Design – Build – Run: Applied Practices and Principles for Production-Ready Software Development

2.3. Quality Comes at a Price

This section looks at some of the financial implications of quality and, more important, the costs associated with a lack of quality. Quality generally comes at a price, although an abundance of activities can be performed that are low cost and very high gain, assuming that they are put in place early. I'm not going to use a lot of statistics in this section because I think we are all generally aware of the cost implications of getting things wrong up front, and there are more than ample books and references that cover this subject. This section discusses some of the financial aspects that should be considered during the decision-making process. Once you understand all the processes and the financial implications, you can ensure that the Project Management Triangle is accurate. You'll use the construction process and some of the tips outlined earlier to assess the relevant costs and savings. The fact that you're a developer doesn't mean that you shouldn't be aware of the financial impact you can have on a project.

While you might not be a financier, the decisions that you make and the actions that you take affect the financial health of the project and the system as a whole. These decisions and actions need to be justified and cost effective for now and in the future.

2.3.1. Calculating the Potential Cost of Defects

Given that it's difficult to predict the future and the number of defects that you might encounter, a simple cost-benefit analysis needs ...