According to the latest research by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected change in employment for occupations in the software development field shows a 25% increase from 2022 to 2032.
Such tremendous career growth is caused by the impressive development of this industry. According to the Verified Market Research data, the Application Development Software Market will grow at a CAGR of 25.54% from 2023 to 2030 and is projected to reach $1,039.89 billion by 2030.
However, when it comes to hiring a professional for your software project, you can find development and engineering experts who can be considered for performing the app development. Are these two roles similar?
To understand the difference between software developers and software engineers yet be able to define which one will surely fit your software development project, it’s essential to start with a detailed overview of the main responsibilities and tasks performed within each position.
In this article, we provide a detailed overview of a software developer vs. software engineer in terms of salaries, responsibilities, and requirements. We will also explain how to select the professional who will work best for your business needs and purposes.
Understanding Roles of Software Developer vs. Software Engineer
Simply put, a software engineer is a professional who applies the principles of software engineering to designing, developing, maintaining, testing, and evaluating computer software.
As a rule, this position implies strong teamwork with other project members, as a software engineering expert works with the separate components of the hardware system, works on creating the tools and solutions to develop the specific software, and also searches for potential opportunities to improve the software. Unlike software developerswho work on a limited scale, software engineers resolve the issues on a much larger scale.
Having analyzed the global search trends for “software engineer,” we can see that the interest in this position among Google’s searchers shows93 out of 100 points, which means this trend is still in the peak period of its popularity as of October 2023.
On the contrary, asoftware developer is the professional responsible for building software for different types of devices. Developers commonly utilize premade tools and frameworks to build software solutions. However, they have a more limited scale of issue resolution compared to engineers.
Google’s search trends for the term “software developer” are relatively low: as of October 2023, it shows only 36 points out of 100. According to Glassdoor, the average base salaries of developers are a bit lower than engineers’ salaries: $97,304 vs. $113,002 per year, respectively.
Let’s dive deeper into this topic by making a detailed comparison of these two roles!
What is the Difference Between a Software Engineer and a Software Developer?
Though both specializations refer to one scope of software development, software developer and software engineer occupations are not similar. To find out the difference between software developers and software engineers, let’s analyze the major aspects of each occupation separately.
Software Developers
The typical entry-level education for this occupation is a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology or Computer programming, where the Software Development specializations are studied.
Software development is primarily a solitary activity that requires developing the overall application itself. The expert in this area will use premade tools for delivering software solutions for web, mobile, and desktop platforms.
Software developers perform the issue-resolving processes, similar to software engineers, but on a more limited scale. For this reason, they tend to be more creative in generating solutions that can be embedded into a software project.
Software Engineers
The typical entry-level education for this occupation is a Bachelor’s degree in Software Development, but the degrees in Software Engineering are rather the add-on benefits than the essential requirements.
Software engineering is primarily a team activity, which implies high engagement in collaboration during the whole process of software development.
The working style of software engineers implies resolving large-scale issues, and they are less involved in considering creative solutions. Instead, they’re more systematic and analytical in their work.
With this said, the comparison of software developer vs. software engineer reveals obvious differences. Now, you can clearly understand the major aspects, tasks, and responsibilities of each professional and start considering which one will better fit your business needs.
How to Define What Specialist You Need for Your Project?
Having compared these two jobs, now it’s time to find the answer to the main question – software engineer vs. software developer: which is better for your business? Here are some essential aspects you should ask yourself before making the final decision.
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1. Will This Professional Join Your Team of Developers or Perform the Project Alone?
If you need a software development expert who will cooperate with other team members, you can hire both a software engineer and a software developer. However, if the project is expected to be delivered by one expert only, it’s better to hire a software developer – this professional can perform the design and program implementation processes by adding creativity.
2. Will Your Project Utilize the Existing Tools, or Do You Have to Create the New Ones?
If your project implies creating completely new tech approaches and development tools, then it’s more reasonable to hire a software engineer – a person who applies engineering principles to the process of software development. However, in case it’s possible to use the premade development tools for your project – a software developer is your best option to choose!
3. Will This Person Be Engaged in the Specific Development Stages or the Entire Process of Software Building?
If you want a professional who will participate in the entire process of the application development, it’s also more beneficial to select a developer instead of an engineer, as this expert can effectively participate in each stage of software building yet features better creativity, which is surely great for any project.
Instead, if you want the person to resolve some larger issues and the one who won’t be required to contribute in every stage – choose a software engineering specialist!
4. Will This Expert Operate on a Bigger Scale or Perform the Functions on a Small Scale Only?
If the upcoming project requires a person who handles large-scale tasks, it’s better to consider hiring a software engineer, and ultimately, when you want the professional to carry out the engineering functions on a smaller scale – it’s more reasonable to choose a software developer!
