Navigating Through Passed-on Technical Debt

As a technical consultant, you might find yourself in a challenging situation where you are tasked with rescuing a project that is plagued with technical debt. While it may seem overwhelming, there are strategic steps you can take to get the project back on track and successfully launch it.

Understanding the Problem and Freezing Enhancements

The first step is to impose a development freeze on enhancements and non-critical defects. This will help stabilize the system and prevent further compounding of the technical debt. While this freeze is in place, conduct a thorough triage to identify and list all major issues and their criticality.

Planning the Future of the System

Next, capture detail on the additional business functions that the system is supposed to support moving forward. It is highly likely that the current purpose and intent of the system differ significantly from its original design. This will require time to absorb, as well as allowing your subconscious to work on the chronic issues while addressing the acute ones.

Breaking Down the System

When you are ready to start making changes, the key is to encapsulate and decouple as much of each functional area as possible. Often, the biggest threat to a system is not the code that performs the tasks but the code that ties everything together. By isolating and separating these elements, you can more effectively manage and improve the system.

Incremental Improvement

While a complete redo might seem appealing, it is often not feasible in practice. Instead, adopt an incremental approach, which allows for steady progress. Evaluate the technical debt and prioritize the most critical issues. Identify small changes that can yield significant improvements, and focus on these areas first. Avoid the temptation to fix everything at once, but ensure that you consistently allocate a portion of your effort towards ongoing improvement.

Communicate the progress to management, emphasizing how these incremental improvements are positively impacting the strategic situation. With luck, additional resources will be allocated, accelerating the improvement process.

Preventing Future Debt

Remember the wise advice: when in a deep hole, stop digging. Avoid adding more technical debt faster than you can resolve it. This approach is crucial for maintaining a healthy project and avoiding project bankruptcy.

By following these steps, you can effectively navigate and resolve passed-on technical debt, ensuring the success of the project and your own professional growth.