What is the term for the cost associated with reworking quick-fix or outdated technical choices?

The term for the cost associated with reworking quick-fix or outdated technical choices is referred to as "technical debt." This concept describes the trade-off between the short-term benefits of rapid delivery and the long-term value and maintainability of the software. When teams take shortcuts in code or design to meet immediate deadlines, they incur technical debt, which often leads to increased costs and efforts needed to fix these issues later.

As technical debt accumulates, it may require significant resources to address and can hinder progress on new features or improvements due to the complexities introduced by previous quick-fix decisions. Consequently, managing technical debt is essential for maintaining a healthy codebase and ensuring the long-term success of a software product.

Refactoring, while related, specifically refers to the process of restructuring existing computer code without changing its external behavior, and it is often a means to address or reduce technical debt. Integration deals with connecting different systems or components, and latency refers to delays in processing or communication. These terms do not directly describe the ongoing costs and efforts related to outdated or poorly made technical decisions.