You’ll probably want to hire a software engineering expert if your software project requires a person who:
Features the ability to work in teams;
Has the advanced problem-solving skills;
Possesses strong interpersonal and communication skills;
Has expertise in computer programming and coding;
Is focused on object-oriented design.
It’s better to consider hiring a software development specialist if you’re looking for the person who:
Possesses advanced knowledge in cloud computing, data structure, and data algorithms;
Has the ability to learn and develop his or her skills;
Features Git and GitHub hard skills;
Knows the source code editors, can perform debugging, code refactoring, and syntax highlighting;
Will complete the project alone (no teamwork needed).
As you can see, having compared software developer vs. software engineer, you can now understand which one will be the right option for your software development project.
Wrapping Up
Even though software developer and software engineer are often considered synonyms, these occupations require a diverse set of hard and soft skills. This fact causes a lot of misunderstanding when you want to start a project and dive into this topic. We hope the detailed comparison given above has answered all the questions regarding hiring the right expert for your project.
If you’re looking for expert software engineers and/or software developers, we welcome you to consider the ones we have at Intellectsoft. Here are only a few of the many reasons why our specialists are perfect for you and your project:
We have an extensive talent pool that includes dozens of experts with advanced software engineering skills and solid software development skills;
Expertise in multiple industries – fintech, insurance, healthcare, construction, eCommerce, transportation and logistics, hospitality, and many others;
15+ years of active experience in the market;
600+ successfully finished and delivered projects of different types and complexity;
Engineering workforce in 21 countries on both sides of the Atlantic;
Almost 30 percent of our teammates are females;
We have already delivered hundreds of digital solutions to clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 enterprises;
We provide both consulting and software development services that fit your budget.
So, if you want to know more about hiring a particular expert or a team from Intellectsoft, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us, and our solution advisor will make sure your project will get the specialists with the most relevant technical expertise and skills.
FAQ
Are software developers and software engineers the same thing?
No, these roles are quite different in many aspects, such as the scope and difficulty of work, skill requirements, extent of cooperation with other team members, and much more. Both of them are involved in software development but perform different tasks.
What does a software engineer do?
This specialist analyzes the problem presented by a customer and designs a way to solve it effectively using the available resources of the whole development team. Usually, software engineers operate on a larger scale and see a bigger picture of a work project than developers. As a rule, they have good communication skills to explain to developers what needs to be done.
What does a software developer do?
This specialist writes code to create the components of a software product that must perform intended functions. Software developers often work independently and move from one current task to the next one. Their scope of work is more focused and rarely covers the whole project unless one developer must build a software solution single-handedly.
The hospitality industry depends a lot on keeping customers happy, but it’s getting harder to attract and keep them. The pandemic hit this industry hard, and now market competition is tougher than ever, with competitive offerings swaying customers. Hospitality businesses are willing to spend big to win customers back. The main questions for many are: how can we stay ahead of the competition, keep our customers, and increase revenue? Keep reading—we’ve got some answers.
Customers today have so many options that getting their attention is a real challenge. It’s not easy to make them choose your business over others. What worked 10 years ago doesn’t work the same way now. Back then, people often chose businesses based on reputation. But with new types of businesses (boutique hotels, craft cafes) popping up or big enterprises getting a new strategy, expectations have changed. The good news is these businesses have shown what works: great customer service. They focus on personalizing the experience, making things easy for customers, offering loyalty programs, and using smart technology.
In this article, we’ll explore these tech strategies and show you how they can help your business grow, and double the revenue. Keep reading to learn more!
The Importance of Customer Satisfaction in the Hospitality Industry
Customer satisfaction, which equals exceptional customer experience, is the backbone of the hospitality industry. It plays a central role in driving revenue and loyalty, as satisfied customers are more likely to return and recommend a hotel, restaurant, or other hospitality business to others. In fact, a study by the Harvard Business Review found that a 1% increase in customer satisfaction can lead to a 0.5% increase in revenue. Moreover, loyal customers are more likely to forgive mistakes and continue doing business with a company, even if they experience a negative encounter.
Let's quickly review the challenges the hospitality industry is facing right now so we can move on to the solutions and our case studies.
Challenges in Hospitality
As businesses navigate the changes in the hospitality industry, there are some key areas where a little improvement can go a long way. From improving customer service to embracing digital transformation and tackling labor shortages, we’ll take a closer look at today’s biggest challenges—and, more importantly, how technology can step in to help. Let’s get started!
Poor Customer Service
Even with strong and high-quality business offerings, poor customer service can drive potential customers and existing customers away. Common issues include:
Long wait times in customer service queues (it is worth remembering that our attention spans 8 seconds, and we live in a very busy world, so quick and efficient responses are more important than ever.)
Poorly trained customer service representatives
Lack of follow-up
Services not being done properly or quickly
Recall issues that require multiple service calls
These problems can frustrate customers. But, at Intellectsoft, we believe that the right approach, combined with technology, can address them effectively.
