Usually with choices, you’re forced to pick just one. With the following adage they try to catch you off guard by letting you choose two:
Do you want it done good, fast, or cheap? You can only pick two. We can do a good job fast but it won’t be cheap. We can do it fast and cheap but it won’t be good. Or we can do it well and cheap but you will have to wait for quite some time.
While this concept is not new, like most clichés it rings true. Almost every software project Ticomix undertakes is some sort of conversion or upgrade of an existing business solution our clients have brought to us to improve upon. Often with legacy software, the driving force behind the decision to re-build is an outside one. For example, the software may have been written in a language that has been discontinued, unsupported or in some other way obsolete.
In many ways, it’s possible to see how the “Good, Fast, Cheap” cliché could be applied to these projects. We could probably add some more cliches like, “nothing good comes easily” or “you get what you pay for.” But, more clichés rarely lead to better business decisions as much as they fill up small talk conversations. Here is the lesson that could be a useful take-away from the truth that lies in the “Good, Fast, Cheap” cliché:
Shortcuts do not necessarily lead to the largest return on investment.
Let’s pretend that we have a critical business application written in language “X” on version 3. Version 3 has become obsolete for whatever reason. The fastest path to remedy or situation is to upgrade to version 7, the latest version of X. In this case, fast also means cheap with nothing new to purchase and no new skills to learn. Yet, it’s not without compromise. The industry has been moving to languages “Y” and “Z” which have features that will never be possible in X. Not to mention the fact that young talent is entering the workforce with knowledge of Y and Z, but not X.
As you think of that imaginary scenario, consider how ROI might be measured. Do the new features of Y and Z represent a productivity boost for your company? If new developers already have skills in Y and Z, what does that do for recruitment?
It seems that making the selections for “Good, Fast, Cheap” actually require some forethought. Maybe rather than choosing two of those options, we need to consider all three. Contact Ticomix today for an outcome that balances Good, Fast, and Cheap to get the very best ROI.