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Ask HN: How to convince my company to stop an in-house dev project?

4 points by sprainedankles ↗ HN
Context:

Recent grad working full-time for an engineering firm that tackles just about any project related to electrical/systems engineering in the industrial world.

Problem: we still use time tracking/invoicing software from the mid-90s.

Attempted solution: develop an in-house replacement.

They've been working on and off for over a year now, I was asked to contribute when I joined due to my (limited) background in software development.

After a few months I realized that I don't think it's worth the time or energy to make an in-house solution that will need to be maintained forever.

How do I discuss this with my coworkers - particularly the one who has dedicated a great deal of time to developing this project? Especially as the newest and most inexperienced employee.

4 comments

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_Schizotypy
Probably ask about resources they have related to software development and maintenance, try to let them come to the conclusion that it isn't feasible. Ask how it might be maintained after completion, what dept would be responsible. Ahead of time I would try to find a few good third party replacements in case they ask during the conversation, try to make sure they hit as many marks as possible for the needs of the company.
sprainedankles
That makes sense. I've been doing some research here and there and have found some good alternatives, I'll definitely try to be as prepared as possible for that conversation. Thanks for the reply!
cimmanom
Before trying to convince them... how far have you delved into the reasons for choosing a custom build in the first place? Do you think they haven’t considered the trade-offs yet?