Technical support may sound simple — just handling requests, right? In reality, inherited projects and even newly developed ones often contain what is commonly known as 'bad code' or quick fixes.
But where does this bad code come from?
Reason #1: Frequent Requirement Changes
When requirements shift rapidly, especially with poorly defined specifications or tight deadlines, developers often create temporary solutions just to meet the deadline. Agile environments can also contribute to this when flexibility becomes chaotic.
Reason #2: Building MVPs
During the development of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), teams usually focus only on the most critical features. Future needs are not always considered, which can lead to limitations and shortcuts in the code.
These shortcuts and quick fixes add up over time. However, deciding whether to refactor them is not always simple.
The best approach is to conduct code audits with two main criteria in mind:
- Necessity: Does the code significantly hinder development or introduce risks?
- Frequency of Changes: How often is this part of the code modified or extended?
If a module is rarely updated, rewriting it might not be worth the effort. However, if frequent modifications are required, refactoring becomes economically sound. Improving such code can reduce future development time by up to 30%, quickly offsetting the initial investment.
Key Takeaway:
Bad code is inevitable in dynamic projects, but regular code reviews and smart, targeted refactoring can keep technical debt under control and improve long-term project maintainability.
Project Management
30 March 2025