Software engineering and software architecture is a very complex matter, and the natural way to deal with uncertainties is to insure yourself against potential risks. We do it all the time with life insurance, health insurance, and car insurance. Yet when it comes to software development, we tend to forget about all the safety precautions and just hope for an optimistic outcome.
Knowing that things not only may but will go wrong, it is unbelievable that the topic of testing software is still a controversial one. Whether it's from having a lack of skill or from a lack of budget, there are still projects that lack even some of the most basic tests. And when the client decides to change the requirements, a simple correction may result in endless reworks and firefights.
The time that's saved from not implementing proper testing is lost when the first rework happens. If you think this rework will not happen very soon, you are most probably very mistaken...
