TABLE OF CONTENT

1.0 Introduction

ByteDance, a Chinese technology company that developed novel video-sharing social

networking applications, most notably TikTok. ByteDance also serves as the parent company of
several popular social media and news apps. The IT department at ByteDance is a critical
component of their global operations, responsible for ensuring the seamless functioning of their
platforms and supporting their business growth. ByteDance’s IT department is a large and
diverse team, with a structure that reflects the complexity of the operations. The IT department
has dedicated teams for infrastructure, security, application development, data management,
and more. This structure allows their team to be agile and responsive to the needs of our rapidly
evolving business.

1.1 Organization Background in ByteDance IT Department

The IT department at ByteDance is important for the company's future growth

and to help ensure functionality and support their business growth. It consists of a
diverse team structured around key areas like infrastructure, security, application
development, and data management, enabling ease and responsiveness.

These duties can include:

● Maintaining and scaling global IT infrastructures: This includes managing

data centers, networks, and cloud infrastructure to ensure high availability and
performance for all the platforms.

● Developing and deploying innovative applications: They build and maintain

the applications that power platforms, including user interfaces, content delivery
systems, and data analytics tools.

● Ensuring cybersecurity and data privacy: Being responsible for protecting

users' data and systems from threats, complying with all relevant regulations.
1.2 Interview Session Details / Pictures of The Visit and Interview
Session

An interview was conducted with Mr Irfan Haris Lim, a Technical Program

Manager, on 4th October 2024 at 4:25pm. It was conducted through the platform of
google meet by the interviewers Alyssa Aina, Tabark, Nur Natasha Farzana and Brindha.

The interview's main themes consisted of 7 sections:

1) Organization Overview
2) Information System Architecture
3) Operational Level
4) Managerial Level
5) Strategic Level
6) Challenges and Future Plans
7) Closing

We decided to choose ByteDance because it can help provide us insights

into the new technology world with integration in businesses, especially in social
media and content. The organization stands as an example showcasing version
control of an IT infrastructure which fosters global expansion and user pride Their
dedication to employing emerging technologies helps them stay ahead of the
curve, defining a new standard for operational efficiency and end-user
experience. Interview key points included;

● Key Responsibilities and Technologies

The whole department handles building a sustained and effective global IT

environment, coming up with new software solutions, providing assurance of safety in
cyberspace, and delivering other business-related assistance. In this regard, ByteDance
is quite well versed in various technologies, such as cloud and microservices, for
integration of operational, managerial and strategic information systems. Core
technologies include high-performance servers, databases and in-house developed TCS
solutions to moderate the content flow.

● Operational Efficiency and Technology Application

At the operational level, systems such as Transaction Processing Systems (TPS)

and Content and Management Systems (CMS) simply accept content submission or
content genre. In such a way that the real-time data handling tools help in enhancing
decisions and user experience, ByteDance is able to grow fast and big while still
performing at high levels.
 ● Management and Strategic Support

At the management side, the Feishu ecosystem is able to present dashboards

and decision aids to management that define and unify departmental and organizational
targets in real time. Such a system allows managers to measure performance,
demonstrate progression and improve the business processes. For the same
ecosystem, within the management hierarchy, the tactical support for decision-making
for the same set of managers is to understand the market and potential users’ trends to
support the managers’ long-term decisions.

● Challenges and Future Technologies

However, there are challenges that the company has to deal with in regard to
cybersecurity, system integration and providing scalable solutions, which it tackles
thanks to high security policies, APIs for integration and cloud-based services. Future
visions involve edge computing, blockchain technology and the evolution of 5G and
quantum computing in the quest to improve performance and security.

1.2.1 Pictures As The Evidence From the Online Meeting Interview

Figure 1.2.1
Figure 1.2.2

Figure 1.2.3
2.0 Information System Strategies in ByteDance IT Department

2.1 System Architecture Diagram of the ByteDance IT Department

2.2 The Operational Level in ByteDance IT Department

The operational level in the ByteDance IT department includes systems that

support day-to-day operations, such as content delivery, user authentication, and data
processing. In ByteDance, they heavily rely on their in-house-built TCS (Task
CrowdSourcing)[1] platform for content moderation, which leverages human reviewers
alongside AI algorithms to ensure content compliance.

A TCS (Task CrowdSourcing) platform is a digital marketplace where businesses

can outsource small, discrete tasks to a large distributed workforce. These platforms
connect companies with individuals willing to complete these tasks for a fee, often
referred to as “micro-tasks”.

