Inside Huawei: Our Digital Work Practices

Cloud computing, IoT, big data, and artificial intelligence (AI) have propelled the world into the digital age. As a leading ICT solutions provider, we know that digital transformation is necessary for enterprises to survive and thrive in today’s digital world. And that includes us.

So, first off, how do run our operations? We believe that giving our employees a simple, secure, and efficient office experience improves performance, team efficiency, and the fulfillment of strategic objectives.

And so we developed the Digital Workplace strategy to drive us on this transformation journey.

Over the past few years, we’ve been evolving our Digital Workplace to support online and offline work, enable cross-enterprise collaboration, and internally implement a ROADS experience: Real-time, on-demand, all-online, DIY, and social.

To date, our global workforce of 180,000 uses WeLink, a function-rich mobile app that includes a content platform, instant messaging, email, cloud services, live-stream video, and video conferencing. With 120,000 active users in 171 different countries, its ramps up collaboration potential based on 3-second worldwide mobile access, 60 available languages, and real-time translation.

How Did We Get Started?

Based on internal analysis, our Digital Workplace project team discovered that multiple poorly integrated mobile apps had created legacy silos. For example, staff had to open separate apps for basic functions like instant messaging, approvals, and emails, while communication with customers and partners was confined to slow, old-school interactions such as phone calls, face-to-face meetings, and email.

Office areas, including conference rooms and open areas, lacked capacity for hardware digitalization, and couldn’t support cross-regional, multi-language, and cross-terminal or remote collaboration.

To improve collaboration and simplify this silo-friendly office environment, Huawei launched the WeLink transformation project on May 2016, aiming to transform itself into a Digital Workplace over the next five years.

WeLink’s New Connectivity Experience

On January 1, 2017, we launched WeLink, Huawei’s fully connected platform.

WeLink integrates different office applications and connects teams, knowledge, services, and office devices, breaking down the silos that prevent internal and external collaboration and creating an office experience that’s simple, secure, and efficient.

Connecting Teams

Cross-functional connectivity: WeLink is scenario-driven and people-centric. It integrates email, news, meetings, knowledge, video, and approvals; facilitates collaboration on a single platform; and lets Huawei teams communicate easily and transparently. For example, teams can easily switch between email and group IM to share files and track project tasks.

Remote connectivity: WeLink video conferencing cuts global communication costs, including business travel, by letting Huawei’s employees, customers, and suppliers talk face-to-face in real-time on any device with just one click. It also enables Huawei staff to remotely inspect and accept base station deployment projects.

Cross-language connectivity: Huawei employees work in 170 countries around the world, with 75 percent of our employees located outside of China. Based on Huawei’s translation database, which has expanded over many years, WeLink-Translate uses a public cloud translation engine that can translate 60 languages in real time to deliver fast and simple communication.

Connecting Knowledge

Form: The WeLink Knowledge Platform includes text, live video, video on demand, and other service types to provide staff with a full-channel learning environment. WeLink’s enterprise-class online live steaming service lets Huawei staff around the world access live conferences and training programs in seconds.

Content: When employees require materials for projects or training, WeLink returns tailored recommendations for resources like corporate documents, business cases, and media materials, which cuts costs and boosts efficiency.

Communication: The WeLink Knowledge Platform lets Huawei employees access and share internal and external materials on various channels, including blogs, communities, and the iLearning expert forum.

In the digital age, terminals, equipment, and even people have unique digital IDs. WeLink boosts efficiency and convenience by establishing intelligent connections between employees, conference screens, conference equipment, and office equipment, eliminating the complexity of connecting different equipment with an array of cables.

Wireless projection: After inputting a conference screen ID, employees can quickly project content from their PC or phone to the screen for all to see.

Scan to enter conference: By scanning a QR code or clicking a conference link on WeLink, employees can access a conference and interact face-to-face with other participants on any terminal in just three seconds.

Remote collaboration: Using the WeLink electronic whiteboard, staff members can quickly arrange local or remote meetings in open areas or conference rooms. Meeting minutes can be sent on email for maximum efficiency.

Connecting Services

WeLink is Huawei’s internal collaboration platform, and it’s redefined our service access standards. Based on an open API interface, it uses micro apps (WeApps) to quickly access internal services and SaaS on cloud. WeLink presents knowledge and information in cards and sections, enabling agile IT construction for a rapid response from front line offices.

Realizing Value

WeLink is one phase of Huawei’s Digital Workplace, the first step to providing a basic platform for Huawei’s digital office transformation. In the future, we’ll be building on Digital Workplace to optimize team and cross-enterprise collaboration.

We want to seamless internal collaboration so we can better collaborate with you.

Leave us a comment below about your experience of digital working.

Disclaimer: Any views and/or opinions expressed in this post by individual authors or contributors are their personal views and/or opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views and/or opinions of Huawei Technologies.