Planning for the long run may seem like sound wisdom. But in the fast-paced tech world, the long run feels like a day that never comes. New technologies or digital experiences always attract managers looking for an operational advantage. The discussion often turns to replacing a current system in their organization.

In many instances, managers often have to confront technical debt before the new technology is adopted. Technical debt is the cost of accepted tradeoffs of maintaining current systems to achieve an immediate launch or budget target. The debt arises from a number of instances, from a programming decision from a software…