How to Avoid Technical Debt

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Technical debt can play a significant role in your business’s growth strategy. Realistically, it is nearly impossible to have zero technical debt; however, companies should try to keep it at a minimum. The more debt you incur, the worse the quality might be for the end product.

What is Technical Debt?

Technical debt is a concept in Software development where some features are not appropriately implemented to meet an immediate deadline. It is basically using an easy solution for a problem temporarily. The work, however, will have to be fixed in the future.

There are several factors that can contribute to technical debt. These include poor testing, insufficient documentation, lack of communication amongst the development team, and bad coding techniques.

How can we Avoid Technical Debt Briefly?

While technical debt might seem like an easy solution to an immediate problem, it can become an expensive liability if not reduced in a timely manner. Over time, if your technical debt keeps building up, it might adversely affect your end product. The more shortcuts you take, the lesser is the quality of the product you deliver.

The question is, how do we avoid technical debt? Well, to begin with, there are several developmental approaches you can take. For example, going for an agile development methodology paired with automated unit testing can prevent technical debt build-up. Similarly, test-driven development can also help in controlling your debt if it is executed properly.

Following the given practices can help you avoid and reduce your technical debt:

Future Planning

Future planning is key for the development of any software product. It would be best if you had a plan for the entire development cycle, with room for error. The deadlines should be clearly defined, along with a grace period that might be used to counter the technical debt. For example, you can have a month for the development of a particular use case and then a week grace period to pay any technical debt incurred during the process.

Set a threshold

Set a threshold for the amount of technical debt you can afford. Make sure your debt does not exceed it. Try not to let things pile on instead of solving them in a periodic manner to prevent future issues.

Test your products

Keep testing your products throughout the development cycle. This will help solve any issue immediately, instead of leaving it for a later date.

Keep your developers updated

Lastly, make sure your developers are updated with everything. You should hold informational seminars and workshops to help them better understand technical debt and how to avoid it.

Conclusion

Technical debt can become a serious issue if it is not solved within a set time frame. Too much debt can lead to a bad quality product. The above strategies can help you manage and avoid technical debt effectively.

Updated on October 6, 2021