90-Day Implementation Planner

This Gantt-chart template breaks down your AI implementation into 90 days of specific, sequenced tasks. It maps directly to the Month 1/2/3 framework in Chapter 9, with pre-populated task rows, dependency logic, and milestone markers you can adapt to your firm's reality.

Download the Excel or Google Sheets version. Both include conditional formatting that auto-highlights overdue tasks and calculates your completion percentage by phase.

Month 1 (Discovery & Foundation): 23 pre-loaded tasks covering stakeholder interviews, workflow audits, vendor selection, and initial data mapping. Includes sample RACI matrix for a 6-person implementation team.

Month 2 (Build & Pilot): 19 tasks for model configuration, integration setup, pilot user selection, and training material creation. Includes a separate tab for tracking pilot feedback by user role.

Month 3 (Scale & Optimize): 15 tasks for firm-wide rollout, performance monitoring, and governance establishment. Includes a risk register tab with common implementation blockers and mitigation steps.

Built-in Metrics Dashboard: Auto-calculates days remaining, budget burn rate (if you enter cost estimates), and task completion by owner. Updates in real-time as you check off tasks.

Step 1: Set Your Project Parameters

Open the "Project Setup" tab. Fill in these fields before touching the Gantt chart:

1. Project Start Date: The Monday you're kicking off. All task dates cascade from this.
2. Firm Size Modifier: Select Small (under 50 people), Medium (50-200), or Large (200+). This auto-adjusts task durations. A vendor evaluation that takes 3 days at a small firm gets 7 days at a large one.
3. Implementation Scope: Check all that apply - Document Automation, Client Communication AI, Research Assistant, Billing Optimization. The template hides irrelevant tasks based on your selections.
4. Budget Ceiling: Enter your total approved budget. The dashboard will flag when you've allocated more than 80%.

Step 2: Assign Your Core Team

Navigate to the "Team & RACI" tab. The template assumes six roles. Replace the placeholder names with actual people:

• Executive Sponsor: The partner who owns the business case. Typically 2-3 hours/week commitment.
• Implementation Lead: Your project manager. This is a 50-75% time allocation role for 90 days.
• Technical Lead: The person who handles API keys, SSO configuration, and data pipeline setup. Usually your IT director or a senior engineer.
• Workflow Champion: A senior associate or manager who documents current processes and designs new ones. Needs deep domain knowledge.
• Change Manager: Handles training, communication, and user adoption. Can be your COO, HR lead, or a dedicated change resource.
• Data Steward: Owns data quality, labeling, and compliance. Often your records manager or a senior paralegal/accountant.

Each task row in the Gantt chart has a pre-assigned owner from this list. Reassign as needed based on your team's strengths.

Step 3: Adjust Task Durations and Dependencies

The Gantt chart tab has 57 task rows. Each has four editable columns:

Duration: Default estimates are conservative. If you're moving fast, cut them by 25-30%. If you have compliance review layers, add buffer.

Predecessor: Tasks are pre-linked with dependency logic (e.g., "Pilot Training" can't start until "Pilot User Selection" finishes). The template uses standard notation: "12FS" means "Finish-to-Start dependency on Task 12."

Resource Hours: Estimate total person-hours for each task. The dashboard sums these by team member to flag overallocation.

Cost: Enter hard costs (software licenses, consultant fees, training venue). Leave internal labor costs blank unless you're doing full economic costing.

Step 4: Customize Milestones and Gates

Five milestone markers are pre-set:

• Day 14: Stakeholder Approval Gate (end of discovery)
• Day 30: Vendor Selection Complete
• Day 45: Pilot Go-Live
• Day 60: Pilot Review & Go/No-Go Decision
• Day 90: Full Rollout Complete

Add your own by inserting a row, setting duration to "0 days," and applying the yellow highlight format. Common additions: "Security Review Complete" (Day 25), "Training Materials Approved" (Day 50).

Week 1: Discovery and Scoping

Task 1-3: Stakeholder Interviews (3 days, Implementation Lead)
Interview 8-12 people across practice groups. Use the interview script in the "Templates" tab. Key questions: What takes you 2+ hours that feels automatable? What client requests do you delay or decline due to capacity?

Task 4-5: Current-State Workflow Mapping (4 days, Workflow Champion)
Document 3-5 high-volume workflows end-to-end. Use swimlane diagrams. Capture handoffs, approval steps, and data sources. The template includes a sample for "New Matter Intake."

Task 6: Data Landscape Audit (2 days, Data Steward + Technical Lead)
List every system that holds client data, matter data, or work product. Note: file format, access method (API

, SFTP, manual export), update frequency, and data owner. This feeds your integration plan.

Week 2: Vendor Evaluation and Selection

Task 7-9: RFP Development and Distribution (3 days, Implementation Lead)
The "RFP Template" tab has a 12-section questionnaire covering security, integration, pricing, and support. Send to 3-5 vendors. Set a 5-business-day response deadline.

Task 10-11: Vendor Demos and Scoring (4 days, full team)
Schedule 90-minute demos. Use the scoring rubric in the "Vendor Scorecard" tab (weights security 30%, ease of integration 25%, cost 20%, feature fit 15%, support quality 10%). Require vendors to demo with your actual data in a sandbox.

Task 12: Vendor Selection and Contract Negotiation (3 days, Executive Sponsor + Implementation Lead)
Negotiate MSA, SLA, and data processing addendum. Key terms: uptime guarantee (target 99.5%+), data residency, termination rights, and price lock period.

Week 3-4: Foundation Building

Task 13-15: Technical Environment Setup (5 days, Technical Lead)
Provision sandbox and production environments. Configure SSO, set up API

keys, establish data sync schedules. Document every configuration choice in the "Tech Specs" tab.

