Technical debt is an inevitable reality of software development. The question isn't whether you have it—it's whether you understand it well enough to manage it effectively.
This article presents a practical framework for assessing technical debt at the portfolio level, helping you make informed decisions about where to invest remediation efforts.
What is Technical Debt?
Technical debt refers to the implied cost of future rework caused by choosing expedient solutions over better approaches. Like financial debt, it accumulates interest over time in the form of:
- Increased maintenance costs
- Slower feature development
- Higher risk of failures
- Difficulty attracting talent
A Framework for Assessment
Dimension 1: Architecture Debt
Issues with system design and structure:
- Monolithic applications that should be decomposed
- Tight coupling between systems
- Inconsistent integration patterns
- Missing abstraction layers
Dimension 2: Technology Debt
Outdated or unsupported technologies:
- End-of-life platforms
- Unsupported versions
- Obsolete frameworks
- Missing security patches
Dimension 3: Code Debt
Quality issues within the codebase:
- Duplicate code
- Poor test coverage
- Inconsistent coding standards
- Complex, unmaintainable logic
Dimension 4: Documentation Debt
Missing or outdated knowledge artifacts:
- Undocumented integrations
- Stale architecture diagrams
- Missing runbooks
- Tribal knowledge
Scoring and Prioritization
Rate each application across dimensions using a simple scale:
| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | Minimal debt, well-maintained |
| 2 | Some debt, manageable |
| 3 | Significant debt, attention needed |
| 4 | Critical debt, high risk |
Prioritization Factors
Debt scores alone don't determine priority. Also consider:
- Business criticality: How important is this system?
- Change frequency: How often does it need updates?
- Risk exposure: What happens if it fails?
- Remediation cost: How much effort to fix?
Building the Business Case
Technical debt remediation competes for resources with feature development. To secure investment:
- Quantify the cost - Show impact on velocity, incidents, etc.
- Connect to business outcomes - Frame in terms executives understand
- Propose incremental approach - Don't ask to "fix everything"
- Track and report progress - Demonstrate value delivered
Maintaining Visibility
Technical debt assessment isn't a one-time activity. Establish regular reviews to:
- Update scores as systems evolve
- Track remediation progress
- Identify emerging debt
- Celebrate improvements
Conclusion
You can't manage what you don't measure. A structured approach to technical debt assessment gives you the visibility needed to make informed investment decisions and communicate effectively with stakeholders.