Agree with the other reply. Working for enterprises the actual initial writing the code part is probably 10% of the cost or less. Several times larger is the working out what the business requirements might be, which is mainly talking to people and writing stuff down. The support and maintenance part is also massive and if you assume a 5-10 year lifespan costs much more than the initial build.
I think what probably has improved is the ability of the business to prototype ideas for new systems and products quickly and throw them away if they don't work as expected.
I think what probably has improved is the ability of the business to prototype ideas for new systems and products quickly and throw them away if they don't work as expected.