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Adobe Experience Manager Implementation
A ready-to-use AEM implementation project template with predefined phases, tasks, milestones, and effort estimates to plan, configure, develop, integrate, and launch scalable digital experiences using Adobe Experience Manager.
Published March 18, 2026 by Kriyastream
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Duration
5 months
Effort
1825h
Phases
7
Tasks
143
Staffing
IT Consulting
IT Project Manager323h
Product Owner64h
Systems Administrator435h
Software Development
Business Analyst243h
Integration Specialist760h
Work Breakdown Structure
| Phase/Task | Estimate | Assign To |
|---|---|---|
Project Initiation & Discovery4w Phase: Project Initiation & Discovery for AEM Implementation. Includes kickoff, stakeholder interviews, assessment and planning. | ||
Kickoff & Stakeholder Alignment3d Task: Kickoff & Stakeholder Alignment - project kickoff meeting and initial alignment. | ||
Schedule and run project kickoff meeting Sub-task: Schedule and run project kickoff meeting. Confirm attendees, agenda, and outcomes. | 6h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager Software Development - Integration Specialist +1 more |
Confirm roles, RACI, and communication channels Sub-task: Confirm roles, RACI matrix, and communication channels with stakeholders. | 2h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - Product Owner +1 more |
Set up project workspace and tools Sub-task: Set up project workspace (e.g. Jira, Confluence) and shared drives. | 3h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Capture action items & risks1d Sub-task: Log initial actions, issues and risks from kickoff. | 3h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager IT Consulting - Product Owner |
Define RACI & communications plan1d Sub-task: Define roles/responsibilities, comms cadence and channels. | 4h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager IT Consulting - Product Owner |
Finalize agenda & objectives1d Sub-task: Finalize kickoff agenda, goals and success criteria. | 2h | IT Consulting - Product Owner IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Stakeholder interviews1w Task: Stakeholder interviews | ||
Identify key stakeholders and schedule interviews Sub-task: Identify key stakeholders (business, IT, content) and schedule interview sessions. | 3h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager Software Development - Business Analyst |
Conduct stakeholder interviews Sub-task: Conduct stakeholder interviews (business, IT, content owners). | 8h | Software Development - Business Analyst IT Consulting - IT Project Manager +1 more |
Document pain points, goals, and success criteria Sub-task: Document pain points, goals, and success criteria from stakeholder input. | 5h | Software Development - Business Analyst |
Schedule interviews1d Sub-task: Build interview plan and schedule stakeholders. | 3h | Software Development - Business Analyst IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Conduct interviews1d Sub-task: Execute interviews, capture notes and recordings. | 3h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager Software Development - Business Analyst +1 more |
Synthesize insights & pain points1d Sub-task: Analyze findings, define themes and problem statements. | 3h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager Software Development - Business Analyst +1 more |
Requirements workshop & scope definition1w Task: Requirements workshop & scope definition | ||
Run requirements workshops with business and IT Sub-task: Run requirements workshops with business and IT stakeholders. | 15h | Software Development - Business Analyst IT Consulting - IT Project Manager +2 more |
Document functional requirements Sub-task: Document functional requirements (sites, components, integrations, authoring). | 14h | Software Development - Business Analyst Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Document non-functional requirements Sub-task: Document non-functional requirements (performance, security, availability). | 8h | Software Development - Business Analyst Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Define scope, assumptions, and constraints Sub-task: Define scope (in/out), assumptions, and constraints. | 3h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager IT Consulting - Product Owner +1 more |
Prioritize backlog and obtain scope sign-off Sub-task: Prioritize backlog (e.g. MoSCoW) and obtain formal scope sign-off. | 5h | IT Consulting - Product Owner IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
MVP scope and backlog3d Sub-task: Define MVP scope and seed the product backlog. | 11h | IT Consulting - Product Owner IT Consulting - IT Project Manager +1 more |
Draft use cases & NFRs3d Sub-task: Draft prioritized use cases and non-functional requirements. | 12h | Software Development - Business Analyst Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Sign-off3d Sub-task: Secure scope sign-off and baseline. | 4h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager IT Consulting - Product Owner |
Environment & Current State Assessment6d Task: Environment & Current State Assessment | ||
Document current CMS, tools, and content landscape Sub-task: Document current CMS/tools and content landscape. | 3h | Software Development - Integration Specialist Software Development - Business Analyst |
Assess infrastructure, integrations, and dependencies Sub-task: Assess infrastructure, integrations, and dependencies. | 5h | Software Development - Integration Specialist Software Development - Business Analyst +1 more |
Produce current state assessment summary Sub-task: Produce current state assessment summary document. | 3h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager Software Development - Business Analyst |
