the point of refactoring isn't reflected in the code if your organization has lost its grip on the code base, no one understands it, and every time you try to

the point of refactoring isn't reflected in the code if your organization has lost its grip on the code base, no one understands it, and every time you try to touch it something odd breaks and you have to spend days tracking it down - you have a problem. if you can talk to someone about what the code does, and there is sufficient testing in place so make it safe to change - you don't have a problem. refactoring is the process of (re)taking ownership of the codebase. the result is in your head. you don't even need to get the result committed for it to have been useful.