Comments on: Is refactoring economically justified? http://www.changelogic.com/weblog/2006/08/14/is-refactoring-economically-justified/ Nonlinearities of software development Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:43:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.1 by: Changelogic weblog » Software risk profiles http://www.changelogic.com/weblog/2006/08/14/is-refactoring-economically-justified/#comment-48 Mon, 04 Sep 2006 13:48:24 +0000 http://www.changelogic.com/weblog/2006/08/14/is-refactoring-economically-justified/#comment-48 [...] What I’ve been saying so far about refactoring probably looks like this: [...] […] What I’ve been saying so far about refactoring probably looks like this: […]

]]> by: Changelogic weblog » Agile Manifesto is a journey, not the destination http://www.changelogic.com/weblog/2006/08/14/is-refactoring-economically-justified/#comment-27 Wed, 23 Aug 2006 08:31:07 +0000 http://www.changelogic.com/weblog/2006/08/14/is-refactoring-economically-justified/#comment-27 [...] Here the analogy ends; it’s not nearly as simple to calculate the future value of software, in fact, it’s impossible. What make it impossible are things you don’t know and cannot predict – you are not aware of the risks you’re taking nor the optimal criteria for setting your priorities. [...] […] Here the analogy ends; it’s not nearly as simple to calculate the future value of software, in fact, it’s impossible. What make it impossible are things you don’t know and cannot predict – you are not aware of the risks you’re taking nor the optimal criteria for setting your priorities. […]

]]> by: Tal Rotbart http://www.changelogic.com/weblog/2006/08/14/is-refactoring-economically-justified/#comment-10 Tue, 15 Aug 2006 11:54:28 +0000 http://www.changelogic.com/weblog/2006/08/14/is-refactoring-economically-justified/#comment-10 One of the fastest growing companies I was in, despite of their later mistakes, had one thing going for them -- they had a very tight coupling between the project development lead, the product manager and the lead sales guy for the product. This meant that the priorities of every task: from bug-fixes to features were constantly balanced versus the client needs (or rather, what the client will pay for) and when. Why they weren't balanced dollar to dollar (developer time to payout, for example) they still had a clear proportional relation. One of the fastest growing companies I was in, despite of their later mistakes, had one thing going for them — they had a very tight coupling between the project development lead, the product manager and the lead sales guy for the product.

This meant that the priorities of every task: from bug-fixes to features were constantly balanced versus the client needs (or rather, what the client will pay for) and when.

Why they weren’t balanced dollar to dollar (developer time to payout, for example) they still had a clear proportional relation.

]]> by: Retrospector http://www.changelogic.com/weblog/2006/08/14/is-refactoring-economically-justified/#comment-5 Mon, 14 Aug 2006 13:06:22 +0000 http://www.changelogic.com/weblog/2006/08/14/is-refactoring-economically-justified/#comment-5 Management typically will de-prioritize something like refactoring because of the low ROI when there's other opportunities that will look better on paper. As much as I like truly elegant software, even if it would require some additional time...it's just not always worth it to the company to invest it. (like you've stated in your examples) The one place that comes to mind where refactoring would be beneficial is for components of an application that knowingly will require changes and constant maintenance over time. For example, some ancient application you've been tasked to maintain takes you an average of 10-15 hours a week to keep up with would be better off refactored to the point where you could maintain it in 3-5 hours a week. Assuming such a scenario exists, it would make a decent case for an ROI on refactoring. My experience is that it will seldom happen, but occasionally it will. Management typically will de-prioritize something like refactoring because of the low ROI when there’s other opportunities that will look better on paper. As much as I like truly elegant software, even if it would require some additional time…it’s just not always worth it to the company to invest it. (like you’ve stated in your examples)

The one place that comes to mind where refactoring would be beneficial is for components of an application that knowingly will require changes and constant maintenance over time. For example, some ancient application you’ve been tasked to maintain takes you an average of 10-15 hours a week to keep up with would be better off refactored to the point where you could maintain it in 3-5 hours a week.

Assuming such a scenario exists, it would make a decent case for an ROI on refactoring. My experience is that it will seldom happen, but occasionally it will.

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