Integration inventory1d Sub-task: Catalog upstream/downstream integrations and SLAs. | 5h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Risk register1d Sub-task: Document risks, impacts and mitigations. | 4h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Access & environment audit1d Sub-task: Verify access, environments and configuration baselines. | 5h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Solution Design & Architecture3w Phase: Solution Design & Architecture for AEM Implementation. | ||
Solution Architecture Design4d Task: High-level solution architecture | ||
Define instance strategy and environments Sub-task: Define AEM instance strategy (author/publish, cloud/on-prem) and dev/test/prod environments. | 4h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Design site structure and content architecture Sub-task: Design site structure, template hierarchy, and content architecture (Sites, DAM, Forms). | 7h | Software Development - Integration Specialist Software Development - Business Analyst |
Design integration architecture Sub-task: Design integration architecture (APIs, SSO, DAM/CRM integrations, replication). | 3h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Produce solution architecture document Sub-task: Produce solution architecture document with diagrams and decisions. | 9h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Review & sign-off4d Sub-task: Architecture review board and sign-off. | 3h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - IT Project Manager +1 more |
Tech stack & patterns4d Sub-task: Define tech stack, frameworks and best practices. | 8h | Software Development - Integration Specialist Software Development - Business Analyst |
High-level architecture diagrams4d Sub-task: Produce C4 model and solution diagrams. | 3h | Software Development - Business Analyst Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Security & performance design review1d Task: Security & performance design review | ||
Security design review Sub-task: Security design review (auth, SSO, permissions, hardening). | 9h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Performance and scalability review Sub-task: Performance and scalability review (caching, CDN, dispatcher, load). | 8h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Document design review findings and sign-off Sub-task: Document design review findings and obtain sign-off. | 2h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Performance SLAs & capacity plan1d Sub-task: Define SLAs, workloads and capacity planning. | 5h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Threat model & security controls1d Sub-task: Perform threat modeling, define controls. | 3h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Architecture compliance review1d Sub-task: Review compliance to standards & reference arch. | 2h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Development & Configuration1mo Phase: Development & Configuration for AEM Implementation.
Scope (quantified): 1–2 sites, 12–15 page templates, 18–20 custom components, 5 integrations, 4–5 custom workflows. Size: M (Medium). Complexity: Medium (multi-site or multi-locale, several custom components and integrations, standard security/performance). Estimates are calibrated to this scope. | ||
Template creation & clientlibs2w Task: Template creation & clientlibs for page templates and client libraries. | ||
Create page templates and template types Sub-task: Create AEM page templates and template types per design. | 8h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Set up client libraries and front-end build Sub-task: Set up client libraries (JS/CSS) and front-end build (e.g. webpack/npm). | 6h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Configure editable templates and policies Sub-task: Configure editable templates and layout/policy definitions. | 5h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Define page templates & content policies2w Sub-task: Define templates, policies and content model. | 5h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Authoring guidelines2w Sub-task: Document authoring guidelines and standards. | 8h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Implement clientlibs & theming2w Sub-task: Implement client libraries, styles and themes. | 24h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Authoring & Component Development3w Task: Component development (core components, custom) | ||
Implement core and custom components Sub-task: Implement core components usage and custom HTL/Sling components. | 3h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Configure authoring dialogs and experience fragments Sub-task: Configure authoring dialogs, XF, and content fragments where needed. | 5h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Component testing and documentation Sub-task: Component testing and author documentation. | 5h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Unit tests & storybook docs3w Sub-task: Write unit tests and component documentation. | 10h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Dialogs, policies, Sling models3w Sub-task: Implement dialogs, content policies and Sling models. | 19h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Build core/custom components3w Sub-task: Implement core/custom components with Sling Models. | 8h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Backend & Integration Development3w Task: Integrations, services, connectors for AEM. | ||
