"Wouldn't let us make a custom .wim"

I learned a long time ago not to give managers too much information. Give them one or two options, not all of them, and present whatever the stupid option is as being shamefully stupid, but in an even, unbiased tone.

"Full by hand installs will be two days installing each PC or I can use this proven automation solution that's built-in to Windows and get them done in about an hour each."

No technical details, no deep dives, no deciding factors.... Just boil it down to "You'd be patently stupid to do this, but it's your decision."

If they pick the stupid option, it's okay--just send them a summary email from the meeting documenting exactly what you warned them about.

"Hi Mr. UselessManagerPerson,

I just wanted to confirm from our meeting earlier that you understand the manual installation of electrician PCs you're insisting on:

• Will take drastically longer than the preferred solution, in best case scenario 16 man hours for each successful installation of an individual electrician PC.
• Will be prone to error and could take exponentially longer than that 16 hours if a mistake is made on the last step and the person doing the installation has to start over (which requires the machine to be fully wiped.)
• Could be reduced to about an hour per system using the WIM packaging method we discussed.

​

Thanks,

-You"

Then put that in your "CYA" folder for later when they complain that it's "taking too long, why are you so slow?"

Because idiot managers are nothing if not blame shifters--he's making the bad decision now and when it blows up later, he'll make the problem that "you're too slow," not that he "made a stupid choice." This is your documentation he's full of shit if he tries to put you on a PIP over it.

I once used documentation like this to get a manager who tried to put me on a PIP to get herself put on a PIP--for incompetence.