White Paper
Benefits of a Design Quality Audit in Software
Design Quality Audits (DQAs) are essential in software due diligence, especially when technology is core to valuation. Manual code reviews reveal functionality but rarely uncover architectural weaknesses, leaving acquirers exposed to hidden technical debt. Over time, rushed development and skipped best practices create brittle, error-prone systems. Black Duck’s Design Quality Audit, powered by CodeMRI, analyzes modularity, dependencies, and maintainability, pinpointing “critical cores” that drive future defects and costs. Reports estimate long-term maintenance burdens, guide refactor vs. rewrite decisions, and provide technical health improvement plans. This dual approach—code plus architecture—gives acquirers a complete risk picture.