2.2.1 Types of Information Systems Used at The Operational Level

ByteDance utilizes a variety of information systems at the operational level,

including:

● Transaction Processing Systems (TPS): These systems handle high

volumes of transactions, such as in-app purchases, user registration,
advertising interactions, and content uploads. ByteDance likely utilizes
sophisticated TPS systems to manage its massive user base and
real-time content updates.

● Content Management Systems (CMS): They primarily use their

in-house developed TCS platform for content moderation, which
leverages human reviewers alongside AI algorithms to ensure content
compliance.

● Office Automation Systems: They utilize Feishu[2] for internal

communication, collaboration, and project management.

Feishu is a comprehensive collaboration platform designed to empower

teams by integrating essential tools like messaging, meetings, calendars,
document editing, and email within a single, unified interface. It prioritizes
mobile-first accessibility, ensuring seamless data synchronization across devices,
and boasts powerful open capabilities through its API (Application Programming
Interface), allowing users to integrate their own apps, existing systems, and
third-party tools.
 2.2.2 How These Information System are Supporting the
Competitive Advantages and Business Vision

All of this system significantly enhances ByteDance operational efficiency

by real-time content moderation. In ByteDance, their TCS platform utilizes
advanced algorithms and a global network of human reviewers to identify and
remove inappropriate content in real-time, ensuring a safe and positive user
experience.

Furthermore, these information systems also enhance their used data

handling. In the IT department, they use robust data, ensuring compliance with
privacy regulation. It also personalized the user experience through data
warehousing and analytics data, which enable ByteDance to personalize content
recommendations and advertise user favorite content. Which will lead to user
engagement and satisfaction.

ByteDance's operational-level information system plays a crucial role in

their global expansion through scalability, high performance and user experience.
ByteDance cloud-based infrastructure and microservices architecture allow them
to scale their systems rapidly to accommodate increasing user traffic and data
volumes. Their TCS platform also scales dynamically to handle fluctuating
moderation workloads.

Moreover, they utilize optimized hardware and software to ensure fast

content delivery and smooth user interactions, even during peak traffic periods.
Their systems are designed with user experience in mind, providing a seamless
and intuitive interface across all their platforms.

Lastly, all of these systems help ByteDance stay ahead in terms of speed
and reliability of content delivery and user interaction by utilizing Content Delivery
Network (CDN) to cache content closer to the user, reducing latency and
improving content delivery speed. Their systems also distribute traffic across
multiple servers, to ensure high availability and prevent performance
degradation. The ByteDance IT department also implements redundancy in their
infrastructure to minimize downtime and ensure continuous operation all the time.

2.3 Managerial Level in ByteDance IT Department

This layer comprises technology that lets managers understand operational

performance, user behavior, and financial indicators. These solutions are largely
connected with the Feishu ecosystem, which is the ByteDance internal collaboration
platform. This includes data dashboards that offer real-time insights into key
performance indicators (KPIs) across departments, which are frequently driven by the
ByteDance DataPower platform.
 Feishu's integration capabilities allow for seamless data visualization and
real-time analysis, making it easier for managers to monitor KPIs and operational
performance. Its data dashboards, enabled by platforms like DataPower, include
multidimensional spreadsheets, automated reporting, and AI-powered analytics.[3]
These solutions easily manage enormous amounts of data, allowing for dynamic
representations suited to user roles and focused insights. The platform's low-code
features enable firms to easily construct bespoke solutions, optimizing operations and
lowering costs. This connection helps organizations like ByteDance optimize operations,
highlighting Feishu's commitment to increasing production and cost-efficiency.​

2.3.1 Managerial Roles in ByteDance IT Department

At the management level, ByteDance utilizes the benefits of the Feishu

ecosystem, which comprises extensive solutions for Management Information
Systems (MIS) and Decision Support Systems. Feishu (also known as Lark in
international markets) enables real-time decision-making with capabilities such
as data dashboards, project management tools, and AI-powered analytics. These
features offer managers dynamic insights into operational performance, user
behavior, and financial indicators.

The platform's capabilities, such as Feishu Projects and Feishu People[4],

facilitate the effective administration of internal processes and human resources
through automation and standardization. Feishu Projects promotes process
innovation by enabling large-scale teams to streamline workflows and manage
complex project requirements, whereas Feishu People focuses on HR functions
such as recruitment, evaluation, and training, incorporating widely used
performance measurement methodologies such as Objectives and Key Results
(OKR).

