This is the first installment of our blog series on technical debt, a hidden challenge many businesses face. Tangonet Solutions has worked with multiple clients to tackle this pervasive issue and its impact on innovation and business growth. In this series, we’ll explore real-world scenarios of technical debt, sharing insights from our hands-on experience.
In today’s post, we’ll explore a common scenario in which we’ve helped our clients resolve a 1.7-year feature backlog caused by technical debt. We’ll share how we helped them create a parallel track to satisfy a large backlog, including critical business requirements, while at the same time allowing them to innovate and create the next generation of their platform.
The Innovation Stagnation Price
Imagine your developers devoting almost half their time to fixing outdated code rather than building features or new platforms that could elevate your business. This was the reality for one of our clients, who found themselves in a 1.7-year backlog of features and functionalities and accumulated technical debt. As with many businesses, they had delayed modernization for too long, hoping to focus on more immediate objectives, only to find that technical debt had become a roadblock, a drag on innovation as their internal resources were constantly being pulled in to get the critical business feature built or resolve important technical and functional issues.
In many cases, New features that could have attracted streamlined operations and increased revenue were constantly postponed because of the ongoing maintenance and fixes required by outdated core applications.
Key Steps Tangonet Solutions Took:
- Assessment & Prioritization: We first thoroughly audited their codebase and infrastructure. This gave us a clear understanding of where the technical debt lay and which issues were the most critical.
- Team Integration: To accelerate progress, we deployed a dedicated nearshore team from Tangonet Solutions to work alongside the client’s in-house team. This elastic approach allowed for a quick ramp-up without overwhelming their existing resources.
- Parallel Development: Instead of freezing all new development until the technical debt was cleared, we implemented parallel development. This meant that while a portion of the team worked on new features, another focused on removing technical debt.
- Code Refactoring: We began refactoring critical code areas to make them more maintainable and scalable for future needs. This resolved existing problems and created a more robust foundation for future updates.
- Regular Sprints and Reviews: Using Agile methodologies, we broke the backlog into manageable sprints and had daily stand-ups to keep the client informed and engaged. This ensured clear communication and quick feedback loops, avoiding the buildup of future debt.
By the end of the project, the client had cleared their 1.7-year backlog, implemented several long-awaited features, and re-established their ability to innovate. More importantly, their system was now in a state where future development wouldn’t be bogged down by accumulated debt.
The Cost of Delaying Technical Debt Management
Delaying the resolution of technical debt leads to higher costs in the long run. The more debt you accumulate, the more time and resources you’ll have to spend later on fixing the existing issues and any new complications that arise.
Moreover, your innovation will stagnate. When your teams are constantly in firefighting mode, handling system outages or bugs, they’re not working on the next big thing that could push your business ahead of competitors.
Are you currently facing a similar challenge? Don’t let your technical debt hold you back any longer. Contact Tangonet Solutions to explore how we can help your business regain control of its technology and start innovating again.
Ready to start clearing your technical debt?
Schedule a call with Tangonet Solutions to discuss how our elastic teams can help you clear your backlog, modernize your systems, and get back to innovation.
