💰Quality Coach newsletter #27

💰The cost of change

Framing change in the language of business can be an effective way to communicate strategy to business stakeholders and senior management. And there's nothing like talking money to get their attention.

Boehm knew this and used this language in the 1980s when he explored the cost of change that occurred in the software development lifecycle. He collated empirical data to suggest that the cost of a defect increased significantly the further along the lifecycle it took place.

For fans of Demming and Crosby, the cost-of-change model communicated the value of a "build quality in" strategy. That is, design and build with quality in mind, and it will cost you less.

In the 2000s, Kent Beck hypothesised how extreme programming altered that curve, turning it from an exponential curve to a flatter one.

What about now, though? What might this curve look like in 2024?

In this premium post, I look at how the curve might look considering a SaaS model that uses technologies such as cloud computing, microservices, monitoring & alerting and distributed tracing. In particular, I explore the cost of large pre-production test environments and question if they continue to hold the value they did in the past.

Of course, I can't discuss this topic without acknowledging the concerns such a model raises. Yes, the studies are flawed, and it is true that there are contexts where defects are cheaper left, but that doesn't mean the model is without merit. In the article, I provide links to these discussions.

Me? I find the model useful as a means of holding a conversation with senior business people whose major priority is not just quality; it's running a profitable business.

🏘️ Picks from the Community

First up, I had a delightful conversation with Bryan Jones on his podcast Quality Blether Vernon

Next up are Vernon Richards, Sanne Visser and Chris Chant talking about quality coaching.

Ashley Graf talks about heuristics to use to identify risk in legal documentation.

Allison Lazarz talks about the cost of logging and the impact on sustainability

Nice experience report from Arlene Andrews testing dropdown values

Upcoming speaking engagements

Remember to subscribe for free to receive this newsletter and any free posts. Subscribing for $2 a month gives you access to the quality coach book posts.

Until next time,

Anne-Marie