Did the client actually sign off on the short grid version, or was that the part the supervisor worried about? If the client accepted it, that's your ammo. I'd pull a few old long form logs and the matching grid entries side by side, same dive, same numbers, and show him nothing was lost. Once he sees the deco stops and gear checks are all still there, the pushback usually dies.

Oh, the muffin tin trick is brilliant and I am stealing it. Since you asked about keeping it from drying out, here is what has worked in my house for years: let the rice cool just enough to stop steaming, then stir in a tiny bit of oil or butter and a pinch of salt before it goes in the tin. The fat coats every grain and it reheats almost like fresh, and a splash of water with a lid on the bowl does the rest. You can also freeze the pucks in a little broth instead of water if you want them to taste like something on their own, though that works better for rice you plan to eat plain rather than rice going into a stir fry. One more thing worth trying, freeze them in the tin just until solid and then move them to the bag, otherwise they can pick up that freezer taste if they sit in there too long.