sources of delay and is worth starting in parallel with the technical build rather than after it. Nanobase AI scopes each integration with a discovery phase up front specifically so a customer gets a realistic timeline rather than an optimistic one.
Break the project into phases, not one blob of "the integration"
Asking "how long does an integration take" as a single question invites a single, usually misleading, number. The more useful approach breaks the work into distinct phases, each with its own typical duration and its own dependencies, since a delay in one phase, most often identity and access setup, doesn't necessarily mean the technical build itself is behind schedule. Treating the project as a sequence of phases rather than one undifferentiated task is what lets a team give a realistic timeline instead of an optimistic guess.
A typical phase timeline
| Phase | Typical duration | Common dependency |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery and scoping | About one to two weeks | Access to source system documentation and stakeholders |
| Identity and access provisioning | About one to three weeks, often overlapping other phases | Internal security team approval, OAuth app registration |
| Core tool build and testing | About two to six weeks depending on scope | Discovery outputs, sandbox environment access |
| Security review | About one to two weeks for a standard review | Completed build, logging in place |
| Staged rollout | About one to two weeks | Successful security review, pilot user group |
These are typical ranges for a moderately scoped integration, not guarantees; a narrow read-only integration against one well-documented system can compress this considerably, while a broad, multi-system, write-enabled integration with formal compliance sign-off can extend well beyond it. Treat any timeline quoted without a defined scope the same way you'd treat an unscoped cost estimate: directionally useful, not a commitment.
The dependency that blows up more timelines than code does
Registering an OAuth application, agreeing on a permission and scoping model with an internal security team, and getting the necessary approvals through often takes longer than anyone expects, particularly at larger organizations where security review has its own queue and cadence independent of the engineering team's velocity. This single dependency is the most common source of delay across enterprise integrations, not because it's technically hard, but because it depends on people and processes outside the delivery team's direct control.
Running discovery and access provisioning in parallel
The practical fix is straightforward: start the identity and access conversation the moment scoping begins, rather than waiting until the technical build is otherwise complete to discover that an OAuth app registration needs a two-week security review. A short parallel-track plan:
- Kick off discovery and the access request simultaneously, rather than sequentially.
- Identify the specific approver for access provisioning by name early, since an unowned request tends to sit in a queue indefinitely.
- Build against a sandbox or mock environment while real access is pending, so engineering work doesn't stall waiting on approvals.
- Reconcile the sandbox-built integration against real production access once granted, catching any gaps between the mock and the real system.
Frequently asked questions
What's the fastest realistic timeline for a simple integration?
A narrow, read-only integration against one well-documented system with standard OAuth, exposing a handful of lookup tools, can typically move from discovery through testing in a few weeks once requirements are clear and access provisioning doesn't stall. This is the lower end of the range, not a typical outcome for every project.
Why does identity and access setup take so long compared to the technical build?
It depends on people and approval processes outside the delivery team's control, such as a security team's review queue or a compliance sign-off, rather than on engineering complexity. Starting this process in parallel with discovery, rather than after the technical build, is the most effective way to avoid it becoming the critical path.
Does adding write actions significantly extend the timeline?
Yes, generally. Write actions require approval workflows, validation against the source system's own business rules, and typically a more thorough security review than a read-only integration, which adds real time on top of the core build regardless of how straightforward the underlying API calls are.
How Nanobase AI helps
Nanobase AI, an accepted member of the NVIDIA Inception Program, scopes each integration with a discovery phase up front and starts identity and access conversations in parallel from day one, specifically so a customer gets a realistic timeline rather than an optimistic one. This planning discipline connects to our cost-scoping approach for the same class of projects, and to choosing the right partner or internal team to execute against that timeline.
Ready to discuss your project? Contact Nanobase AI or email hello@bumu.tech.