Vous avez du mal à gérer la dette technique et à livrer à temps ?

A technical debt is a concept in software development that refers to the additional work needed to fix issues caused by choosing an easy, quick, and often suboptimal solution instead of a better, more time-consuming one. It’s like taking shortcuts in code development, which leads to future problems that need to be addressed. Over time, technical debt accumulates, making maintenance more difficult and increasing the cost and effort needed to improve or expand the software. Managing technical debt involves balancing short-term and long-term goals, continuously refactoring, and maintaining code quality to prevent the debt from becoming unmanageable.

Technical Debt is, from a Lean perspective, rework, and thus, a significant portion of that debt is waste, which squanders resources. Therefore is almost always inherently bad and should be seen as such. In my experience, technical debt is a sign of poor planning methods. The risk of accepting technical debt is that you are starving the final deliverable of the necessary maintenance and support steps needed to operate in a consistent and stable way. You may get away with that risk, but it is not without cost. Pushing a product to market with insufficient maintenance and support plans risks poor customer experience in favor of early returns on investment.

It is essential to fully acknowledge and quantify the presence of technical debt and its impact on the project: in general, technical debt refers to the shortcuts or suboptimal solutions implemented during development to meet immediate goals, which can lead to long-term complications. Recognizing this circumstances allows the project team to address it deliberately rather than letting it accumulate unchecked. Consider incorporating technical debt management into the project plan from the outset; this involves setting aside dedicated time and resources to address existing problems and prevent new debt from accumulating. By embedding this into the project timeline, you can mitigate the risk of technical debt impacting delivery schedules.

Esteja aberto a pensar de forma criativa para encontrar soluções eficientes e eficazes para a conclusão do projeto. Considere a possibilidade de terceirizar parte do trabalho, reorganizar a sequência das tarefas, utilizar ferramentas de automação ou redistribuir responsabilidades dentro da equipe.

Prioritizing technical debt involves assessing its impact on the project’s long-term goals, performance, and maintainability. Start by identifying and categorizing debts based on their severity and effect on functionality. Use metrics like code complexity, bug frequency, and developer productivity. Focus on high-impact areas first, such as critical systems or modules frequently modified. Regularly review and reassess debts, incorporating debt management into the development process. Balance addressing debt with new feature development to maintain progress and stability.

Prioritizing technical debt within the Backlog alongside feature development is another key approach, broadly suggested in the literature. Use techniques such as the "Technical Debt Ratio" (TDR) to assess and quantify technical debt; this helps in making informed decisions about when to address debt versus when to push forward with new features. By balancing the two, you ensure that possible refactoring initiatives does not hinder progress but is managed as an integral part of the development cycle. In my own experience, the most balanced approach has been suggested by Martin Fowler in his essays about refactoring, described as "Litter-Pickup Refactoring".

Don’t overlook the importance of team morale and communication when managing technical debt. A positive, open culture encourages team members to speak up about potential debt and suggest improvements. Also, leveraging tools and metrics to track technical debt can provide a clearer picture and help in making informed decisions. Regularly revisiting and revising your debt management strategy as the project evolves ensures it remains effective and aligned with your goals. Lastly, celebrate small wins to keep the team motivated and acknowledge the progress made in managing technical debt. Rgrds