Can You Lower The Quality To Save On Costs?

How much would you pay for a bad heart-transplant?

How much would you pay for a ticket onboard on a faulty airplane? Is 80% of the regular price okay? Is 60% okay?

What would you pay for a television that is only slightly likely to blow up and kill you?

I say this, because some people seem to get confused about the Traditional 'Quality Triangle'.

The three corners of the quality triangle are:

• Cost
• Time
• Complexity (or 'features')

You can only control two of these at once. If you specify the time it will take and the features needed, then you cannot control the cost.

Some people seem to think that the third corner is 'Quality' (instead of complexity/features). This implies that if you are happy with lower quality you can save on time or cost.

Not true. When quality is lower, the triangle snaps. Costs suddenly blow out, deadlines whoosh past, complex workarounds are needed. Your customers leave and you are out of work.

Don't f*ck with quality. It will f*ck you.

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