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For the past month, I've been trying to push forward with our group's project. The actual work on the project is complete, and my only task at this time is to finish deploying it to our server.

The problem is, we're required to deploy it in a new way, and preparing it for that type of depolyment has been incredibly slow.

This is not due to any changes that have to be made to the project. Rather, it has to do with the development tool being exceedingly slow with every step I need to take to prepare it for this deployment. I have no control over this process, and we can't deviate from the standard practice (we've asked, it is simply not allowed).

My question then is, how do I report this type of delay to my supervisors, without it sounding like I'm personally responsible for these delays? (And, hopefully, without my aggrivation at the software showing through too much)

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  • When you do report this kind of information, be aware of managers who use estimation games to try to pressure you into changing your time estimates. You don't need to speak out about it or anything, just be passively aware of these very common tactics, so you can thwart them and protect yourself from doing anything other than giving honest time estimates and letting the managers sort out the consequences.
    – user12818
    Commented Oct 21, 2014 at 21:12

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Say what you just stated in your post: that you are deploying as specified in the deployment protocol, with no option to deviate from it in the interest of accelerating it. You regret any and all delays but until told otherwise, you are compelled to follow the deployment protocol to the letter.

State your current process e.g. "we are 22% of the way done with deployment" and when you expect the deployment task to be done e.g. "I expect that we'll be done by the end of the week, barring any nasty surprises" If you get a nasty surprise, immediately let everyone know what the nasty surprise is, what you are doing to react to it, and the impact on your self-imposed time table i.e "As a result of this event, I am pushing our expected date of completion back by two days to the 25th of October"

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Measure and record the time required for each step in the process.

When the project is complete, provide this report to your supervisors and make suggestions for where time can be saved in the future.

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    The time taken for each 'process' isn't set in stone though. And we really can't avoid it, either. They have no control over these standards, and these are computer programming processes, which can't be skipped. Though I can make a note of how long they take to complete.
    – Zibbobz
    Commented Oct 21, 2014 at 20:30
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    Waiting for the project the fail and THEN reporting why it has failed would hardly be seen as helpful... "Yes boss, we knew the deployment was slow so we took the effort to measure how much it took. Not to inform you before the shit hit the fan, just to cover our asses". Measure, record AND report.
    – SJuan76
    Commented Oct 21, 2014 at 21:28
  • My point is simply that in order to get a process changed you need to prove to management that it's causing problems. Generally, the only way to prove something in this scenario is to somehow measure it.
    – 17 of 26
    Commented Oct 22, 2014 at 13:04

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