Furthermore, Feishu's most recent version has AI capabilities, such as

the Feishu Intelligent Buddy, a virtual assistant that helps with meeting
summaries, document authoring, and data analysis. This AI-powered strategy not
only enhances productivity but also offers configurable solutions that can be
adjusted to individual business demands, allowing firms like ByteDance to stay
nimble and effective in their operations.

2.3.2 Managerial Information Systems in ByteDance IT Department

At the management level, ByteDance primarily utilizes the Feishu

ecosystem, which has two information systems, Management Information
Systems (MIS) and Decision Support Systems (DSS), to aid with
decision-making and performance monitoring.
 Management Information Systems (MIS) in the Feishu ecosystem are
critical to ByteDance's operational efficiency, delivering real-time dashboards and
detailed reporting on key performance indicators (KPIs) across departments.
These dashboards use the DataPower platform to provide dynamic and
configurable representations of crucial information, allowing teams to track their
progress toward goals more efficiently.

Feishu's dashboards enable users to dynamically filter data and produce

reports suited to individual requirements, resulting in improved decision-making
and performance monitoring[5]. The platform has advanced data processing
capabilities, allowing it to effectively manage millions of records and perform
speedy data computations. For example, Feishu's most recent multidimensional
tables can handle up to one million rows per table and aggregate data from ten
million rows, offering real-time insights that help managers discover trends and
make educated decisions. By integrating these advanced MIS features,
ByteDance enhances its ability to monitor performance and optimize operational
processes, ultimately supporting strategic initiatives and improving overall
productivity.

Meanwhile, Decision Support Systems (DSS) in the Feishu ecosystem at

ByteDance are critical to improving management decision-making[6]. These
technologies allow managers to examine data, discover patterns, and simulate
various scenarios, with the DataPower platform providing comprehensive data
analysis capabilities. Decision Support Systems (DSS) include crucial features
such as model management, which entails creating key performance indicators
(KPIs) for performance evaluation, as well as organizational data, which serves
as a knowledge foundation for making educated decisions. An intuitive user
interface enables users to readily interact with the data, supporting a seamless
analytical process.​

Modern Decision Support Systems (DSS) also leverage advanced

technologies like AI and machine learning, which enable real-time data
processing and active intelligence. This represents a significant improvement
over traditional systems that relied solely on historical data. By incorporating
predictive and prescriptive analytics, Decision Support Systems (DSS) not only
streamline operations but also support strategic planning, helping organizations
like ByteDance optimize performance and enhance decision-making processes​.
2.3.3 Impact of Information Systems on Competitive Advantage and
Business Vision

Within the Feishu ecosystem, ByteDance's management systems are

essential for improving operational effectiveness and decision-making. These
tools give managers the ability to carry out a number of crucial tasks:

● Track Performance: By monitoring KPIs related to user engagement,

content performance, and revenue, managers can gain real-time insights
into business operations. The dashboards powered by DataPower not
only provide immediate updates but also historical data, enabling
managers to spot trends and areas for improvement. This capability
supports agile management, where decisions can be made quickly based
on up-to-date information.

● Identify Trends: The analytical tools within Feishu empower managers to

sift through large datasets to uncover emerging trends and patterns. This
proactive approach allows for data-driven decision-making, helping the
company adapt to changing market dynamics and user preferences​. By
identifying trends early, ByteDance can adjust its strategies to maintain a
competitive edge.

● Optimize Operations: Cost savings, improved user experiences, and

increased operational efficiency are all made possible by insights from
data analysis. Managers may utilize these data to optimize workflows,
better manage resources, and ultimately raise the standard of service that
users get overall. Optimize Operations: Cost savings, improved user
experiences, and increased operational efficiency are all made possible
by insights from data analysis. Managers may utilize these data to
optimize workflows, better manage resources, and ultimately raise the
standard of service that users get overall.

● Align Goals: Feishu's collaborative features improve departmental

communication, making sure that each department's aims are in line with
the larger goals of the company. Because of this alignment, strategy
implementation becomes more coherent, enabling all teams to collaborate
and increase productivity as a whole.

For example, ByteDance product managers utilize Feishu dashboards

powered by DataPower to monitor user interaction with various content formats.
This helps them to determine the most popular formats and spend resources
appropriately, resulting in more user engagement and platform development.
 2.3.4 How do these systems improve ByteDance's worldwide
communication and coordination?

The Feishu ecosystem at ByteDance is crucial for improving

communication and collaboration amongst divisions, resulting in smoother
worldwide operations:

● Centralized Data Access: Feishu functions as a unified data platform,

providing a single source of truth for data consistency and accuracy
across departments. By centralizing data, it minimizes the likelihood of
inconsistencies and makes information more accessible, allowing for
improved decision-making and coordination.

