So, you want to deliver as much business value, as quickly and cheaply as possible. But how do you do this?

Let’s be frank…. Quality costs time. And time costs money (though admittedly bugs also can cost time and money - but more on that later).

So what is the right level of quality? Well, that depends on your project.

Consider, if you are sending a Mars Rover to Mars, your appetite for defects will be really low. You cannot afford to find that a wheel falls off when you hit a bump - not once launched.

If, however, you are investing in a new internal business application, time, cost and user feedback may be far more valuable than a defect-free application.

Some have said “if you don’t have any bugs, you’re not building fast enough”. But, I don’t think they were from NASA. So in order to maximize the business value you can deliver, as quickly and cheaply as possible, first consider this parameter - your appetite for defects. Recognize that the higher your need for quality, the slower and more expensive the development cycle is likely to be.

The next question is how do you determine and set the right level of quality? How do you articulate it so that you and your team understands your expectations - and so that they know when they have satisfied them?

I try to answer that question here: Managing software quality