In the world of business, every salesman claims to have the best product. But how can one truly ascertain the superiority of a given product without a frame of reference? Logically speaking, when someone claims something is "best", it inherently suggests comparison. So, what criteria or standards have they used to compare their product to others? Are there established guidelines or metrics that we can use to objectively assess the quality of the product? Yes, for salesmen it's called open markets.
How About Software Though?
When your programmers claim the project is thriving and deadlines are met, how do you verify that? Sure, the project is released to the clients, but does it maintain the promised quality? Is quality being sacrificed to meet deadlines? Can the project be maintained for the future? If it can't be maintained. Unmaintainable software can lead to significant monetary costs for owners in the long term. Issues such as increased maintenance expenses, lost business opportunities, legal liabilities, and decreased market competitiveness can arise. Through independent code audits, these issues can be identified and addressed proactively.
Independent code audits help in detecting architectural flaws, code quality issues, and areas lacking in best practices, unlike internal ones, which may be susceptible to team bias and oversight. This ensures that the project meets its deadlines but also maintains its quality over time, thus avoiding costly rework or technical debt in the future, a +EV move for sure.
But you might not want independent code audits, and why would you? Since each team member is meticulously chosen from a vast pool of qualified candidates, reflecting an undeniable passion for the project and an unwavering commitment to its success, they definitely have your best interest in mind, especially when taking into consideration the current management methods of these engineers.