Reducing Operational Technical Debt Through BPM Orchestration

Technical debt isn't just a problem for software developers. It's an enterprise-wide challenge that silently drains resources, slows innovation, and creates hidden risks across every department.

For Process Owners and BPM Directors, operational technical debt manifests as the accumulated weight of legacy processes, custom workflow code, fragmented integrations, and manual workarounds that seemed like reasonable shortcuts at the time. Now they're anchors holding the organization back.

The good news? BPM orchestration offers a systematic way to identify, prioritize, and eliminate technical debt without the disruption of wholesale system replacement.

Understanding operational technical debt

Gartner estimates that by 2025, 50 percent of applications will still contain avoidable technical debt. But operational technical debt extends beyond applications into the processes, integrations, and workflows that connect systems.

Operational technical debt accumulates when:

• Teams build custom scripts to bridge systems that don't natively integrate
• Processes evolve through patches rather than redesign
• Workarounds become institutionalized because nobody has time to fix root causes
• Documentation falls behind reality, leaving tribal knowledge as the only guide
• Legacy systems remain in place long past their intended lifespan

McKinsey research reveals that 10-20 percent of technology budgets meant for new products actually gets consumed by technical debt maintenance. For large enterprises, that represents millions of dollars annually that could fund innovation instead of fighting fires.

The compounding cost of process debt

Unlike financial debt, operational technical debt doesn't appear on balance sheets. It hides in slower cycle times, higher error rates, and frustrated employees who spend hours navigating systems that should take minutes.

Consider the hidden costs:

Developer time drain. Research indicates developers waste between 23 percent and 42 percent of their time dealing with technical debt rather than building new capabilities.

Maintenance overhead. According to McKinsey, poor software quality caused by legacy code and technical debt increases maintenance costs by up to 60 percent.

Opportunity cost. Every hour spent maintaining workarounds is an hour not spent improving customer experience, launching new products, or optimizing operations.

Risk accumulation. Fragile integrations and undocumented processes create vulnerabilities that only become visible during failures.

Gartner projects that companies effectively managing technical debt will achieve at least 50 percent faster service delivery times. That acceleration compounds over time as freed capacity enables continuous improvement rather than constant firefighting.

How BPM orchestration addresses technical debt

BPM to reduce technical debt works by creating a unified process layer that consolidates fragmented workflows, simplifies legacy processes, and removes custom workflow code that creates maintenance burdens.

Consolidating scattered workflows

Most enterprises have process logic scattered across multiple systems:

• Approval rules embedded in ERP configurations
• Routing logic coded into CRM customizations
• Notification sequences hardwired into department-specific applications
• Exception handling spread across email, spreadsheets, and ticketing systems

BPM orchestration consolidates this scattered logic into a single, manageable layer. Instead of maintaining process rules in dozens of places, you manage them centrally while those rules execute across all connected systems.

Simplifying legacy process complexity

Legacy processes often carry years of accumulated complexity. Requirements that made sense once but no longer apply. Exception paths added for situations that never recur. Approval levels designed for organizational structures that have since changed.

A BPM approach enables you to:

• Visualize end-to-end process flows that span multiple legacy systems
• Identify redundant steps and unnecessary complexity
• Streamline without requiring changes to the underlying legacy applications
• Retire outdated process logic while preserving necessary functionality

Removing custom workflow code

Custom code is technical debt in its purest form. Every line of custom integration code, every scripted workflow, every automated task built outside standard platforms represents future maintenance overhead.

According to research, for more than 50 percent of companies, technical debt accounts for more than a quarter of their total IT budget. Much of that budget goes toward maintaining custom code that BPM orchestration could replace.