● Collaboration Tools: Feishu integrates seamlessly with popular

collaboration platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams. This integration
allows teams to communicate, share files, and exchange information
effortlessly, regardless of their geographic location, enhancing productivity
and cross-departmental interaction.

● Workflow Management: Feishu supports automated workflows that

streamline and standardize business processes across departments. This
automation not only boosts efficiency by reducing manual tasks but also
ensures that everyone follows the same procedures, leading to more
consistent operations across the company's global offices.

These features make Feishu a comprehensive tool that supports

ByteDance in maintaining effective communication and coordination among its
diverse teams worldwide, ensuring smooth and cohesive operations.

2.4 Strategic Level in ByteDance IT Department

In an organization, the strategic level encompasses the top management tier,

responsible for establishing long-term goals, objectives, and the overall direction of the
organization. This tier usually consists of senior leadership, including CEOs, boards of
directors, and other top executives, who concentrate on making wide-reaching decisions
that shape the future growth, sustainability, and competitive positioning of the
organization. The strategic level differs from the operational and tactical levels, which
handle daily activities and short-term objectives.
 First we will have a look at the part of Long-Term IT Vision and Alignment: The
strategic level of ByteDance's IT department ensures that the department's goals are in
line with ByteDance's overarching organizational objectives. Leaders establish the
technological path, determining IT advancements, strategies for digital transformation,
and the future of technology investments. Next they have their Global IT Talent Strategy:
ByteDance's IT leaders, being a multinational corporation, prioritize establishing a
top-tier IT team. They establish extended talent acquisition plans, formulate worldwide IT
guidelines, and encourage internal creativity to guarantee the department can meet the
company's changing requirements.

2.4.1 Strategic Planning in ByteDance IT Department

Strategic planning in ByteDance’s IT department involves setting

long-term goals and creating a roadmap to ensure that the department supports
the company's overall business objectives. ByteDance is a global technology
company with a massive user base through platforms like TikTok, so its IT
department’s strategy needs to focus on scalability, security, innovation, and
regulatory compliance across regions.

At the strategic level, ByteDance primarily utilize the Feishu ecosystem,

which provides a suite of tools for Executive Support Systems (ESS): Feishu
offers top-level summaries of important business metrics to senior executives,
helping them make well-informed decisions regarding future strategies. These
dashboards, which are frequently driven by DataPower, offer a unified
perspective of essential business information, enabling executives to efficiently
evaluate performance and formulate strategic and the right decisions. Their
Business Intelligence (BI) Systems: Feishu provides executives with tools for
data analysis and dashboards that allows them to analyze data from different
sources, offering insights on market trends, competition, and certain users
behavior. DataPower is essential for enabling executives to use BI tools for
in-depth data analysis, identifying growth opportunities, and making informed
decisions regarding product development, market expansion, and innovation.

2.4.2 Analysis of Strategic-Level Information Systems in

ByteDance's IT Department

At this strategic level, ByteDance's IT department must oversee complex

information systems (IS) that helps the company reach its long-term objectives,
promote innovation, and sustain its competitive edge worldwide. Because of its
large scale of operations, especially with platforms such as TikTok, ByteDance
heavily depends on strategic information systems to enhance decision-making,
guarantee security, and synchronize technology with business strategies.
 ByteDance strategic level system within the Feishu ecosystem that helps
its leaders see what’s coming next in the market. They are always busy looking
at data they collect from a variety of sources. This includes keeping track of what
users do, studying market trends, and checking out what’s hot on social media.
By analyzing this information, they can spot new trends and opportunities that
might be of interest to them.

Additionally, ByteDance takes a close look at global market data. They

gather important insights regarding different user groups, the size of markets,
and how the competition is doing in various areas. This knowledge plays a big
role in helping them make smart choices about where to expand and how to
develop their products.

Finally, based on all this data and information, ByteDance uses these
insights to make major decisions. They think carefully about their next steps,
whether it means investing in new projects, forming partnerships, or creating
innovative products. This process helps guide their organization toward success
and keeps them ahead in a fast-moving market.

2.4.3 Evaluating ByteDance Information Systems for Competitive

Advantage

ByteDance strategic-level systems within the Feishu ecosystem are

crucial for their commitment to innovation and competitive advantage by
ByteDance’s AI and ML Development which provide data and computing
resources to support the development of AI and ML algorithms for content
recommendation, user personalization, and fraud detection. Their UX
Optimization enables them to analyze user behavior data to identify areas for
improvement in user experience, leading to increased engagement and
satisfaction.

