Technical debt in the backlog: Priority and planning

> Key Takeaway: Technical debt in the backlog is prioritized by business risk: modules with high change frequency and many dependencies first.

Proven methods: calculate a technical debt score per module, reserve fixed capacity (e.g., 20% per sprint) for debt reduction, and make debt visible in the backlog.

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Speed is a decisive factor in agile [software development](/services/software development). Teams are often under pressure to deliver new features quickly and to comply with tight deadlines. In this field of tension there is often a phenomenon called “technical debt”.

But what exactly hides behind this concept and how can companies learn to manage these debt strategically instead of being overwhelmed by them? This article highlights how technical debts arise, how to prioritise them in the backlog and develop a plan for targeted degradation.

What are technical debts?

The term “technical debt” (English: technical debt) is a metaphor coined by Ward Cunningham. It describes the implicit costs arising from rework if you choose a fast but not optimal technical solution. Instead of going the “clean” and sustainable way, you choose an abbreviation to achieve short-term goals.

These abbreviations can manifest themselves in the form of badly written code, missing documentation or inadequate tests. In the long term, these “debts” lead to a slowdown in development, increased susceptibility to errors and increasing maintenance costs. It is therefore crucial to develop a strategy for Technical debt.

The causes of technical debt

Short: Technical debt can arise for various reasons.

Technical debt can arise for various reasons. Often it is a conscious decision to bring a product to market faster. In other cases, they are the result of ignorance or lack of experience in the development team. Among the most common causes are:

• **Current pressure:**Current deadlines and the desire to respond quickly to market requirements often force teams to compromise code quality.
• Short knowledge: If developers do not have the necessary knowledge or experience to implement a clean solution, technical debt can be unintentionally incurred.
• Felectional tests: Unreasonable or missing automated tests cause errors to be discovered late in the [development process](/services/software development), making the fix more complicated.
• Old technology: The use of outdated technologies or frameworks can slow down the development and make maintenance more difficult.
• Fine communication: Lack of coordination in the team can lead to inconsistent code and architectural problems.

Types of technical debt

Short: Technical debt is not equal to technical debt.

Technical debt is not equal to technical debt. Martin Fowler, a well-known software developer, has proposed a useful classification in four quadrants based on the distinction between conscious and unconscious as well as inconsiderate and prudent debt:

| Quad

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Sources: Unless cited inline, market figures and percentages are for orientation; see public sources such as Bitkom (2025) and Destatis. Project budgets and examples: Groenewold IT Solutions, internal reporting 2026.

References and further reading

Short: The following independent references complement the topics in this article:

The following independent references complement the topics in this article:

• Bitkom – German digital industry association
• German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI)
• European Commission – Digital strategy
• MDN Web Docs (Mozilla)
• W3C – World Wide Web Consortium

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