When you consolidate workflows in BPM, you can:

• Replace brittle point-to-point integrations with managed connections
• Substitute custom scripts with configurable workflow components
• Eliminate shadow IT processes built in spreadsheets and personal automation tools
• Standardize exception handling that currently lives in custom code

A framework for technical debt reduction through BPM

Addressing operational technical debt requires systematic effort. Here's how Process Owners and BPM Directors can approach it:

Step 1: Create a technical debt inventory

You can't reduce what you haven't identified. Build a comprehensive inventory of operational technical debt:

Process debt

• Undocumented workflows
• Processes with excessive manual steps
• Workflows with poor exception handling
• End-to-end processes requiring multiple system logins

Integration debt

• Custom point-to-point integrations
• Manual data transfers between systems
• Scheduled batch processes that should be real-time
• API connections without proper error handling

Automation debt

• Scripts running on individual machines
• Spreadsheet-based automation
• Email rules substituting for workflow systems
• Department-specific tools that duplicate enterprise capabilities

McKinsey developed a Tech Debt Score (TDS) based on analysis of 220 companies across seven industries. Organizations with lower technical debt consistently demonstrated higher revenue growth. Your inventory should enable similar scoring for prioritization.

Step 2: Prioritize by business impact

Not all technical debt carries equal weight. Prioritize reduction efforts based on:

Cost of maintenance. Which debt consumes the most ongoing resources?

Risk exposure. Which debt creates the greatest vulnerability to failures or compliance issues?

Opportunity blocking. Which debt prevents desired business capabilities?

Reduction feasibility. Which debt can be addressed with available resources and acceptable disruption?

Research shows that 86 percent of IT executives report their companies were impacted by technical debt over the last year. Focus first on debt that creates the most significant business impact.

Step 3: Design the target orchestration architecture

Before addressing individual debt items, design the overall BPM orchestration architecture that will replace them:

Process layer design. How will processes be organized, categorized, and governed?

Integration approach. Which integration patterns will standardize connectivity?

Exception handling framework. How will errors, exceptions, and edge cases flow through the system?

Governance model. Who owns what, and how do changes get approved and deployed?

Step 4: Execute incremental migration

Technical debt reduction through BPM works best as an incremental effort rather than a big-bang replacement:

Start with high-value, low-complexity targets. Build momentum with early wins that demonstrate value without excessive risk.

Run parallel operations during transition. Don't cut over until the new orchestration layer proves reliable.

Retire legacy components systematically. Track what's been replaced and ensure nothing critical depends on deprecated workflows.

Document as you go. Don't create new documentation debt while eliminating old technical debt.

According to industry research, organizations implementing automation see an average 22 percent reduction in operating costs within three years. Incremental migration captures those benefits progressively rather than requiring a lengthy wait for ROI.

Step 5: Establish prevention mechanisms

Technical debt reduction means nothing if new debt accumulates as fast as old debt gets retired:

Governance gates. Require BPM platform usage for new process automation rather than allowing ad-hoc solutions.

Architecture reviews. Evaluate proposed integrations and workflows against technical debt criteria before approval.

Regular audits. Periodically assess the process landscape for new debt accumulation.

Incentive alignment. Ensure team metrics reward long-term maintainability, not just short-term delivery.

Measuring technical debt reduction success

Track metrics that demonstrate the business value of your BPM orchestration efforts:

Maintenance cost trends. Resources spent maintaining process infrastructure should decline.

Custom code inventory. The volume of process-related custom code should decrease.

Mean time to change. Process modifications should get faster as orchestration simplifies the change process.

System coupling metrics. The complexity of inter-system dependencies should reduce.

Documentation currency. Process documentation should remain accurate because it's generated from the orchestration layer rather than maintained separately.

Companies that actively manage technical debt can free up engineers to spend up to 50 percent more time on work that supports business goals, according to McKinsey. That freed capacity represents the true value of systematic debt reduction.

The strategic case for BPM-driven debt reduction

Technical debt reduction isn't just about operational efficiency. It's strategic preparation for future capabilities.

Organizations burdened by operational technical debt struggle to:

• Adopt emerging technologies like AI and machine learning
• Respond quickly to market changes and competitive threats
• Integrate acquisitions efficiently
• Meet evolving compliance requirements
• Enable new business models that require process agility

The global BPM market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18.6 percent, reaching $70.93 billion by 2032. This growth reflects enterprise recognition that modern BPM platforms provide the most effective path to reducing operational technical debt while building foundations for future capability.

