Tracking Technical Debt To Improve Velocity And Productivity

What is Technical Debt?

Technical debt refers to the implied cost of additional work caused by choosing an easy solution now instead of using a better approach that would take longer. In other words, technical debt is a concept in programming that reflects the extra development work that arises when code that is easy to implement in the short run is used instead of applying the best overall solution.

Some examples of practices that can incur technical debt include:

• Copying and pasting code instead of creating reusable functions
• Using hard-coded values instead of configurable parameters
• Bypassing best practices for security or compliance considerations
• Postponing documentation tasks
• Delaying refactoring of duplicate code or messy legacy code

If these types of shortcuts pile up over time without being addressed, they make the codebase increasingly complex and fragile. Technical debt causes difficulties maintaining and enhancing an application in the future. As the system ages, development velocity slows down.

Measuring and Documenting Technical Debt

Managing technical debt effectively starts with measuring it. Quantiative tracking exposes troublesome areas of the system and directs attention where investment is needed most.

Code analysis tools can help determine the size or severity of technical debt according to predefined rulesets. These tools scan source code looking for common symptoms of technical debt like code complexity metrics or duplication detection.

Technical debt management tools take this analysis further. They associate technical debt estimates with business impact and prioritize debt items so stakeholders understand the tradeoffs involved.

Document debt items thoroughly for shared understanding. The description should include specifics of the shortcoming, expected remediation time, and side effects. Track this documentation in backlogs, boards, or specialized registers to treat debt repayment as a planned business activity rather than a surprise tax.

Prioritizing Tech Debt Work

Not all technical debt has equal consequences. Principal debt refers to the underlying work avoided when the shortcut was taken. Interest debt refers to the extra effort needed down the road due to taking the shortcut.

For example, leaving inadequate comments is principal debt. The programmer saved time up front by not thoroughly documenting the code’s intentions and constraints. Changing the code later consumes extra time because its logic is unclear. The interest debt is this unnecessary extra effort.

Since interest payments accumulate, it makes sense to prioritize work targeting high-interest debt. Suppose regression test coverage is spotty. Extending tests to handle all significant cases is principal debt. Freezing new feature work to fix the coverage gap pays this principal down. However, as more code accumulates without tests, the application becomes unchangeable. Now consider the interest debt: the accumulating waste and delays because developers cannot confidently modify code. Test coverage debt and its associated maintenance burden severely hamper velocity as time passes.

Categorize, estimate, and rank debt items throughout the system. This focuses stakeholder decisions on meaningful indicators of business value tradeoffs.

Paying Down Tech Debt

Pay down technical debt deliberately through two strategies: reducing the backlog of debt work itself and avoiding its recurrence.

Just as stories deliver regular product value in agile plans, schedule debt repayment stories too. Allocate a percentage of each sprint or project to principal debt work such as test coverage improvements. Estimate the scope carefully from analysis tool reports. Done continually, this stem the accumulation of interest payments over time.

Secondly, build better development habits that generate less debt from the start. Refactor overgrown functions into neatly encapsulated units with defined responsibilities immediately instead of tolerating duplication and complexity. Don’t develop new features without associated automated tests. Keep documentation current; do not leave comments, diagrams or requirements outdated. Daily investments avoiding unforced errors minimize expensive, mandatory maintenance later.

Improving Estimates by Tracking Debt

Judgements about scope, schedule and return on investment depend heavily on development velocity. Technical debt drags estimated velocity lower over time. Initially software appears easy to change and enhance. Developers work quickly since they focus narrowly on application functionality, ignoring structural quality. After months or years accruing layers of debt however, modest changes require tedious rounds of manual checks and fixes to avoid unintended side effects. Delivery forecasts slip further as waste inherent in technical debt multiplies.

Track debt trends so their effects on productivity emerge visibly. Associate standard debt indicators like test coverage with release forecasts. Review this benchmark data during planning to shape realistic initiative roadmaps. Build some buffer time into larger initiatives as well to absorb unforeseen complications from existing system fragility.

Moreover, regularly assess new designs’ potential to incur design debt or code debt before development starts. Consider not only implementation costs but also testability, operability and extendability. Favor simpler, more modular architectures over complex, tightly-coupled designs to limit future unpaid interest obligations.

Sustaining Focus on Tech Debt

Since individual teams rightly aim shipping features over internal quality efforts, central stewardship ensures technical debt receives due attention across the organization.

Define unified, system-level measures of technical debt scoped to business risks, plus thresholds warranting intervention. For example, quantify the expanding cost of test automation gaps, or excessive redundancy threatening reliability. Then align tactical plans to enterprise debt targets.

Also formalize clear processes for debt ownership, prioritization and repayment. Specify checks before commits to minimize easily prevented debt. Conduct regular mini-retrospectives probing patterns of recurring issues. Bake enumerated debt accounts with thresholds for corrective action into governance forums.将治理论坛中与纠正行动阈值相关的经过列举的债务帐户考虑在内。

With senior stakeholders thus informed, product teams have cover to invest in quality. Technical leaders ensure wider concepts of business value and sustainability counterbalance isolated feature output.

The Impact of Paying Down Tech Debt

What benefits emerge from deliberately tracking and managing technical debt? The compound effect over years is striking.

Most directly, paying principal debt through structural improvements boosts throughput. Less chaotic, more maintainable code enables reliable reuse so features build faster. Automated checks catch surprises early, minimizing delays.

Secondly, modernized platforms draw better talent. Bright developers enjoy creating solutions atop thoughtfully architected code with strong testing. Their effectiveness multiplies further as this progressive environment spurs collaborative culture.

Furthermore, prioritizing conspicuous interest debt first curtails recurring hidden costs. Closing operability gaps for example reduces incidents and restores user trust. Decluttered interfaces likewise improve conversion rates. Smoother upgrades with no painful migrations retain more customers.

Accountably tracking technical debt creates focus for small, frequent investments offsetting larger hidden debt burdens dragging enterprises down over time. The compound effect is faster innovation velocity, lower risk, and more sustainable competitive differentiation.