Automation debt compounds the same way technical debt does, but it is harder to see: the script still runs, so nothing looks broken.
Inventory before you refactor
Start with a list of every automated job, its owner, and what happens when it fails silently. Most organisations cannot complete this list, which is itself the finding.
The script still runs, so nothing looks broken.
Prioritise by blast radius
Fix the jobs whose silent failure would take longest to detect, not the ones that break loudest. Loud failures are already handled.
Budget for it
Reserve a fixed share of automation capacity for maintenance — a fifth is a reasonable starting point — and protect it from roadmap pressure.
