Boss Won't Authorise Payment

LegacyUser

I work in a large organisation and my main job is implementing some new software.
My boss picked a problem the organisation has had for yonks and said that this software would suit.

I wrote up a specification and highlighted all the elements that had to be customised and gave him an estimate of developer time.

Now he tells me after me agreeing dates and working with users that he won't pay for any customisations.

What can I do?

Eoin

Nothing really; he's the boss. At most, send him an email summarising your findings with a recommendation and leave it at that.

Solair

I can't really see what the problem is here.

This happens all the time in every company. Budgets have to be controlled. The Financial Controller, board, or whoever is ultimately responsible for money, will often have to put the brakes on a project.

If you didn't have that kind of control, your company would be running like a public body with a bottomless pit and no financial control or a property developer or something and we all know where that leads...

Perhaps you should put forward some kind of a cost benefit analysis?

Maybe this customisation isn't absolutely necessary right now? or, it hasn't been justified financially.

steve9859

Document in an email what you have done and your recommendations in a very measured, non combative way - almost like a final summary of the project so that a line can be drawn under it. Then tuck it away in a file and leave it at that.

You never know when it might come in useful in an annual appraisal situation or if the problem with the software escalates and senior management want to know why nothing was done. First rule when dealing with anyone in a large organisation, whether your boss, or other divisions, is CYA - cover your ass - even if you think at the time that the issue is innocuous.

LegacyUser

Thing is that I was told that this was a core project and I know that it is a deliverable for our board.
The total amount of fees that they want for this customisation is about 5 grand.
I am also worried because I have taken up ages of user group time nailing down requirements, I have focused on this project for 2 months and now it will fail.

I am also quite new here and it just makes me worried about my ability to deliver anything.

I outlined the issue of costs months ago and I estimated alot more than 5 grand.

My main concern is that I will be tagged with the failure of this project and sacked.

Solair

Just make sure that you document what you did!
Also, in many organisations you have sell your services internally.
Also, perhaps the financial circumstances or companies needs have changed since the project started.


Discuss it with your boss and don't get angry or take it personally!

Mrs OBumble

Get busy working on plan B: what work-arounds, business process and core-services offerings do you need to change in order to deliver using the non-customzied version of the product.

Also look at whether you've investigated all the possible configuration options.

BTW, he may be doing you a favour: if you customize a package, then you need to re-apply the same customizations every since time that the developer/vendor releases a new version. For this reason alone, smart companies avoid customisation if possible.