We live in a world shaped by software developers. Every day, billions of people around the world use apps, games, websites, and other software products without really thinking about the teams that created them. But business owners can’t afford to overlook software development trends.
Enterprise software plays a big part in finding success in a digital world. If your business is looking for software solutions to make operations smoother, you will need to keep abreast of emerging technologies in software development—and assemble a great development team.
Why Your Business Needs a Software Development Team?
Software developers and engineers have an inside joke: “Building software is like building cathedrals; first you build it, then you pray!” However, getting together a software development team with the right technical know-how can remove the uncertainties of the process. This makes it crucial to work with seasoned professionals with experience in products that are in line with the latest software development trends.
Software development is what transforms ideas into tangible digital products. It’s a process that includes ideation, creation, design, and launch of software, along with providing ongoing technical support for the software’s users. Naturally, such technical responsibilities need to be fulfilled by IT experts, which is why businesses need to assemble a qualified team that is up to date with software industry trends.
Across the world, software development trends indicate that companies spend more than $1 trillion on enterprise software every year. These software solutions help companies become more efficient by reducing costs and streamlining business processes.
Whether it’s a customer-facing product or a tool for internal use, you should contact experts to help design software solutions. According to TechReport, 84.7% of software companies specialize in enterprise application development, so you will have plenty of options when looking to recruit your software development team.
What are the Major Factors That Influence the Software Development Team Structure?
Every software development project is unique. That’s why you should tailor the structure of your software development team according to each project’s stated goals and objectives and the trending technologies in software development. When assembling your software development team, there are four main factors you should consider.
Let's take a closer look at each one of these.
Project Type and its Complexity
It’s counterproductive to assemble a software development team before the nature of the project is made clear.
Before finding team members, ask yourself what kind of software product you want. If you are experimenting with a new idea and only want software as a proof-of-concept, a smaller team of five or fewer members will be more than enough. However, if your product is much more complex, like a market-ready e-commerce app with third-party integrations, you will need a much larger team.
As the scope of a software development team increases, so does the required team size. Software developers come in many stripes, from generalists to specialists, with hybrid developers in between. A niche software product with very specific functions will require specialists on the team, whereas a more generic product can be created by generalist and hybrid developers.
Development Budget
Good software costs money. It’s a simple fact, and the sooner you accept it, the easier it will be for you to get the most out of your software development budget. With the funds available, you can either hire full-time developers directly or contract the services of third-party software developers. It’s up to you to decide which is more cost-effective for your company.
Once a software development project has an allocated budget, you need to find ways to maximize its usefulness. Consider focusing on high-priority features first or limiting the size of your team. When you try to pack in too many features or hire a large team without planning out each member’s roles, your expenses will go up.
It is, therefore, advisable to ensure that the project’s budget, scope, and team composition are all aligned perfectly before starting the software development process.
Time to Develop a Project
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is good software. Rushing a software development project is a surefire way to end up with a buggy product that doesn’t perform how it should. Looming deadlines are a reality that every software development team deals with on a regular basis, but effective time management makes the process of delivering the product much less stressful.
You should carefully consider the timeline of your project when assembling a team. If you have a small software development team, you should account for the project taking longer. Larger development teams might be able to complete a project in less time, but such teams will also need to be managed closely to ensure cohesion.
Sometimes, if you have a very tight deadline for an urgent project, you will have to bring senior specialists on board to help achieve quick results.
Size of the Project
In software development, project size refers to the number of features and functionalities that need to be added to the product. The more feature-rich a software product is, the bigger the project becomes. This means you must hire more team members to complete it successfully.
Every additional feature added to a software product could require a specialist developer on the team to ensure it works properly. If your team is made up entirely of generalist developers, it might be smarter to limit the size of the project.
There are two ways to account for project size during software development. In the first approach, you list out the features you want to see in the finished product and then hire a team to bring those ideas to life. On the other hand, you can assemble a team first and then work out what features will be included according to the team’s composition, specializations, and capabilities.
All of the factors mentioned above are essential when putting together a software development team. You should begin hiring software developers for a project only after its scope, size, budget, and timeline have been finalized.
Modern Software Development Team Structure
Once you have a clear understanding of all the factors that will influence your software development team’s composition, you’re almost ready to begin.
But first, you need to decide on what approach you will follow for software development. The two most common approaches are the traditional method, which is sometimes also called the waterfall method, and the second is agile development.
The approach you choose will add clarity to exactly what roles your team will need to fill. From the coders who prepare the foundational structure of the software to the testers who comb the finished product for bugs—there are many roles in a modern software development team that need to be filled with competent professionals.
Product Owner
In software development teams, product owners are a vital link between engineers, developers, and clients. They work closely with the client to understand their business needs and define the project's overall scope. The other important responsibility product owners have is to monitor the development team's progress.
The product owner’s job is to schedule tasks for developers, ensure timelines are being met, and also ensure that the promised deliverables are all being met. As the key point of contact for clients and stakeholders, product owners need to be well-informed about the customer’s product, market, and business needs.
Business Analyst
The business analyst’s role appears to be superficially similar to that of the product owner because they both need to work with the client and development team. However, the key difference between the two is that business analysts focus much more on the technical aspect of software development, while product owners have to focus on customer satisfaction.
A software development business analyst’s main job is to work with the client to understand their business needs and then identify areas where software development can make a positive difference for them. They also need to be aware of software technology trends to create a list of requirements to take to developers, which eventually become the list of features and functions in the finished software product.