How Kissflow helps eliminate operational technical debt

Kissflow's BPM platform is designed to systematically reduce the technical debt that slows enterprise operations. By providing a unified orchestration layer that consolidates scattered workflows, Kissflow eliminates the need for custom code, manual workarounds, and fragmented integrations that create maintenance burdens. The platform's low-code approach enables rapid process migration without extensive development resources, while built-in analytics help identify high-impact debt reduction opportunities. With Kissflow, Process Owners and BPM Directors can incrementally modernize their process landscape, freeing resources currently trapped in technical debt maintenance for higher-value initiatives.

Frequently asked questions

1. What is technical debt?

Technical debt is the accumulated cost of shortcuts, workarounds, and quick fixes that organizations adopt for short-term gains but create long-term maintenance burdens. Coined as a metaphor comparing software compromises to financial borrowing, technical debt represents the implied cost of additional rework caused by choosing easy, immediate solutions over sustainable, thorough approaches. Like financial debt, it accrues "interest"—the longer it remains unaddressed, the more expensive and complex it becomes to resolve. Gartner defines technical debt as work "'owed' to an IT system when teams 'borrow' against long-term quality," typically happening when teams take shortcuts to meet delivery deadlines. While traditional technical debt focuses on code quality, operational technical debt extends into processes, integrations, and workflows—manifesting as legacy processes, custom workflow code, fragmented integrations, and manual workarounds accumulated over years.

2. What is operational technical debt and how does it differ from software technical debt?

Operational technical debt extends beyond code into the processes, integrations, and workflows that connect enterprise systems. While software technical debt refers to shortcuts in code that create future maintenance burdens, operational technical debt manifests as legacy processes, custom workflow code, fragmented integrations, and manual workarounds accumulated over years. It accumulates when teams build custom scripts to bridge systems, processes evolve through patches rather than redesign, workarounds become institutionalized, and documentation falls behind reality. According to Gartner, by 2025, 50% of applications will still contain avoidable technical debt—but the operational debt surrounding those applications often creates even greater hidden costs in slower cycle times, higher error rates, and frustrated employees navigating systems that should take minutes but require hours.

3. How much does operational technical debt actually cost enterprises?

The costs are substantial but often invisible because they don't appear on balance sheets. McKinsey research reveals that 10-20% of technology budgets meant for new products actually gets consumed by technical debt maintenance—for large enterprises, that represents millions of dollars annually diverted from innovation. Research indicates developers waste between 23% and 42% of their time dealing with technical debt rather than building new capabilities. According to McKinsey, poor software quality caused by legacy code and technical debt increases maintenance costs by up to 60%. Beyond direct costs, there's significant opportunity cost: every hour maintaining workarounds is an hour not improving customer experience or launching new products. Fragile integrations and undocumented processes also create vulnerabilities that only become visible during failures.

4. How does BPM orchestration help reduce operational technical debt?

BPM orchestration reduces technical debt by creating a unified process layer that consolidates fragmented workflows, simplifies legacy processes, and removes custom workflow code creating maintenance burdens. Most enterprises have process logic scattered across systems—approval rules in ERP configurations, routing logic in CRM customizations, notification sequences in department-specific applications, exception handling spread across email and spreadsheets. BPM orchestration consolidates this scattered logic into a single, manageable layer where rules are managed centrally while executing across all connected systems. This approach enables organizations to visualize end-to-end flows spanning multiple legacy systems, identify redundant steps, streamline without requiring changes to underlying applications, and retire outdated logic while preserving necessary functionality—all without wholesale system replacement.

5. What types of technical debt should organizations inventory before starting reduction efforts?

Build a comprehensive inventory across three categories. Process debt includes undocumented workflows, processes with excessive manual steps, workflows with poor exception handling, and end-to-end processes requiring multiple system logins. Integration debt encompasses custom point-to-point integrations, manual data transfers between systems, scheduled batch processes that should be real-time, and API connections without proper error handling. Automation debt covers scripts running on individual machines, spreadsheet-based automation, email rules substituting for workflow systems, and department-specific tools duplicating enterprise capabilities. McKinsey developed a Tech Debt Score based on analysis of 220 companies across seven industries, finding organizations with lower technical debt consistently demonstrated higher revenue growth. Your inventory should enable similar scoring for prioritization.

