Industry practitioners share: Software engineers in the digital transformation era

This article was originally shared on Cafebiz. We have included the translation below: 

In Vietnam, the software services industry is experiencing a big push to adhere to the demand that comes with national and international digital transformation. 

Besides providing customized software development services, software services companies are shifting towards building creative products that can solve many business problems and maximize business potentials. Therefore, when global brands look for software solutions in Vietnam, they expect to have high-quality talent with top-notch technical skills and consulting abilities.

Let’s meet two software engineers from KMS Technology Vietnam, a software services company with over 1000 employees in Vietnam and the U.S. to look at the role of an engineer in the software services industry in the era of digital transformation.

Strong technical knowledge

Ms. Duong Pham – Principal Test Engineer at KMS Technology Vietnam, shared that a software engineer should have a solid foundation of technical knowledge. A test engineer should also master programming languages and coding skills. She shares when she went onsite in the U.S., where she met a client who is an established technology corporation with experienced staff. With a strong foundation of technical knowledge, she convinced that client with an impressive product demo. More importantly, she gave customers a new perspective on Vietnamese engineers – exemplifying excellent technical knowledge.

Problem-solving skills

An analytical mindset and problem-solving skills are core values and defining factors in determining an engineer’s success, Mr. Duy Pham, Principal Software Engineer at KMS Technology Vietnam shared. When working in that role, the engineer is required to solve difficult problems at work. It requires the ability to see the problem from different angles considering more than just technical perspectives. Moreover, the engineer needs to be flexible to propose different solutions that fit the client’s current business growth. “That is exactly the element that makes my job challenging and interesting,” Duy shared.

Focus on client success

Ms. Duong Pham and Mr. Duy Pham, engineers who are well experienced working with clients, believe that a software services company’s success lies within its clients’ successes. Therefore, engineers need to put client success as the main focus. Ultimately, without clients, every effort would have no meaning. Without a client’s success, no one else would be successful, at least in the long run.

Duy shared about his experience working onsite in the U.S. Within 6 months, he supported clients in solving a lot of problems that contributed to their closing deals with over 50 contracts that year. This success created a domino effect, the client used more of the software product and bought more licenses. On the KMS side, this success opened more doors for the company including project extensions that led to increased demand for engineers.

Additionally, a mindset of “embracing challenges”  is crucial for an engineer. When paired with a client-centered focus, this way of thinking allows an engineer to solve important problems that bring actual successes to the clients. This success is beneficial to both the community and business.

Consulting skills

In addition to solid technical skills, a good engineer also requires soft skills, one of which is a consulting mindset. This mindset helps engineers better solve the client’s problems. Additionally, an engineer needs to advise and convince the client of the best solution, and in some circumstances, they should advise the client to prepare for unexpected scenarios.

Ms. Duong Pham believes that “win-win” benefits should always be the top priority when working with clients. Therefore, possessing a consulting mindset is a necessary catalyst to help engineers solve problems in the most effective way. Mr. Duy Pham shares, this approach brings success to both the client and the software services company. 

Meaningful work

These engineers in the software services industry are proud of their jobs. Because this meaningful work helps clients save on costs and talent. Additionally, it also generates practical solutions that eventually bring high value to the clients’ business growth.