Digital Transformation Gaps
Approximately 50% of hotels are adopting new technologies, with 43% automating repetitive tasks and 39% upgrading existing systems. Source: workstaff.app
While many businesses are adopting digital solutions, some still struggle with outdated systems and fragmented data. Legacy companies often face chaos when trying to manage their data and create new systems or add features.
Some of the recent examples include clients coming to us to create AI solutions for their services while their data simply was not ready for the advanced tasks. We advise stepping back, communicating with a company objective, and working on keeping the data clean (centralized, structured, and segmented).
When we’re asked to create advanced systems using AI, we always emphasize the importance of organized data. To train AI and build such complicated systems that truly work, you need to start from the very beginning—collecting, storing, centralizing, and organizing it. We encourage our clients to align all departments to work internally on the data so we can create a unified digital system that delivers personalized experiences.
If you’re unsure where to start with your data, we can help. Collecting feedback at various touchpoints along the customer journey is crucial for gaining insights into customer satisfaction and loyalty. Book an IT consultation with us, and our experts will guide you in mapping out a path to get more from your data and build a system that works for your business and team.
Reskilling Staff
The pandemic hit hard in early 2020, especially for the hospitality and travel industries. Even five years later, many businesses are still feeling the impact. Recruiting and retaining skilled staff has become a major challenge post-pandemic.
Reskilling to address technology’s impact is of utmost importance, as about 40% of hotel General Managers place it among their top three workforce challenges.
We strongly believe that adopting the right technology can help. For example, creating an app to train your staff not only saves time but also ensures consistency in learning. AI assistants can also work alongside your team, helping with tasks like recruitment (providing industry insights, crafting emails) and staff training. Imagine having an app dedicated to making your team’s work easier and more efficient!
How Technology Tackles These Challenges and Supports a Customer-Centric Hospitality Culture
Automation, AI, and similar technologies may threaten many. However, the debate about replacing humans isn’t about that—it’s about cooperation and working hand in hand with technology to achieve the highest standards and establish brand-new “golden standards.” Technology is here to assist staff in listening to and collecting customer insights from data.
Let’s review some of our cases to see examples of how technology helps improve customer experience and supports customer service.
Examples of Intellectsoft projects
Property management systems (PMS)
We created a web platform and mobile app that makes managing daily tasks easier and offers extra services to improve residents’ experience. It gives a clear overview of daily activities and helps with managing units and users. Residents can easily book amenities, submit service requests, and report incidents. The platform also includes features for equipment management, key instructions, workflows, and custom permissions. This makes it easier for staff to stay on top of equipment and ensure residents have all the information they need. Plus, tools like announcements, quick votes, a forum, and a community calendar help build a connected and engaged community.
Guest Experience Management App
Our next app helped our client improve their guest experience by replacing printed marketing materials and the need for phone calls with a smart solution. Now, guests can easily order in-room dining, make reservations, and interact with staff— through a simple tablet in their room. The solution includes three parts: a custom in-room tablet with a variety of services, an admin panel for hotel staff and service providers, and a backend system that connects everything together. This approach makes things easier for guests and staff, improving both convenience and efficiency.
Existing Customers First: Building Loyalty with Personalized Touchpoints
Keeping existing customers is not just a strategy; it’s well-known that retaining existing customers is more cost-effective than acquiring new ones. In fact, research shows that it costs five times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one. KPMG named customer retention as the number one revenue driver for the company.
Moreover, a 5% increase in customer retention can lead to a 25% to 95% increase in profits, showing the significant impact loyal customers can have on a business’s bottom line. Retention strategies, like personalized experiences and loyalty programs, can foster long-term relationships and generate recurring revenue, ultimately making them an invaluable part of any business model.
Personalization: How Technology Can Help?
Everyone loves to feel special—it’s part of being human. In hospitality, personalization has evolved from being a luxury to an essential standard. With the right technology to manage your data effectively, you can deliver those “wow” moments that guests won’t forget.
More than half of hotel chains are already using personalization features on their websites, booking platforms, and apps, and another 39% are planning to follow suit soon. They’re tailoring experiences to fit guest preferences perfectly.
Source: Deloitte
How does technology make it happen?
CRM Systems: They help you keep track of guest preferences, booking history, and special requests so you can offer services tailored just for them.
Loyalty Programs: Personalized rewards and offers show your guests that you value them, keeping them coming back for more.
AI Personalization: AI analyzes guest data to predict what they’ll love (from room upgrades to local recommendations) before they even ask.
IoT Gadgets: Smart room features like voice-activated assistants, or temperature controls adjust to your guests’ preferences, making their stay more comfortable.
With tech-powered personalization, you’re building loyalty and maximizing the lifetime value of every customer.
