Managing technical debt at Ubisoft IT: interfaces and change propagation in engineering systems interventions

ABSTRACT: Technical Debt (TD) is a buzzword that has gained traction among IT practitioners and researchers, as a financial metaphor explaining how existing elements can hinder future changes. In engineering design terminology, managing TD can be equated to managing the redesign of existing systems, a task in which change propagation plays a key role. Via a partnership with Ubisoft, a game development firm that owns and operates a global IT network, we present a case study showcasing a novel way to explore interfaces and propagations in engineering systems interventions, analyzed using Axiomatic Design.