Business-Driven Technical Debt Prioritization: An Industry Case Study

Technical debt (TD) results from suboptimal software development decisions, which affects quality, maintainability, and performance. Prioritization is essential, but challenging, due to the volume of TD items, which requires clear criteria. This study applies Tracy-TD, a business-driven TD prioritization approach, that identified criteria for future decision making. A case study tested this approach, followed by interviews with software professionals from various sectors to refine prioritization strategies, particularly for future scenarios. The findings clarify the medium- and long-term criteria that influence the prioritization of TD and the most affected types of TD. The analysis highlights how organizations define and apply these criteria in their decision-making processes. In addition, the study details key prioritization variables and their impact on different types of TD, contributing to a structured approach to managing TD in evolving software projects.