After Dismantling a 10,000-Line Code Software, They Built Their Own Business System Using DingTalk

After years of operation, an awkward reality has emerged for corporate systems such as CRM, ERP, SRM, and OA. These once-celebrated "heroes," deployed at a cost of millions, have gradually turned into disconnected silos. Data lies dormant within them, processes are fragmented into isolated islands, frontline employees struggle to switch between a dozen different systems, and management receives delayed and contradictory fragments of information. As markets evolve rapidly, these cumbersome legacy systems are increasingly holding companies back.

Where is the way forward? The practices of three industry-leading enterprises—Far East Holding, Youlingyoushi, and Dingli New Materials—all point to the same answer:

A dynamic system integrating low-code, AI, and the DingTalk platform is quietly replacing those expensive and rigid traditional software solutions.

At Far East Holding's smart cable manufacturing plant, procurement officer Geng Geng (a pseudonym) vividly recalls the old days of running procedures manually. To purchase a batch of specialty copper materials, she first had to find suppliers and request quotes in the SRM system, then switch to the outdated OA system to initiate approval, and finally manually input data into the ERP system to generate orders. "Completing one process took at least three or four days, sometimes up to a week. During urgent material shortages, it felt like our house was on fire," Geng said.

This sense of fragmentation was exactly what Kuang Guangzheng, Far East’s Chief Digital Intelligence Officer, found most frustrating. "We’ve got over 20 major and minor systems that we’ve been using for nearly ten years. Our old OA system is like a rusty machine—data conflicts, outdated functions, almost zero scalability. But replacing everything entirely? The cost and risk are too high; it’s practically impossible."

The turning point came in 2021. At the time, Far East’s IT team consisted of only five people. They turned their attention to the DingTalk platform and its built-in low-code tool, YiDa. They did something seemingly simple but remarkably effective: they reassembled key interfaces from SRM, OA, and ERP systems like LEGO bricks directly onto the DingTalk platform.

Now, Geng can complete the entire procurement process—from price comparison to contract approval—within a single application interface on DingTalk. "Process updates are automatically pushed to DingTalk, so even if leaders are traveling, they can approve instantly. A process that used to take a week now takes just one or two hours at most." Checking historical pricing data for a product has also become much easier. Instead of digging through piles of paper documents, she simply enters the purchase date and material name in the low-code app, and the information appears immediately.

For Far East, managing a vast network of logistics suppliers used to be a major challenge. Previously, external communication with suppliers required separate systems, and real-time tracking of shipments was not possible. Now, by leveraging DingTalk’s open ecosystem, Far East has seamlessly connected employees and external partners. Cross-company communication and shipment tracking now require just a few clicks within DingTalk. Behind this efficiency gain lies tangible cost reduction—the company reduced its logistics costs from 2% to 1.3%, saving hundreds of millions of yuan.

Even more impressive were the changes brought by AI. In the past, marketing staff had to ask production colleagues to log into the MES system to check order progress. "If they were busy or on leave, we just had to wait," said one marketing manager. Now, asking an AI assistant on DingTalk delivers instant updates on production status. "The time saved means we can visit one more client."

"We replaced our old OA, CRM, and SRM systems with this integrated DingTalk solution," summarized Kuang Guangzheng. "Not only did we save millions in software licensing fees, but more importantly, data and workflows are now truly interconnected. Management can see every step clearly, making decision-making far more proactive."

At Youlingyoushi’s freeze-dried snack factory in Jinjiang, logistics manager Huang Xiaofeng used to dread month-end reconciliation. "Carriers are scattered across the country. Where are the goods? Have they been signed for? We relied entirely on Excel sheets or physical documents sent back by carriers. Mismatched data was common, and disputes could drag on for days." Even more troubling was the fact that on-time delivery rates stood at only 90%. Freeze-dried food is extremely sensitive to temperature, so any delay or fluctuation in temperature control could lead to significant losses.

The idea of adopting a traditional large-scale TMS (Transportation Management System) wasn’t new. CIO Long Yan admitted frankly: "Traditional SaaS software tries to accommodate too many customers, so features become overly complex. Our unique needs end up unmet." An even bigger challenge was talent. Recruiting skilled IT professionals in third- and fourth-tier cities proved extremely difficult—Youlingyoushi’s digital team numbered only a handful. Unable to afford, operate, or build custom systems, logistics digitization became a bottleneck.

The breakthrough came from DingTalk’s low-code platform. Leading a small team, Long Yan leveraged the agility and precision of low-code tools to tackle core logistics pain points head-on. Within just two weeks, they successfully developed and launched a tailor-made "Logistics Butler" system.

The system runs directly within DingTalk groups. When Huang initiates a task in the group chat, carrier clerks click on a card to enter loading details. Once the truck moves, temperature and humidity data are instantly pushed to the group. Upon delivery, drivers upload photos of signed receipts directly, and payments are confirmed online. "No more chasing after documents or reconciling data," Huang said.

