Does quality aid profitability? [Software industry]

The software industry has a reputation for producing software that does not meet the needs of the purchaser, is late and overbudget. Few IT companies in the UK measure the cost of quality, so are not aware of the problem and consequently what the effect could be on their profitability. Those companies that have been aware and have done something about improving quality, have shown it does work in terms of reduction in rework, increased productivity, overruns and earlier detection of errors. They have shown that the way to increased profits is by placing more emphasis (resource) on preventive measures such as planning, training, standards and tools