1. Why do you think it's difficult to understand some of the basic cost terms in this chapter? Why aren't many technical people interested in cost-related subjects? What could be done to change this?
2. Suppose you were asked to prepare a cost estimate for a project to purchase laptops for all faculty and staff at your college or university. How would you start? How long would it take you to prepare a good estimate? What type of estimate would you prepare, and what approach would you use to develop a cost estimate?
3. What can organizations do to ensure that estimates are good? What can they do to prevent cost overruns?
4. Provide examples of the cost of quality based on your own personal experiences.
5. Do you think that people accept poor quality in information technology projects and products in exchange for faster innovation? What other reasons might there be for such poor quality?
6. Do you think Six Sigma is another quality management fad? Please explain your position.