【TIPS】How does a startup use WeChat Work?

It's a known fact that many of us living in China use WeChat. However, not many people know that the app has a sister app called WeChat Work. It's based on WeChat, but with a more powerful purpose -- to manage businesses.

WeChat Work is a communication and office management tool developed by Tencent for enterprises. AnyHelper has been using WeChat Work to manage day-to-day operations, including employee productivity tracking and company files management.

In this article, we share with you some important features we find useful on the platform.

Key Functions

1. Punch in/out

AnyHelper sets flexible punch rules based on actual needs. Employees can punch in/out for work to record work hours. It also supports offsite punches.

2. Approvals

• Time off request
  

• Reimbursement
  

• Shift work
  

• Contract approval
  

• Meeting set-up
  

• Purchases
  

These are the main sections AnyHelper has set in Approvals. Employers can also create customized approval templates and adjust approval settings to make the company's approval process more standardized and efficient.

3. Report

• Daily report

• Weekly report

• Travel records

• Meeting minutes

• Delay report

• Overdue report

AnyHelper has several different report tools. For example, work details and next-day work plans are created in the daily report. Employers can review submitted reports and provide feedback. Reports can be accumulated for future review too.

4. Announcement

It is recommended to announce latest notifications by WeChat Work rather than WeChat group. The reason is that WeChat Work can keep historical announcements while WeChat group does not.

5. File Disk

You can upload company files to WeChat Work, where all employees can download, retrieve, and share across devices.

• Create file zones and assign editing permissions:

  Members can create file zones on File Disk, where files can only be visible to certain members. Employees can also set viewing and editing permissions for members and share files with groups and project teams.

• Multiple devices are automatically synchronized and files can be viewed anytime, anywhere

• 100GB of free space

6. TAPD (Tencent Agile Product Development)

TAPD is mainly for cooperative work. AnyHelper has created different items like to-dos, where employees' work performance can be tracked. We also put training files, company info ,etc on TAPD.

• Work schedule
  

• Progress report

• Company rules and regulations

Comparison

WeChat Work is just one tool to manage businesses. There are still other options like Google Docs, Teambition and others for you to choose from:

Pros

1. Powerful search function (e.g., full text search)

2. Support external chains: not only images can be linked, but HTML/CSS /js too

3. Support very complex parameters (e.g., Title ='xxx.txt' means searching a file named xxx.txt)

4. MimeType contains 'image/' means finding all images

5. Free and easy to use

6. It can replace MS office to some extent and save the cost of software purchase

Cons

1. Cannot specify directory search
   

2. Replaceable file names

3. Files cannot be synchronized to local drives

4. TXT/HTML cannot be edited directly on the web UI

5. The permission management of the app is too extensive to use third-party apps

6. Do not support macro management functions like punch in/out

7. Domestic users need VPN and Gmail accounts to have access
   

Pros

1. Professional agile team templates

2. Useful agile model and functions, conducive to the periodic planned iteration of product functions

3. More intuitive defect management

4. Simple operation

5. More detailed defect statistics and analysis

Cons

1. With the focus on agile teams, other team models are not flexible

2. Poor cohesion between projects

3. Few versions to choose from and the price of applicable versions is high (249 yuan/person/year)

4. Low project management dimension

Pros

1. Free inter-regional and inter-company telephone calls, and online teleconference

2. Data encryption, traceable communication records, multi-terminal messages,  forbidden copying and forwarding

3. Personalized company homepage 

4. Access to third-party applications: Ali business travel, Tmall enterprise (procurement), Eleme, etc
   

5. AI real-time translation function in multiple languages: Chinese, English, Spanish, Russian, etc
   

Cons

1. Only by using their polystone tower will some permissions be open, which limits the use of many technical programs

2. Primitive data reporting module

3. Damages employees' personal interests

4. If an employee is dismissed, the relevant records of his employment cannot be found. As a result, workers may not claim labor remuneration from enterprises

5. Strict review system: individuals have to submit a lot of data and docs and use customer service communication. Extracting personal data requires a corporate seal

Conclusion

A very convenient feature of WeChat Work is that it is interlinked with WeChat.

AnyHelper, as a medium-sized start-up, has taken good advantages of WeChat Work to facilitate multiple company departments. We hope our experience may do your daily work a favor.

If you're an entrepreneur yourself and interested in office management platforms or other services such as headhunting and visa services, you can add AnyHelper's Anna (WeChat ID: jianyuKelvin) to join WeChat groups, where you can talk with about 300 entrepreneurs and share your ideas with them!

Have more questions about entrepreneurship?

Ask AnyHelper consultant Anna.

Have more questions about China visas?

Ask AnyVisa consultant Lisa.