The High Stakes of Technical Debt
In typical commercial software, technical debt might mean lost productivity or missed revenue. In the industries that we support (including avionics and defense), the consequences are far steeper:
A rushed patch that works in an isolated testing environment may later snowball into a costly rewrite. Because these systems often stay in service for decades, shortcuts today will become tomorrow’s liabilities.
The goal isn’t to limit technical debt altogether, but by using a few simple principles we can make sure it never spirals beyond our control.
1) Refactor As You Go
Refactoring doesn’t have to mean grinding to a halt to rewrite entire systems or modules. It can be done incrementally by making many small improvements each time a section of code is updated.
Example 1:
When updating the following code to support a new status code:
if (status == 1)
{
execute();
}
else
{
log_error(“ERROR: Can not execute!”)
}
Instead of simply adding a second conditional check against another hard coded integer, we can make a small refactor as part of the update.
enum SystemState { Undefined=0, Running=1, Standby=2, Error=7 };
if (status == SystemState::Running || status == SystemState::Standby)
{
execute();
}
else if (status == SystemState::Error)
{
log_error(“ERROR: Error status received! Skipping Execution.”)
}
else if (status == SystemState::Undefined)
{
log_erorr(“ERROR: Undefined status received! Skipping Execution.”)
}
else
{
log_error(“ERROR: Unsupported status received! Skipping Execution.”)
}
By refactoring with a SystemState enumeration, we can improve clarity, reduce risk of misuse, and provide more robust error messaging for whoever maintains this system years down the road. Simple and painless refactors like this can be done in a moment. If deferred as additional technical debt, encountering these error cases in the future could cause confusion and become costly to investigate.
This is a somewhat trivial example, but I’ve seen similar far too often, persist for far too long. Large refactors or rewrites should be documented and planned, but it doesn’t hurt to keep an eye out for small areas of improvement any time code is being updated or expanded.
2) Code Defensively
In real world operational environments, the “happy path” is often the least likely outcome. Defensive coding is about anticipating that things will go wrong. Hardware fails, networks degrade, external systems send malformed data, and operators improvise in unexpected ways. A defensive mindset ensures that your software fails gracefully instead of collapsing catastrophically.
Some key defensive strategies:
The earlier these things are considered the cheaper they are to prevent. Patching these issues up as they occur can be quite costly in terms of time spent debugging and testing.
3) Align Requirements with Reality
Technical debt often begins before any code is written. It can begin with contracts or requirements that are too vague or place emphasis only on features rather than sustainability or error handling. This is how software is delivered that “works” in the demo but can’t survive integration.
When possible, advocate for the software requirements to help manage technical debt. Have requirements:
This level of detail helps keep a focus on the end user experience of the software, and primary use cases, rather than merely implementing a list of features in an oversimplified checklist.
4) Document at Point of Change
Engineers rotate off programs, contractors change, programs shift direction. The constant is the codebase and the trail of documentation you leave behind. This doesn’t mean creating massive binders of documents that collect dust. Documentation is important, but if it’s disorganized or overwhelming, it can be counterproductive. When moving fast, it’s most effective to focus on “just-in-time” documentation. Things like:
Doing these things can keep overhead costs low while still providing much needed context and direction to future maintainers.
5) Lean on Tools and Culture
Mitigating technical debt is only possible within a team culture that values it and streamlined with the right set of tools and processes.
Possibly the most important principle of all is cultivating a shared mindset that embraces good practices and continually seeks out opportunities for improvement. If every team member has the goal of leaving code “better than they found it,” technical debt tends to accrue much more slowly.
It’s much easier to manage technical debt when processes and tools are set in place to enforce consistency and quality. Such as:
Closing Thoughts
Minimizing technical debt under contract deadlines isn’t endlessly polishing. It’s maintaining a disciplined but practical approach. It can sometimes feel like progress is being made slowly, but addressing technical debt throughout development will pay for itself when it comes time to validate, integrate, and deliver. Following these principles consistently will not only help deliver on time, but will deliver quality products that remain secure, maintainable, and interoperable for many years to come.
Reducing technical debt takes more than discipline, it takes the right foundation. Lynx software platforms are engineered for sustainable development under real-world program constraints. From secure separation kernels to streamlined DevSecOps integration, we help teams deliver robust, certifiable systems faster, and keep them maintainable for decades.
See how Lynx can help you access your software architecture or contact us here.