What will you do for manufacturing process analysis and planning?

Question for all manufacturing engineers, process planners, and CNC programming experts:

When you receive a truly COMPLEX part (think aerospace impeller, orthopedic implant with freeform surfaces, or a mold core with 50+ critical features), how much time do you typically allocate - before writing a single line of G-code - purely for manufacturing process analysis and planning?

We are not talking about basic 2D parts or prismatic components. We mean the kind of nightmare geometry where you have to decide:
• 3+2 vs full 5-axis simultaneous
• Trochoidal vs traditional roughing strategies
• Rest-material machining sequence
• Optimal workholding & datum strategy
• Tooling reachability & collision avoidance
• Cycle time vs tool life trade-offs
• In-process probing requirements

In your experience, what’s a realistic time range for thorough upfront analysis & planning on such parts?

Typical answers we’ve seen in industry:
• 8–24 hours → 22%
• 1–3 days → 41%
• 4–10 days → 29%
• 2–4 weeks → 8% (usually for new processes or qualification parts)

Curious where you stand and why!  Do you follow a structured DFA/DFM + process planning checklist? Or is it more tribal knowledge with many years of painful lessons? Thinking