A qualitative-systematic analysis of the relationship between technical debt accumulation and users’ satisfaction throughout enterprise software packages operation

The operation and maintenance of enterprise software packages represents the most significant share of total investments in such initiatives, which may extend over years or decades. Throughout this period, the software package undergoes a variety of influences that limit its ability to adapt to emerging scenarios and makes the evaluation of long-term scenarios a non-trivial activity. This work investigates the relation between the technical debt accumulation, incurred during the operation and maintenance cycle, and the user satisfaction with these systems. The methodology employed consists of a qualitative-systematic analysis based on a literature review and a subset of Systems Dynamics tools. A systemic conceptualization of the interrelationship between technical debt and user satisfaction due to the influences caused during the software operation and maintenance cycle is presented. Based on this conceptualization, we discuss the casual relations and consequences of decisions relative to the maintenance of software packages in the satisfaction of its users. This work seeks to fill the gaps of previous studies, which addressed the costs and benefits obtained from maintenance activities in an aggregated way through statistical models, and to establish systemic discussion regarding the maintenance of commercial software packages and their long-term results.