With respect to the analogy of various financial debts, accruing debt on any software project can be calculated. Just like any other financial debt is treated regarding payments for debt clearance, tech debts can also be effectively cleared. But if you take some necessary and efficient steps to avoid such debt accumulation in your codes, you can be saved from the trouble of falling behind the race. Little debt can be paid off quickly and is better for management process, but every minute it is not paid, accumulates as interest.
Clear Technical Strategy
Before even development begins, you must have a clear idea about all the technical details and its criticalities. Questions like what key decisions has to be taken, what has to be added in the future, what are the functionalities you have to deal with and whether or not you have all the acceptance criteria for all features, will help you to take proper decisions. It will help you to chalk out a road map which you will need to follow. You may need to make some small changes in the code to keep it running. As these alterations and additions are very small and minor, these can be implemented as everyday developmental processes.Eventually, it will facilitate in limiting your reworking and rewriting
Assigning The Project
You must also assign the project to the architectural owner of it. As the owner, they can guide your team in taking correct decisions regarding the technicality of the project. Also helping in training and mentoring members to design skills which can avoid further technical debts, is an added benefit of such assignment. As they are the first hand developer and user, they are efficient in detecting a tech debt and know the appropriate time for addressing it with corrective measures.
Refactoring Tech Debt
There is a vast difference between refactoring and rewriting a code. Refactoring is done by effective restructuring the code without affecting it functionality. Just like a few changes here and there in your monthly budget can help you arrange funds for best credit card consolidation, making few small changes in your process can also help in tech debt accumulation. Inclusion of a new benefit, making the names more meaningful does not affect functionality. Also adding various methods to reduce the complexities and removal of duplicate codes are some examples of refactoring which does not require a complete rewriting of codes.
Expand Test Coverage
To reduce human errors and detect faults, you can also conduct automated regression tests. But expand the coverage from merely the lines of codes to all the logical branches of it. This will help you in eliminating additional sources of technical debt and mend them early on. If you are still facing problems with your code, then it is time to take the judgmental call of rewriting the whole code. If such a situation arises, which should ideally be the inevitable action, take your time and rewrite it keeping in mind all the features. This will help you to get a code which is completely free of any technical debt.