This grassroots-built system delivered astonishing results: on-time delivery rates surged to 96%, and issues like lost cargo, misrouted shipments, and disputes virtually disappeared. "Just by avoiding TMS software purchase costs, plus optimizing routes and reducing losses, we’re saving a solid 1.5 million yuan annually," Huang proudly reported.

The success of the logistics system ignited enthusiasm for citizen development across the company. Long Yan’s team encouraged frontline staff from business departments to use low-code tools to build their own efficient applications, further enhanced by DingTalk’s AI capabilities to improve user experience.

In sales scenarios, for example, new sales reps visiting clients can now simply say into their phone, “Record today’s customer visit information,” and DingTalk’s AI assistant automatically extracts and stores key details. When the boss wants to know how sales are going, he asks directly in DingTalk: “How many customers did we visit this week? How many S-level clients haven’t been followed up yet? Who are the top three performers?” The AI instantly pulls answers from scattered records and order data. These insights aren’t randomly generated—they come from actual business records.

The production department also joined in. Frontline inspectors built a device management app using low-code and added an AI-powered inspection assistant. Equipment status, maintenance logs, and failure analysis are now instantly accessible, eliminating the tedious and error-prone manual entry process while giving full visibility into equipment health.

"DingTalk doesn’t just precisely solve business pain points—it also drives business innovation,"

said Long Yan. "Our core operations now run entirely on DingTalk: one platform as the foundation, a suite of low-code tools as our toolbox, and AI making those tools smarter and easier to use. Low barrier to entry, fast adoption, flexible and intelligent—that’s the kind of digital transformation we need."

At Dingli New Materials, the finance department once had a "specialized role": three people who manually verified thousands of invoices each month from sales branches nationwide, carefully checking for duplicate reimbursements. "Manual verification was inefficient, error-prone, and vulnerable to loopholes. If an invoice was issued incorrectly, finance had to chase down sales staff to reissue it," recalled Zhou Chuanyi, head of the Information Engineering Center.

This was just the tip of the iceberg. A larger challenge lay in operational fragmentation. Logistics teams manually matched over a dozen rules to calculate freight charges, with settlement cycles stretching up to 45 days. ERP, expense control, and supply chain systems each operated independently, and data mismatches were routine. Even quality personnel responsible for customer satisfaction often found themselves reacting to problems only after complaints arose, constantly playing catch-up.

"It was like asking people speaking different languages to build a rocket together—collaboration was incredibly difficult," Zhou described the old system. Their solution was to integrate the core ERP system with DingTalk’s low-code platform and leverage AI to act as both a "translator" and an "early warning system" within DingTalk.

The improvements were concrete. When logistics staff submit a shipping order via a low-code app on DingTalk, the system automatically triggers the ERP to generate a settlement voucher—no more manual Excel exports or rule-matching. When sales staff upload reimbursement invoices, the AI-powered low-code app instantly checks for duplicates and verifies authenticity, finally freeing those three finance colleagues. "Invoice risks are now controlled at the source, audit efficiency has improved by at least 70%, and reimbursement speed has increased significantly," Zhou said.

The quality department also saw benefits. Now, the AI assistant on DingTalk delivers daily updates on key customer service metrics and real-time complaint resolution progress, eliminating the previous reactive mode. This AI assistant is particularly "experienced," offering handling suggestions based on historical cases in its knowledge base, helping the team monitor processes more reliably. "Before, we were firefighters. Now, we’re preventing fires," Zhou added. "Average response time for customer complaints has improved by over 50%, and customer satisfaction has risen accordingly."

What surprised management most was the精细化 (fine-grained) management of logistics costs. Freight calculation used to be a "black box." Now, Dingli has built a "Logistics Benchmark Price Database" on DingTalk’s low-code platform, where any rule changes go through online approval and update automatically. During settlement, the system automatically pulls data such as cargo weight and destination from ERP and instantly matches it to standard rates.

"Now it’s crystal clear how freight is calculated, reducing disputes with carriers significantly," Zhou said, pointing to the real-time logistics dashboard. "Just in the miscellaneous shipping segment, costs dropped by 5%, saving nearly a million yuan annually. These systems aren’t off-the-shelf products you can buy anywhere—they grew organically with our business, fitting perfectly."

These three seemingly different stories all point to the same trend: enterprises are using combinations of low-code, AI, and the DingTalk platform to grow their own tailored digital systems directly from their business environments.

"In the past, when we bought software, we had to adapt to the system. Now, building systems with DingTalk’s low-code tools means the system adapts to us," remarked a business manager at Far East. This shift represents a fundamental change—the ownership of digital transformation is moving from IT departments down to frontline business units. Employees are no longer passive executors but active, engaged "digital makers."

The experiences of Far East, Youlingyoushi, and Dingli show that what truly replaces expensive, rigid legacy systems isn't a single function, but rather a digital ecosystem where every employee can participate in building, which evolves flexibly based on real needs, and grows smarter over time with AI.

Systems that grow from within the enterprise possess the strongest vitality.

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