Content Recommendation in ByteDance has (AI) artificial

intelligence-powered which is a recommendation engine that plays a huge role in
how users interact with their apps. This system relies on a mix of user data and
detailed content analysis to personalize the experience for each individual. By
looking at what users like to watch, how long they engage with different types of
content, and even what they share with others, the recommendation engine
learns over time. It becomes really good at suggesting videos, articles, and other
types of content that match each person's interests. This personalized approach
helps keep users engaged and encourages them to use the platform more often.
As a result, more users are drawn to the platform, making it even more popular.
Overall, ByteDance’s recommendation engine is all about understanding what
people want and giving it to them, which in turn boosts user engagement and
broadens the platform's reach.
 Another part is ByteDance’s User Personalization enables them to utilize
machine learning algorithms to enhance the user experience on its platforms. By
analyzing user behavior, preferences, and interactions, the company can offer
personalized content recommendations that cater to the individual interests of
each user. This means that when a user engages with the platform, the
algorithms work in the background to understand what type of content is most
appealing to that user. As a result, users receive suggestions for videos, articles,
or other features that align closely with their tastes and viewing habits.
Additionally, ByteDance customizes various settings and features based on the
data collected from users. This approach not only improves user satisfaction but
also encourages longer engagement with the platform, as users are more likely
to explore content that

As a summary to this mini section, Strategic-level information systems are

crucial for ByteDance’s IT department in driving innovation, ensuring operational
efficiency, and aligning technology with business objectives. From ERP and BI
systems that enable data-driven decision-making to cybersecurity tools and AI
platforms that drive personalized user experiences, these systems are integral to
ByteDance’s global success and competitive advantage. By investing in these
systems, ByteDance can scale rapidly, innovate continuously, and remain
resilient in a dynamic digital landscape.
3.0 Conclusion

The IT department is accountable for sustaining worldwide IT infrastructure, developing

applications, ensuring cybersecurity, and providing assistance to all departments, including
marketing and customer service. Next, the information system architecture features cloud
computing and microservices, encompassing layers that facilitate operational, managerial, and
strategic tasks, ensuring uninterrupted communication at all levels. Meanwhile, the
technological foundation depends on high-performance hardware and software, encompassing
cloud services, Linux and Windows operating systems, and proprietary platforms, which are
utilized for managerial tasks and content moderation.

For operational systems, including platform administration, internal operations, and

content delivery, they are effectively handled by transaction processing systems (TPS), content
management systems (CMS), and office automation systems. Besides, managerial and
strategic support is provided through decision-making tools, real-time dashboards, and
collaboration features, assisting in performance monitoring, trend analysis, and long-term
planning. Last but not least, the IT department addresses challenges such as scalability,
cybersecurity, and system integration issues using modular architectures and cloud-based
solutions, while also exploring cutting-edge technologies like blockchain, edge computing, and
quantum computing to improve its infrastructure.

Aligning Information Systems (IS) with a company's vision is key to staying competitive
and growing sustainably. When IS is closely tied to business goals, it helps companies run more
smoothly, make smarter decisions, and innovate more easily. At ByteDance, this connection
between their systems and business vision helps them scale quickly, improve user experience,
and manage data and content efficiently. By using IS to gain real-time insights and plan
strategically, ByteDance keeps all departments working together seamlessly, staying ahead in a
fast-changing digital world. Advanced systems also give the company the flexibility to adapt to
market shifts, adopt new technologies, and continue growing, all while keeping operations
secure and efficient.
References

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[2] Wikimedia Foundation. (2024, October 13). Lark (software). Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lark_(software)

[3] Feishu has released new generation multi-dimensional spreadsheets, low-code platform, and
other products. CEO Xie Xin stated that the ARR of 2023 has reached 0.2 billion USD
https://www.moomoo.com/news/post/43299667/feishu-has-released-new-generation-multi-dime
nsional-spreadsheets-low-code?level=4&data_ticket=1728830507630605

[4] ByteDance launches HR management tool Feishu People

https://technode.com/2022/05/26/bytedance-launches-hr-management-tool-feishu-people/

[5] Get started with Base

https://www.feishu.cn/hc/en-US/articles/697278684206-get-started-with-base

[6] Decision Support System (DSS): Meaning, Features and Users

https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/management/decision-making-management/decision-support-
system-dss-meaning-features-and-users/70296