Project Manager
Software development is a team-based activity, and every team needs a captain to energize their efforts. Whether you’re using a traditional or agile approach, that captaincy role can be filled by a project manager. Project managers are the driving force behind the software development team and oversee the entire development process.
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The project manager is responsible for assigning tasks to team members based on their strengths, enabling communication between them and other key stakeholders. It’s also their job to ensure that a project proceeds as planned, according to budget, and on schedule with all the promised deliverables.
Software Architect
Designing software is complicated, with many moving parts and unforeseen complications. Every team needs a software architect to navigate the complexities of software development. This will usually be the most senior software engineer on the team, and they will oversee the rest of the development team’s work and make executive decisions regarding software design.
The software architect is the person who selects which tools and platforms the team will use to complete the project. One of their key responsibilities while overseeing the software’s architecture and components is ensuring the product is secure, meets all of the client’s technical and functional requirements, and is relevant to the current trends in software development.
Software Developer
The main body of your team will be made up of software developers. These are the team members whose output helps create the software product from the ground up. Whether you are building an entirely new software solution or making changes to an existing one, you will need to hire experienced software developers to do the job.
Every team will have a mix of developers. There are front-end developers who work on the user-facing portions of a product. There are also back-end developers who work on the inner workings of an application by writing code and devising algorithms. Then, you have full-stack developers who can work in any capacity for software development.
Whatever the type, a successful software developer needs to be technically proficient and well-versed in a variety of computer programming languages.
Software Testing Engineer
It’s essential that your software development team includes testers if you want to create a product that users value. Software testing engineers act as your quality assurance (QA) team during development. In traditional development approaches, the testing engineers conduct tests toward the end of the software development life cycle (SDLC).
However, when following the agile approach, testing is conducted alongside other development approaches in short sprints.
As QA testers, these engineers have to ensure the software performs according to the client’s requirements. They identify both functional and non-functional defects in the software, reporting on their findings to the developers and helping refine the product over multiple iterations.
UI/UX Designer
The UI/UX designer is a vital member of every software development team because they are responsible for curating the user experience. While front-end developers focus on the functional aspects of user-facing features, the UI/UX designer has control over how users will interact with those features.
A UI/UX designer creates every software’s visual interface. While developers have to ensure the product is functional, UI/UX designers are more interested in making the product appealing and engaging for end users. They need to have an eye for design, attention to detail, and be well-versed in using design tools.
DevOps Engineer
No software development team is complete without DevOps specialists. The DevOps engineer ensures collaboration between the developmental and operational arms of the team. They need to be well-versed in both the technical requirements of software development and the business needs of the client.
DevOps engineers are the ones responsible for the ongoing maintenance of a software product, even after the end of a development cycle. They are the ones who set up pipelines for continuous integration and continuous delivery after software has been finished. If a software product starts to display marked improvements with each successive iteration, that’s a sign that their DevOps engineer is doing a good job.
Software Development Teams vs. Development Approaches
Due to the multifaceted nature of software development, it’s worthwhile to consider different approaches to find which one works best for your needs. Projects that are smaller in scope can benefit from a sequential approach, but if there’s a chance of scope creep or the project has an extensive scope to begin with, then an agile methodology will work best.
There are several key differences between traditional (waterfall) methods and agile methods.
Let’s take a closer look.
Traditional/Waterfall Development
Agile Development
The development process follows sequential phases
The development process is broken up into two-to-four-week sprints
It is more suitable for projects with limited scope and minimal changes
It allows for scope changes and adapts to them during the development process
It does not involve much client participation apart from accepting deliverables
Requires client input and participation throughout the SDLC
Testing is conducted after a round of development
Testing is conducted simultaneously with the development
Follows a fixed-price model
Prices depend on time and scope of the project and can fluctuate during the SDLC
Top-down management, with a project manager overseeing results
Team members manage themselves, taking responsibility for their own deliverables
Teams are larger with no upper limit
Teams are smaller, with a focus on coordination and synchronization
Now that you’re familiar with the key differences between waterfall and agile development, you can make a well-informed decision based on your approach before assembling a software development team.
How to Build a Successful Software Development Team?
Once you’ve assembled a team and chosen a development approach, all that remains is to give the team the best possible environment to accomplish their goals. Successfully leading a software development team involves careful planning, smart recruitment, and cross-functional collaboration. To create the conditions for success in software development, you should follow these best practices:
Encourage transparent, effective, and productive communication between team members.
Establish clear goals and expectations and make them clear to every stakeholder on the project.
Empower team members to make decisions that support the team’s objectives.
Hire the right mix of developers, including generalists and specialists, so that every member is comfortable with their workload and caught up with the latest trends in software development.
Promote team cohesion, build trust between team members, and foster an attitude of shared success.
Summing Up
Software development teams perform a critical function, designing the digital tools used by consumers to connect with companies. Investing in enterprise software is a sound business decision, especially for a company that wants to enable a digital transformation in its operations. Putting together a software development team staffed by experts to fulfill each role helps create products that benefit both businesses and their customers.
It takes technical expertise to create a well-made, popular software application. If you wish to develop software for your business, you should work with a company known for excellent end-to-end software development like Intellectsoft.
From web and mobile applications to customized software solutions, Intellectsoft has over 15 years of experience in helping companies achieve their goals with software solutions. Regardless of your industry, Intellectsoft can help you develop software technology that boosts your business’ performance and delights your customers.
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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