My point was, unless what he is doing is different than anything with which I have been associated, timeliness is next to cost and often is even more important (given a reasonable cost). We have seen such projects of his go on seemingly forever while ruminating over details. Get it done.
If the conversion is not right, then do the conversion yourself, but delivery is critical. Starting with a new tool will likely cause delays and even errors. I suspect any customer will want the product and documentation before paying. They will also want to test it. He can work on the conversion and/or new creation during that time. A delay in deliver slows the whole process. A delay in completing documentation shouldn't delay testing, and at most delays him getting paid.