Why do you believe it's complicated to understand some of basic cost terms in this chapter? Why aren't many technical people interested in cost-related subjects? What could be done to change this?
Assume you were asked to make a cost estimate for the project to buy laptops for all faculty and staff at your college or university. How would you start? How long would it receive you to make a good estimate? What kind of estimate would you prepare, and what approach would you employ to develop a cost estimate?
What can organizations do to make sure that estimates are good? What can they do to prevent cost overruns?
Give examples of the cost of quality based on your own personal experiences.
Do you believe that people accept poor quality in information technology projects and products in exchange for quicker innovation? What other reasons may there be for such poor quality?
Do you believe Six Sigma is another quality management fad? Please describe your position.