Implement services and Sling models Sub-task: Implement backend services and Sling models. | 23h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Configure replication and workflows Sub-task: Configure replication and custom workflows as needed. | 5h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Implement integrations and connectors Sub-task: Implement integrations (APIs, SSO, DAM/CRM connectors). | 10h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
API contracts & integration stubs3w Sub-task: Define API contracts and create integration stubs. | 20h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Error handling & retries3w Sub-task: Implement error handling, retries and logging. | 14h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Connector/services implementation3w Sub-task: Implement connectors and integration services. | 36h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Build & CI/CD4d Task: CI/CD pipelines, build automation for AEM delivery. | ||
Set up CI/CD pipelines for AEM Sub-task: Set up CI/CD pipelines (build, package, deploy to dev/test). | 7h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Configure build automation and artifact management Sub-task: Configure build automation and artifact management (Maven/Gradle, repo). | 11h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Document deployment runbooks Sub-task: Document deployment runbooks and environment promotion process. | 5h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Pipeline definitions (build/test/deploy)4d Sub-task: Define CI/CD pipelines for build/test/deploy. | 16h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Quality gates & code scanning4d Sub-task: Configure quality gates and static code analysis. | 4h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Environment promotion strategy4d Sub-task: Define promotion strategy across environments. | 6h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Content Migration & Authoring3w Phase: Content Migration & Authoring for AEM Implementation. | ||
Migration Planning4d Task: Content mapping, scripts & tooling for migration. | ||
Content inventory and mapping Sub-task: Content inventory and mapping from source to AEM structure. | 3h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Define migration scripts and tooling Sub-task: Define migration scripts and tooling (e.g. ACS AEM Commons, custom). | 3h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Migration runbook and rollback plan Sub-task: Migration runbook and rollback plan. | 3h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Dry-run plan4d Sub-task: Define dry-run and validation plan. | 3h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Migration tooling/scripts4d Sub-task: Build or configure migration scripts and tools. | 20h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Content inventory & mapping4d Sub-task: Inventory existing content and map to AEM. | 5h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Migration Execution4d Task: Run migrations and validate content. | ||
Run content migration to dev/test Sub-task: Run content migration to dev/test and validate. | 3h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Validate migrated content and fix issues Sub-task: Validate migrated content and fix issues. | 8h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Sign-off migrated content4d Sub-task: Business validation and sign-off of migrated content. | 8h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Execute ETL & validate4d Sub-task: Execute migration ETL and validate results. | 20h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Fix issues & re-run4d Sub-task: Address defects and rerun migrations. | 3h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Content Authoring & Training4d Task: Editorial training and create prioritized content. | ||
Editorial training for authors Sub-task: Editorial training for content authors on AEM. | 5h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Create prioritized content in author Sub-task: Create prioritized content in author environment. | 3h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Author training sessions4d Sub-task: Plan and conduct author training sessions. | 8h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Content governance checklist4d Sub-task: Establish content governance and review checklist. | 8h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Create prioritized content4d Sub-task: Author prioritized content for launch. | 15h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Testing & QA3w Phase: Testing & QA for AEM Implementation. | ||
Unit & Integration Testing4d Task: Developer unit tests & integration tests. | ||
Unit tests for components and services Sub-task: Unit tests for components and services. | 15h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Integration tests and API tests Sub-task: Integration tests and API tests. | 10h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Functional test execution and defect log Sub-task: Functional test execution and defect log. | 10h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Integration test data & harness4d Sub-task: Prepare data and harness for integration tests. | 12h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Regression suite4d Sub-task: Build regression suite and automation. | 15h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Unit test coverage baseline4d Sub-task: Establish unit test coverage baseline. | 3h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Performance & Security Testing4d Task: Load testing and security scans. | ||
