Technical debt refers to a practice that programmers and IT folks are guilty of engaging in. The term comes from the idea that we can improve our code base by paying back technical debt and thus, reducing the overall cost associated with the project.

Software and software engineering both are the areas where technical debt has been observed to be significant. This can manifest itself as an accumulation of technical debt issues which may continue to grow without being adjusted or addressed at regular intervals. 

Let’s discuss some steps for managing your technical debts!

1. Go for a Shared Definition of Tech Debt 

Having rich and diverse viewpoints is invaluable for improving development efforts. However, many times these views can come into conflict with one another. One perspective may look at it from the business angle, considering TD as the negative effects of technological failures causing operational costs to rise. Apart from that, it might also take more time to get the final product to the market!

Another view on the issue comes from the tech side, where technical debt hinders code quality, testing efforts, and design standards by lowering the quality of code, testing, and design. In reality, both views are correct but need to be understood through a common lens in order for all parties to appreciate their opposing viewpoints.

It’s really a matter of perspective. After all, everyone sees TD a little differently depending on their vantage point. Just like viewing the Mona Lisa at the Louvre versus viewing it at home in your living room, what you get out of it is different. In tech terms, TD hurts code quality, testing, and design. However, when viewed from a common point of view, everyone perceives TD as the wasted time and missed opportunities to innovate that result from not paying down software debt aggressively.

2. Strictly Define a Timeframe and Activities to Mitigate Tech Debt 

We all see it around us, technical debt. As if it were an isolated and harmless situation we can live with. Unfortunately, technical debt costs time, money, and energy. To make matters worse, technical debt piles up in business units across the enterprise, so there is no single “responsible” department, team, or person to pay off this debt quickly.

To pay off tech debt, we must be consistent with the time, money, and effort that we put into addressing technical debt. The best way to do this is to come up with a plan, formalise what needs to be done, and then work on these tasks.

So, try to be productive and dedicate some time to resolving technical debt. Remember that resolving the debt is a long-term process, so do not get discouraged. Be aware that if you don’t take action, you will end up with a heavy burden on your back later on. Keep in mind that not resolving a single piece of tech debt might cost you heavily, both financially and reputation-wise. So don’t delay. Start right away!

3. Introduce Code Standards and Reviews

Consistent code standards are key to ensuring the health of your app. They allow you to maintain quality and reduce tech debt, even before bugs pop up. Code reviews help developers learn from one another and sharpen their skills.

A quick and easy guide for setting up a code review system that helps developers to write clean and readable codes. It also shows great tips on how to use conventions effectively, how to avoid committing errors, and how to keep your app up-to-date by using a linter.

As while coding, you obviously don’t want all the little mistakes to leave a big, ugly mess. That’s why having some code standards and performing code reviews helps you write cleaner, readable code.

Final Thoughts 

Technical debt is essentially a tech issue that occurs when developers implement solutions quickly and without thinking through the future consequences of such decisions. This allows them to complete a project earlier than expected date but also makes it more expensive down the road as it needs to be addressed after the fact when there are no more quick fixes.

The consequences of accumulating technology debt may not be clear immediately, but eventually, bring forth more problems than they resolve. One way of managing tech debt is by ensuring that they are addressed as fast as possible when they are discovered, ideally during development rather than after release!