In prior posts we’ve been talking about technology strategy. Tech execs must possess a robust strategic approach to steer technology direction and secure agreement on projects and budgets within their organization. Addressing technical debt is crucial in every IT strategy. As part of our strategic building process, we include the following step:
5. Analyze Current IT Environment: A large piece of the strategy build effort occurs in this step. Here analysis of the current environment (current state, or status quo) is documented and reviewed in order to do reflections and backward looking.
During the current state assessment, watch out for technical debt. It’s crucial for CIOs to prioritize reducing tech debt, whether staying on the current platform or migrating to a new one.
Technical debt often stems from decisions made to expedite application deployment. It can manifest as deviations from project specifications, reliance on outdated technologies, or even shortcuts in the supporting infrastructure. Let’s explore a few instances where technical debt tends to arise:
Unpredicted expense
As pressure mounts for teams to deliver quickly, especially for applications on a lengthy development roadmap, evolving business needs may necessitate accelerated release schedules. This pressure can tempt teams to resort to shortcuts, such as hardcoding IP addresses, limiting logic flexibility and hindering future application transition to the cloud.
Evolving technology
During the system’s initial release, the technology choices were appropriate. However, the aging infrastructure requires maintenance over time. As applications become older, changes become more likely. Upgrading the operating system or supporting software may be costly but necessary for effective system operation.
Misunderstandings cause tech debt
Incomplete business requirements result in rework. Improperly documented and misunderstood application support processes cause user frustration and costly errors. Effective communication with experienced professionals prevents technical debt. A resource management plan provides valuable, low-cost support for applications.
Addressing technical debt is a delicate balance between cost and quality to meet business deadlines. If left unchecked, it hampers speed and agility in addressing business needs, gradually accumulating as the application ages.
See the next post for idea on how to eliminate Technical Debt.
Click here for a post on Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).