Task 16-18: Pilot User Selection and Onboarding (3 days, Change Manager)
Select 8-15 pilot users. Criteria: high volume of target workflow, willingness to give feedback, mix of seniority levels. Send pilot invitation email (template provided) with expectations and time commitment (2-3 hours/week for 4 weeks).

Task 19-21: Initial Data Preparation (4 days, Data Steward)
Clean and label 500-1000 sample records for model training. Use the data quality checklist in the template. Common issues: inconsistent date formats, missing client IDs, duplicate entries.

Week 5: Model Configuration and Integration

Task 22-24: AI Model Training and Tuning (5 days, Technical Lead + vendor support)
Upload training data, run initial model training, review accuracy metrics. Target benchmarks: 85%+ precision on document classification, 90%+ on data extraction tasks. If below threshold, add 200-300 more labeled examples and retrain.

Task 25-27: System Integration and Testing (6 days, Technical Lead)
Connect AI platform to your DMS, CRM

, and billing system. Test data flow in both directions. Validate that extracted data lands in correct fields. The "Integration Checklist" tab has 23 test scenarios.

Task 28: Pilot Training Session (1 day, Change Manager + Workflow Champion)
Run a 2-hour hands-on training for pilot users. Cover: how to submit work, how to review AI output, how to flag errors. Record the session for later reference.

Week 6-7: Pilot Execution

Task 29-32: Pilot Go-Live and Daily Monitoring (10 days, Implementation Lead)
Pilot users process real work through the AI system. Implementation Lead holds daily 15-minute standups to surface issues. Track volume, accuracy, and time savings in the "Pilot Metrics" tab.

Task 33-35: Feedback Collection and Issue Resolution (5 days, Change Manager)
Send weekly feedback surveys (template in "Surveys" tab). Categorize issues as: bug, training gap, workflow design flaw, or feature request. Resolve critical bugs within 24 hours.

Week 8: Pilot Review and Refinement

Task 36-38: Pilot Results Analysis (3 days, Implementation Lead + Executive Sponsor)
Calculate ROI metrics: time saved per task, error rate reduction, user satisfaction score. Compare to baseline. The "ROI Calculator" tab auto-generates charts for your steering committee presentation.

Task 39-40: Go/No-Go Decision and Refinement Plan (2 days, Executive Sponsor)
If pilot hit targets (typically 30%+ time savings, 4/5 user satisfaction), approve full rollout. If not, extend pilot 2 weeks with specific improvement actions.

Week 9-10: Firm-Wide Rollout

Task 41-43: Rollout Communication Campaign (4 days, Change Manager)
Send firm-wide announcement email (template provided). Schedule 4-6 training sessions across office locations or time zones. Post demo videos to your intranet. The "Communication Plan" tab has a 12-touchpoint sequence.

Task 44-46: Phased User Onboarding (8 days, Change Manager + Workflow Champion)
Onboard users in waves of 15-20. Provide 1-hour training plus 30-minute office hours for questions. Track completion in the "Training Tracker" tab.

Task 47-48: Helpdesk and Support Setup (3 days, Technical Lead)
Create a Slack channel or Teams channel for user questions. Populate a FAQ document with the 15 most common pilot questions. Assign a support rotation (2 hours/day coverage).

Week 11-12: Optimization and Governance

Task 49-51: Performance Monitoring and Tuning (5 days, Technical Lead)
Review system logs, accuracy metrics, and user feedback. Retrain models with production data. Adjust confidence thresholds if you're seeing too many false positives or negatives.

Task 52-54: Governance Framework Establishment (4 days, Executive Sponsor + Data Steward)
Document who can approve new AI use cases, how often models get retrained, and how you handle data subject requests. The "Governance Charter" tab has a starter framework.

Task 55-57: 90-Day Retrospective and Roadmap (3 days, full team)
Hold a 2-hour retrospective. What worked? What didn't? What's next? Update your 6-month roadmap with new use cases, integration opportunities, or vendor expansions.

Progress Dashboard: Updates automatically as you mark tasks complete. Shows overall completion %, days ahead/behind schedule, and budget variance.

Risk Register: Pre-loaded with 12 common risks (vendor delays, data quality issues, user resistance). Add your own. Assign owners and mitigation actions.

Issue Log: Track bugs, feature requests, and process breakdowns. Link each issue to a task row. Filter by status (Open, In Progress, Resolved).

Pilot Feedback Tracker: Captures user comments by category (Accuracy, Speed, Ease of Use, Training Quality). Auto-generates a sentiment score.

Scenario 1: You're implementing multiple AI tools simultaneously
Duplicate the Gantt chart tab for each tool. Link them with cross-project dependencies (e.g., "Contract AI pilot" can't start until "Document AI integration" finishes).

Scenario 2: You have a compliance review gate at Day 45
Insert a milestone row. Add 3-5 tasks before it: "Prepare compliance documentation," "Submit to Legal/Risk," "Address compliance feedback." Set the gate as a predecessor for all rollout tasks.

Scenario 3: You're running a 120-day implementation
Extend the timeline in Project Setup. The template auto-adjusts task spacing. Add a "Month 4: Advanced Optimization" section with tasks like "Build custom integrations" or "Train power users."

Scenario 4: You need to report to a steering committee monthly
Use the "Executive Summary" tab. It pulls data from the dashboard and formats it as a one-page status report. Update the commentary fields, export to PDF, and send.

Grab the template, fill in your project parameters, and assign your team. You'll have a working implementation plan in under an hour.

The template is a starting point. Your firm's implementation will have unique wrinkles. Adjust task sequences, add detail where you need it, and delete what doesn't apply. The structure keeps you honest about dependencies and timelines.