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I have been working on improving the current process of tracking launches in my company for the past three months. The major difficulty was to define, locate and use the appropriate data for tracking launches.

At this exact moment, the only way I see this new process working when I'm gone in another three months is to use a software that would automatically make connections with the data and make it easier to visualise. As no one from the two departments I am working for wants to put a person in charge of analyzing it, it was the best outcome.

Besides, I already know the software and I know how to make it work for the two departments I am working with.

After talking to my manager and colleagues about the benefits of the software, they all seemed to appreciate the added value it could bring to the team. However, at no point did he say that we would use it. He keeps telling me there are maybe better ways to implement it. And he is right, there are better ways to implement it, only if a person from each department is assigned to analysing the data which is not the case and will not be due to department conflict. The only way I see is to automatize the process with this software.

I don't want the new process not to be implemented once I leave and that software is the only way I see this working. How can I talk with my manager about that? How can I make him get the software?

Edit : Ok so in the end I have talked to my manager and explained him everything. It turns out, they have canceled the improvement of the process because they don't have enough funds for it (apparently) or time so all of what I've done was for nothing. I guess you don't appreciate success without failure. Thank you for your help anyways :)

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    Perhaps they do not want to deal with the political ramifications of "dispense two employees". Also your comment "the process that I am working on has never been aligned in the company" seems to be a more fundamental problem that has to be addressed first. In my experience its very rare that software can resolve systemic / organizational issues. I'm glad you provided more details because its dangerous to jump to an answer without that.
    – SuperPomodoro
    Oct 7, 2016 at 12:39
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    Does your boss know you're leaving in a few months? Do you have a handover person to share these details with?
    – Brandin
    Oct 7, 2016 at 12:44
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    My boss knows about this, and I don't want to leave with no one using the new aligned process. No one is going to be there to replace me when I'm gone as it was supposed to be just a 6 month project.
    – MopMop
    Oct 7, 2016 at 12:45
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    @MopMop Not quite. No matter how great the software is, there needs to be someone around to support it (internal to your company). Otherwise it will probably end up not being used.
    – Brandin
    Oct 7, 2016 at 12:58
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    It seems to be a struggle between what's technically optimal in your opinion, vs what's operationally least risk in theirs, esp. given they won't allocate staff and you're leaving. Their opinion will win. First, you shouldn't get so upset about them making sub-optimal decisions, and second, you should actually try to listen to the boss's criteria on why he thinks the alternatives are better. Maybe he simply doesn't want to admit "Noone will be bothered learning something new, you're leaving, and it'll probably end up broken".
    – smci
    Oct 7, 2016 at 19:23

4 Answers 4

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How can you make him? You can't. All you can do is the following:

  • Explain, preferably in writing, what the issue is
  • Detail the solution options
  • Explain, with justifications, why you think the software is the best approach. This should be with reasons that make sense to the company — cheaper, faster, easier, less labour-intensive, etc.

Then you ask your manager to make a decision. And then you live with that decision, whether it's yay or nay.

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    Also, remember that for commercial use the license has to be reviewed and approved by your company's lawyers. If they haven't already done so, that's an additional cost and delay... and the answer may be that it's unacceptable, no matter how nice the tool is.
    – keshlam
    Oct 7, 2016 at 12:45
  • @MatthewRead What's wrong with "yay"? en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/yay
    – Nobody
    Oct 8, 2016 at 5:50
  • @scaaahu: This meaning is generally spelled "yea", at least in my experience. YMMV.
    – keshlam
    Oct 10, 2016 at 5:09
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The other answers tackled the managerial problem. I'm going to look at it from a different perspective, as to me it seems that the direction of the question has a large chunk of your personal feelings embedded in it.

I don't want the new process not to be implemented once I leave and that software is the only way I see this working.

Once you leave the company, what you want or don't want them to do becomes irrelevant.

I sense that you have pride in your work and want to do what is best for your company, but if management does not buy in to your vision there is nothing that you can do and you have to let go.

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    Even more fundamentally, while he's still there on his 6-month contract, what he wants/doesn't want them to do is also irrelevant. It seems to be a struggle between what's technically optimal in his opinion, vs what's operationally least risk in theirs. Their opinion will win.
    – smci
    Oct 7, 2016 at 19:20
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A good answer already, but I'll add a bit of insight.

The true value of a piece of software is getting people to use it. So while you may be convinced that it is the best solution, it's worthless unless others agree. You have already tried and failed to achieve this on multiple occasions. It's best to just grasp that it's not desired.

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I agree with the others in that you need to present the case properly, and also that if you're trying to help your company after you leave but they won't take your suggestion then it's no longer your problem. You tried.

That said the one thing every company and department understands: money.

I mean, money is I'm guessing the reason they won't buy the software (your question's wording is a little vague so I'm guessing about this part). And if it's cheaper to have people on staff to do the job than it would be to buy the software to automate their tasks then yeah, they're going to go that route, it's the most finanically rational.

However if this isn't the case, if it would be better and cheaper to use the software then that's your angle. Same way if you had to write a video game it may be cheaper to license a game engine than it would be to hire a team of people to write it over however long it takes.

Barring some sort of "not invented here" directive (justified or not) the way to make your case is money. If the issue is no one's going to do your job once you leave then explain how much money they're going to lose when things go wrong versus the costs of buying the software.

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    This... this is the answer. The OP's job is to present a case in such a way that they would have to be idiots not to take her advice. That means showing them on paper how this is the financially smart move to make.
    – user48276
    Oct 7, 2016 at 16:28

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