It's a great open source project! Python would get you into the future but your manager is only half right; the tech needs to support both results AND ease of management.

But, as long as management doesn't have to do the work, why should they care what we're going through in the trenches?

Managers are always trying to build empires so they can grow stronger within the Corp. They think that somehow, IF you were to be more efficient there would be less work to do in the future, then less resources to manage, then fewer budget dollars are available to them.

I have a janitorial-type role which generally involves cleaning up after these fools - alone.

The fact is, if your department were more efficient, you would be doing less (reactive) maintenance on OLD work - then you would have time to be PROactive on work that "we wish we had time for..."

Work never dries up.