Five Steps for Effective Technical Debt Management

It’s time to tackle that outstanding balance of technical debt. Here are five tips to get you started.

Five Steps for Effective Technical Debt Management 

Now that we’ve defined technical debt and broken down how much it can truly cost enterprises, it’s time to talk about reducing your balance. 

It can be helpful to think about technical debt accruing in the same way that financial debt does. However, the best course of action is not necessarily to address technical debt in giant chunks or one huge “payment,” just because you have the means to do so. The steps below will help your organization create a plan for, and then start tackling, its technical debt today. 

1. Keep Track of Your Technical Debt

• Break down the debt into manageable parts, categorizing them based on urgency and importance. This allows for a targeted approach, focusing on addressing critical issues first.
• Establish clear metrics to measure and monitor technical debt regularly, preventing it from escalating uncontrollably.
• Emphasize collaboration among team members to share insights and collectively address identified challenges. 

By visualizing technical debt as smaller, addressable tasks, you create a roadmap for systematic improvement, fostering a more sustainable and manageable approach to software development. Regular reassessment ensures ongoing alignment with project goals.

2. Quantify Your Debt to Assess Urgency with Technical Debt Score 

With instances of your organization’s technical debt captured and prioritized, it’s time to quantify it. This step can take a variety of forms. For example, it might be helpful to assign your organization a technical debt “credit score,” so you’ll have a succinct way to characterize your debt and track how well you’re paying it down. A technical debt credit score can be determined by factors like the total number of backlog of items, or the ratio of technical debt that has been addressed vs. technical debt being created. 

In 2022, McKinsey and Company introduced the Tech Debt Score (TDS), an innovative metric providing organizations with a quick means to quantify their technical debt and benchmark against peers. This score enables companies to swiftly grasp the magnitude of their technical debt, pinpoint achievable target states, and evaluate the economic benefits associated with an enhanced TDS.

McKinsey’s analysis of tech debt at 220 companies across five geographies and seven sectors revealed that there is a significant correlation between the TDS and business performance. A high TDS correlates with higher revenue growth, while poor TDS performance leads to a downward spiral of failed efforts to modernize IT, resulting in ever more tech debt. 

3. Triage Your Technical Debt

Not all instances of technical debt come with the same amount of risk or cost. Much as you’d prioritize and address different financial debts according to interest rates or due dates, organizations should prioritize their technical debt in ways that are most relevant to their specific situation.

• Assess and categorize. Begin by assessing the impact of each debt component on the overall system. Categorize issues based on severity, focusing on critical aspects that hinder functionality or impede future development. 
• Prioritize and collaborate. Prioritize tasks by considering the potential risks and benefits of addressing specific technical debt items. Establish clear criteria for prioritization, such as customer impact, code complexity, or strategic alignmentCollaborate with cross-functional teams to gather diverse perspectives and insights.
• Visualize and review. Use tools like project management software to create a visual representation of the technical debt backlog, aiding in transparent communication and decision-making. Regularly revisit and reassess priorities, adapting to evolving project goals and emerging challenges. 

By implementing a systematic triage process, organizations can strategically allocate resources, mitigate high-impact issues, and foster a sustainable approach to technical debt management.

4. Define “Done”

Enterprises may inadvertently accumulate technical debt, not because of a deliberate choice for suboptimal code but often because projects can become lost or unfinished amidst the rapid pace of development. The pressure to deliver Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) intensifies this challenge, making it challenging to ascertain when a project is genuinely complete. 

Establishing a clear and comprehensive definition of “done” becomes paramount in addressing this issue. This definition should consist of a systematic checklist encompassing various activities and processes that must be fulfilled for a software piece to be considered fully complete.

By incorporating specific criteria such as a set number of tests, thorough documentation, and code reviews, rather than relying solely on the conclusion of a sprint cycle, organizations can enhance their project completion standards. This proactive approach helps prevent unfinished projects from evolving into technical debt over time. A well-defined “done” not only promotes better project management but also ensures that the software released meets high-quality standards, reducing the likelihood of accumulating technical debt due to incomplete or hastily finished work.

5. Tackle Technical Debt with Codeless Development

Tactics like this can only go so far. If your enterprise has accrued a significant amount of technical debt or you’re feeling overwhelmed by how you might go about implementing these steps in your business, it might be time to consider something completely new.

No-code development platforms, at least those that are truly codeless–help unburden enterprises from the crippling costs of technical debt by eliminating its primary cause—code. Codeless platforms also facilitate more collaborative development between teams, so you’ll have an easier time working together to whittle down the debt you do have. Most importantly, you’ll be free to innovate without adding to your technical debt balance. 

How does codeless make this possible? Here are a few reasons:

• Codeless platforms empower non-technical users to create applications and prototypes quickly. This expedites development cycles, allowing teams to address tech debt by efficiently implementing changes and updates without extensive coding.
  
  
• Codeless solutions often involve visual modeling, offering a clear and intuitive representation of workflows and processes. This visual documentation aids in understanding and addressing tech debt by providing a comprehensive overview of the system architecture and dependencies.
  
  
• With codeless platforms, there’s a reduction in the amount of traditional code that needs to be written and maintained. This results in lower maintenance overheads, making it easier to manage and update applications, ultimately reducing the risk of accumulating tech debt.
  
  
• Codeless platforms often come with predefined modules and components, promoting standardization and consistency in application development. This reduces the likelihood of introducing inconsistencies that may contribute to tech debt.
  
  
• Codeless platforms support iterative development, allowing for continuous improvement of applications. Teams can quickly iterate on existing solutions, addressing tech debt incrementally and preventing the accumulation of significant issues over time.
  
  
• Codeless solutions democratize technology by enabling individuals with diverse skill sets to contribute to the development process. This accessibility promotes a wider pool of contributors who can identify and address tech debt issues.
  
  
• Many codeless platforms come equipped with built-in monitoring and analytics features. These tools allow organizations to track system performance, identify potential bottlenecks, and address tech debt proactively.
  
  

While you can start to tackle your technical debt without going codeless,  it’s important to remember that the very presence of a codebase ensures that technical debt will continue to accrue in a vicious cycle. Codeless allows enterprises to embrace a future in which the concern of legacy code is eliminated entirely—so they can focus on truly moving their businesses forward.