Load and performance testing Sub-task: Load and performance testing (concurrent users, page load). | 5h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Security scans and penetration test Sub-task: Security scans and penetration test (if required). | 3h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Security scans & remediation4d Sub-task: Run security scans and remediate findings. | 5h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Execute performance tests4d Sub-task: Execute performance tests and collect metrics. | 15h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Load/perf test setup4d Sub-task: Setup load/performance test environment. | 8h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator Software Development - Integration Specialist |
UAT & Bug Fixes4d Task: User acceptance testing cycles & fixes. | ||
UAT kickoff and test scenarios Sub-task: UAT kickoff and test scenarios with business users. | 5h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
UAT execution and defect triage Sub-task: UAT execution and defect triage and fix. | 3h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
UAT sign-off Sub-task: UAT sign-off and formal acceptance. | 5h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
UAT plan & scenarios4d Sub-task: Prepare UAT plan, entry/exit criteria and scenarios. | 8h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager Software Development - Integration Specialist |
UAT execution & defect triage4d Sub-task: Execute UAT, triage and track defects. | 10h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Fixes & re-test4d Sub-task: Implement fixes and re-test. | 20h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Deployment & Go‑Live3w Phase: Deployment & Go‑Live for AEM Implementation. | ||
Release Preparation4d Task: Release plan, rollback and dry-run. | ||
Release plan and go/no-go checklist Sub-task: Release plan and go/no-go checklist. | 10h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Rollback and dry-run Sub-task: Rollback plan and dry-run deployment. | 3h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Cutover plan & checklist4d Sub-task: Prepare detailed cutover plan and checklist. | 5h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Rollback plan4d Sub-task: Define rollback approach and validation steps. | 3h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Dry-run validation4d Sub-task: Perform dry-run and validate cutover steps. | 5h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Go‑Live Execution2d Task: Production deployment & smoke tests. | ||
Production deployment per runbook Sub-task: Production deployment per runbook (off-hours). | 3h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Smoke tests and critical path verification Sub-task: Smoke tests and critical path verification post-cutover. | 3h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Go/no-go sign-off2d Sub-task: Conduct go/no-go meeting and sign-off. | 5h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Deploy to production2d Sub-task: Execute production deployment. | 11h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Smoke tests & monitoring2d Sub-task: Perform smoke tests and enable monitoring. | 6h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Post‑Go‑Live Support & Close2w Phase: Post‑Go‑Live Support & Close for AEM Implementation. | ||
Hypercare1w Task: Monitor, rapid fixes and SLA actions post go-live. | ||
Monitor incidents and performance Sub-task: Monitor incidents and performance (dashboards, alerts). | 3h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Rapid fixes and SLA actions Sub-task: Rapid fixes and SLA actions post go-live. | 3h | Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Daily status reports1w Sub-task: Publish daily status and metrics. | 6h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Rapid fixes & patches1w Sub-task: Deliver rapid hotfixes and patches. | 20h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Monitor & triage1w Sub-task: Monitor production and triage issues. | 5h | Software Development - Integration Specialist IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Support Handoff4d Task: Handover to operations and support team. | ||
Handover documentation and runbooks Sub-task: Handover documentation and runbooks to operations. | 3h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Formal handover to support team Sub-task: Formal handover to support team (tickets, escalation). | 5h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Roles & access validation4d Sub-task: Validate roles, permissions and access. | 5h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Monitoring & alerts ownership transfer4d Sub-task: Transfer monitoring & alerting ownership. | 5h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Runbook & KT sessions4d Sub-task: Prepare runbook and conduct KT sessions. | 5h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager IT Consulting - Systems Administrator |
Project Close & Retrospective4d Task: Lessons learned and final documentation. | ||
Lessons learned workshop Sub-task: Lessons learned workshop (retrospective). | 3h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Final report and metrics Sub-task: Final report and metrics (KPIs, adoption). | 5h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Formal project closure and archive Sub-task: Formal project closure and archive. | 3h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Lessons learned workshop4d Sub-task: Conduct lessons learned workshop. | 8h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager Software Development - Integration Specialist |
Final documentation & archive4d Sub-task: Finalize docs and archive artifacts. | 3h | IT Consulting - Systems Administrator IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
Formal closure & sign-off4d Sub-task: Formal project closure and sign-off. | 5h | IT Consulting - IT Project Manager |
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