How Can Organizations Manage Technical Debt?
TrueFort, Wednesday, July 12,2023
Organizations need to manage technical debt, but why, and what is the best process for successful mitigation?
Technical debt is a term that comes from software development, but its significance extends far beyond the developer's desk. It carries ramifications for business operations, security, and long-term strategy. But what exactly is technical debt, how can it be managed, and how can organizations bring it under control?
The Nature of Technical Debt
Technical debt is a metaphor coined to describe the 'interest' organizations pay when they choose quick, easy, or cheap development solutions that aren't sustainable in the long run. Such 'interest' could take the form of added costs, time, and effort needed later to rectify the shortcuts taken or to rewrite poorly designed code.
Sometimes this can be a lack of innovation or commitment to basic best practices like zero trust or employee training. When looking for project funding for bringing technical debt 'back into the black' (from those within our organizations who hold the purse strings), many examples and statistics support action over continuing with technical 'red in our ledger