What’s the real cost of adding a feature to software?
by Rachel Potts
In this article
New feature cost
Doing the sums
About the author
I’ve been re-reading Getting real, which recommends:
“Each time you say yes to a feature, you’re adopting a child.”
It got me thinking about what’s involved in adding a feature to software, beyond initially coding it…
How much does a new feature cost?
It’s not at all uncommon that features get added to software applications without really thinking through the consequences. I’ve seen this happen because a high-profile customer makes some noise about it, or because it seems like a cool idea … or sometimes just because developers have some time on their hands and have written the code.
This approach treats software features as something where the only effort involved is development – or perhaps development plus testing … which is not usually realistic. The true cost of a software feature needs a more long-term view: development plus testing plus design plus documentation plus internal training plus changes to marketing materials plus dealing with support calls plus bug fixing plus updates to all the above plus additional complexity across all areas next time you add a feature … and so on.
To switch analogies on you:
Like cute, fluffy puppies, software features are for life – not just for Christmas
Want to find out more?
Doing the sums
The real cost of a software feature is going to vary wildly depending on the feature, the product, the team and so on … but I had a go at an estimate.
Example estimate of the total cost of adding a feature, over the lifetime of 3 versions
About the author
Rachel is our Lead Consultant, advising customers on documentation strategy, and helping our growing team of technical writers to develop their skills and hone their insights. She is a Member of the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators and also contributes to the ISTC’s award-winning journal.
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