Our Case Study: Smart Hotel Management & Loyalty Program
For one of our clients, we created a smart room solution, complete with a custom IoT system. Guests can use a mobile app to control services, explore amenities, and find resort information-- with a special touch to their suite type. For the client’s entertainment business, we improved their legacy software by running a full IT and code check, fixing issues, and making the system better for customers.
Along with that, we developed a mobile app for the loyalty program, allowing businesses to effortlessly reward their customers and keep them engaged with exclusive benefits.
Our solutions not only helped the client with special experiences for guests; it also improved operations, cutting costs by eliminating inefficiencies. Here's what our experts shared:
"We transitioned away from ESB (Enterprise Service Bus) systems, which previously cost millions, and replaced them with more efficient, self-managed solutions. Similarly, we’ve implemented Device Farms that improved operations and saved resources."
Leveraging Software to Increase Upsell Opportunities
Here are some examples of tech tactics that will help your team sell more and introduce new offerings to existing customers, improve overall efficiency leaving your team grateful:
Dynamic Pricing Algorithms
For finance and marketing teams, manually calculating pricing by segment to introduce your clients can be incredibly challenging. AI-powered tools can strongly optimize these strategies by analyzing your database in detail.
Upselling via Apps
Boosting revenue in the hospitality business often comes down to personalized experiences. Imagine this: a guest books a room, and then your app suggests a spa package or a room upgrade at just the right moment. Later, it nudges them to book a dinner reservation or a guided tour designed to their preferences. With apps offering these personalized recommendations during and after bookings, you’re not just increasing your revenue per guest but also skyrocketing their experience. And you do it in a sustainable way, not by speculating, but by offering what your customers desire based on their previous experiences. It’s a win-win: seamless, helpful, and far from pushy.
Inventory and Resource Management Software
Making every resource count in your hospitality business is key. Inventory and resource management software allows you to effortlessly track everything from linens to room availability, ensuring nothing goes to waste. Having real-time insights to reduce overstock, avoid shortages, and optimize operations assists sustainably keep everything under control and know what you need to focus more. It helps maximize room occupancy by aligning bookings with available resources, ensuring every room and item is used effectively. This approach leads to smarter management, better guest experiences, and a noticeable boost to your bottom line.
Adopting these strategies not only optimizes your operations but also drives business growth. Ready to discover how technology can elevate your goals? We’re here to create a tailored solution for you.
Steps For Implementing a Customer Service Technology Solution
Improving customer service in hospitality doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With the right technology, you can smooth the path of your operations, speed up response times, and elevate the overall guest experience. Here’s where you can make it happen:
1. Understand Your Needs
Start by identifying the challenges your business is facing. Are you struggling to manage high volumes of inquiries, track customer feedback, or personalize the guest experience? Pinpointing your needs will guide you to the best solutions.
2. Pick the Right Tools
Choose technology that aligns with your goals. Look for solutions that are scalable, easy to use, and integrate effortlessly with your current systems. Options like CRM software, live chat tools, or a guest experience app can make a difference.
3. Equip Your Team
Technology is only as effective as the people using it. Train your staff to make the most of the new tools, so they can deliver exceptional service and resolve issues quickly. Confident, well-equipped staff creates happy, loyal customers.
4. Keep Improving
Once implemented, monitor how well the solution works. Are response times improving? Are customers more satisfied? Regular evaluations will help you fine-tune your approach and keep things running harmoniously.
Some Tech Ideas for Hospitality Businesses
CRM Software: Manage customer interactions and preferences.
Guest Experience Apps: Delight guests with personalized experiences right at their fingertips.
Amenity Management Systems: Simplify operations for everything from room service to facility bookings.
Live Chat Tools: Offer instant support and answers.
Social Media Management Tools: Keep customer interactions engaging and organized.
Integrating these strategies will not only improve your customer service but also deliver unforgettable customer satisfaction, loyalty, and, ultimately, your bottom line. Ready to take the next step? Book a consultation with our experts.
Conclusion
To wrap up everything we've discussed, customer satisfaction and experience are at the heart of hospitality. Retaining customers is more than just keeping them around—building strong, long-lasting relationships and consistently meeting their evolving needs. By understanding their pain points and offering personalized solutions, you can inspire loyalty and drive progress. With the right technology and continuous improvement, your business can stay ahead, let go of what no longer serves you, and keep growing.
At Intellectsoft, with over 17 years of experience in software development, our expert team is ready to help. We create everything from mobile apps to full-fledged portals and systems, leveraging the latest technologies like AI, Cloud, and Machine Learning. With deep experience in the hospitality industry, we’re here to craft personalized solutions that bring your business unforgettable customer experience and retain your valuable clients.
Ready to double your revenue and level up your customer retention strategy with personalized technology? Contact our experts, and we look forward to working hand in hand with you to build or revitalize the perfect app or system for you.
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