6. How should organizations prioritize which technical debt to address first?

Not all technical debt carries equal weight. Prioritize reduction efforts based on four factors: cost of maintenance (which debt consumes the most ongoing resources), risk exposure (which debt creates the greatest vulnerability to failures or compliance issues), opportunity blocking (which debt prevents desired business capabilities), and reduction feasibility (which debt can be addressed with available resources and acceptable disruption). Research shows 86% of IT executives report their companies were impacted by technical debt over the past year. Focus first on high-debt, high-value systems—those directly affecting customer experience or at odds with security and scalability goals. Intel's systematic approach to reducing technical debt has eliminated over 665 applications/platforms and achieved close to 30% reduction in their enterprise landscape by applying rigorous prioritization.

7. What does an effective BPM orchestration architecture for debt reduction look like?

Before addressing individual debt items, design the overall architecture with four components. Process layer design determines how processes will be organized, categorized, and governed across the enterprise. Integration approach defines which patterns will standardize connectivity—replacing brittle point-to-point integrations with managed connections. Exception handling framework establishes how errors, exceptions, and edge cases flow through the system rather than triggering disconnected alerts across multiple monitoring systems. Governance model clarifies who owns what and how changes get approved and deployed. This architecture should replace custom scripts with configurable workflow components, eliminate shadow IT processes built in spreadsheets, and standardize exception handling currently living in custom code. According to research, for more than 50% of companies, technical debt accounts for more than a quarter of their total IT budget—much of which BPM orchestration could address.

8. Why is incremen tal migration more effective than big-bang replacement for technical debt reduction?

Technical debt reduction through BPM works best as incremental effort because wholesale replacement creates excessive risk and delays ROI. Start with high-value, low-complexity targets to build momentum with early wins that demonstrate value. Run parallel operations during transition—don't cut over until the new orchestration layer proves reliable. Retire legacy components systematically, tracking what's been replaced and ensuring nothing critical depends on deprecated workflows. Document as you go to avoid creating new documentation debt while eliminating old technical debt. Organizations implementing automation see an average 22% reduction in operating costs within three years—incremental migration captures those benefits progressively rather than requiring lengthy waits for ROI. Gartner projects that companies effectively managing technical debt will achieve at least 50% faster service delivery times, with acceleration compounding as freed capacity enables continuous improvement.

9. How do you prevent new technical debt from accumulating after reduction efforts?

Technical debt reduction means nothing if new debt accumulates as fast as old debt gets retired. Establish four prevention mechanisms. Governance gates require BPM platform usage for new process automation rather than allowing ad-hoc solutions—every custom script or spreadsheet workaround represents future maintenance overhead. Architecture reviews evaluate proposed integrations and workflows against technical debt criteria before approval. Regular audits periodically assess the process landscape for new debt accumulation. Incentive alignment ensures team metrics reward long-term maintainability, not just short-term delivery. Google exemplifies this approach through quarterly engineering surveys measuring how frequently engineers encounter technical debt, with targeted questions about deliberate debt incurrence and reduction investments. Intel suggests dedicating a certain percentage of IT teams to work on technical debt items with small refactoring installments in each iteration.

10. What metrics demonstrate successful technical debt reduction through BPM?

Track metrics that demonstrate business value of orchestration efforts. Maintenance cost trends should show declining resources spent maintaining process infrastructure. Custom code inventory should decrease as BPM replaces process-related custom code. Mean time to change should improve as process modifications get faster through simplified orchestration. System coupling metrics should show reduced complexity of inter-system dependencies. Documentation currency should improve because process documentation is generated from the orchestration layer rather than maintained separately. Companies that actively manage technical debt can free up engineers to spend up to 50% more time on work supporting business goals, according to McKinsey. That freed capacity represents the true value of systematic debt reduction—enabling innovation rather than constant firefighting.