Expectations

A great deal of quality can relate to expectations. For example, I recently visited a new "New York Style Deli". Now, for anyone who has been to New York City, the deli could be expected to have fresh bagels, rolls and breads, a wide variety of cold cuts and hot meats, peppers, etc. all able to be put together quickly. Often, you can see what you are going to be getting. Apparently, the people who named this place had never been to a New York Deli. We found a display case with some bagels in plastic bags, obviously purchased from somewhere, the cooks not in sight, and a menu that didn't have all the items or prices. Hmmm.

As you might expect, the prices and food weren't that great either. When a customer makes a decision to buy something, it is based on what they might reasonably expect to get. In software, we talk about 'managing expectations', which normally translates into schedules, but I'm talking about actual quality expectations. What do I want, and will I get what I want? So, let's eliminate 'when' for a second.

And let's not even go to the fine print type of thing ("no setup required." "works out of the box.")Because there is meaning that can convey not just a feature, but an entire experience. What do you think of when you get a product from Apple Computers, for example. Ok, in that case, you do expect the "no setup required".

Here's another example. What do you think when you see this ad with the bathtubs outside? I'll tell you what I think. How can they possibly accomplish what the drug maker says is the purpose of the drug? Don't have your customers thinking that.

They can't be thinking "this isn't what it purports to be", nor can they be thinking "but I can't do what I want to do if it works this way." One of the biggest challenges for quality software is knowing what you really want to make and whether you can indeed make it work. And that is more than just a list of requirements. It requires seeing the picture and keeping it in mind while developing the product.