Some people say that a project should take about eight months, but we find that this is entirely dependent on the type of project that you choose. We recommend that you look for a project with a scope that lends itself to completion in less than a year, though for seasonal issues, this may be extended.

In regards to team member time commitment, keep in mind that you and your team will have a lot to understand and learn about the process you are working on. We usually recommend that a team spend more time meeting per week up front in the Define, Measure, and Analyze phases. The Improve and Control phases tend to lend themselves to more work outside of the formal meeting times, so these meeting times usually decrease.