Yundee Intelligence helps SMEs go digital

Video and photos by Xu Shuntian

As market competition intensifies in the manufacturing sector, digital transformation is increasingly seen as essential rather than optional. Yet, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) remain cautious about adopting digital tools, largely due to concerns over unclear investment returns.

Shenzhen-based Yundee Intelligence Technology Co. Ltd. works to address these challenges by providing digital transformation services to manufacturing SMEs.

A corner of Yundee Intelligence Technology Co. Ltd. 

Established in September 2019 as a joint venture of State-owned China Unicom and Shenzhen Kingdee Software Co., Yundee focuses on industrial internet platform development, SaaS application creation, and digital transformation services for manufacturers.

Digital solutions for SMEs

Responding to a national policy initiative promoting the digital transformation of SMEs, the Shenzhen SME bureau commissioned Yundee to build an end-to-end digital service platform. Shenzhen is among 30 cities nationwide selected by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) to pilot SME digitalization.

Zhou Yue, CEO of Yundee Intelligence, introduces the company at an interview with Shenzhen Daily journalists.

Zhou Yue, CEO of Yundee Intelligence, said that the platform has been designed to help ensure that government subsidies are efficiently directed to eligible companies. Registered enterprises undergo a digital “diagnosis” on the platform, which identifies development bottlenecks related to production, energy use, inventory, and/or management. The platform then assists in matching enterprises with appropriate digital service providers.

Featuring 119 Shenzhen-based service providers, including Yundee, the platform offers enterprises access to a catalog of digital products characterized as “small, fast, light, and accurate,” along with pricing and service scenarios. Unlike traditional enterprise diagnostics, which typically require on-site expert evaluation and a week to produce reports, Yundee’s AI-powered platform can generate a diagnostic report within six hours, Zhou said.

During the diagnosis process, Yundee’s team helps enterprises complete industry-specific survey questionnaires. These questionnaires, based on national standards, are divided into 10 industry categories and are mapped to China’s digitalization standards. Once completed, the platform automatically produces a report, significantly improving the efficiency of the diagnosis phase.

CEO Zhou Yue (L) of Yundee Intelligence during a brainstorming session with staffers in her office recently.

The platform, based on the evaluation report, provides recommendations on which product or solution should be used to address the enterprise’s specific challenges and then facilitates matching supply and demand to help complete the transformation process, including applying for government subsidies.

The AI-driven enterprise diagnosis system has also been used outside the platform, serving enterprises across the country, such as in Zhejiang, Tianjin, and Hubei. Zhou said her company completed 3,000 digital diagnoses for enterprises in Guangdong Province between March and April of this year. To date, about 19,000 enterprises across Guangdong, Fujian, Henan, Shandong provinces and other regions have been assessed using this system.

Lightweight digital tools

One major barrier to the digital transformation of SMEs is high upfront costs and uncertain returns on investment. A traditional manufacturing execution system (MES) can cost hundreds of thousands of yuan, placing them out of reach for many SMEs.

Yuan Kai, chief technology officer of Yundee Intelligence, introduces to Shenzhen Daily journalists the company's products. 

To reduce costs and improve efficiency, Yundee Intelligence developed Yundee Little Leopard, a lightweight SaaS application tailored to manufacturing SMEs, according to the company’s chief technology officer Yuan Kai.

Priced at no more than 20,000 yuan (US$2,800), the Yundee app supports production management tasks, including order management, production scheduling, progress tracking, and performance accounting.

A case study involving a lighting factory showed the app contributed to a 30% improvement in order delivery efficiency and a 20% reduction in management costs. The app has received recognition as an “Outstanding Industrial Internet Platform App of 2022” from the MIIT and was named a “Model Product for SME Digital Transformation in 2023.”

AI agents

Beyond operational digitization, Yundee has introduced the Doctor Dee AI platform, which provides enterprises with AI-powered digital avatars known as Xiao Dee agents. These digital agents are designed to assist with marketing and customer engagement efforts by providing interactive Q&A, acting as 24/7 digital spokespersons, and representing various company roles across sales and service channels.

Some of the patents the company has obtained are exhibited.

These AI agents support enterprises, particularly those looking to expand into overseas markets, by delivering tailored product presentations, enhancing brand awareness, and enabling point-to-point customer interactions. Approximately one-third of Yundee’s clients are export-oriented, making this feature especially relevant to international expansion efforts.

One example is a Shenzhen-based company that previously relied on manual order tracking and friend referrals. After adopting Yundee’s AI intelligent agent in early 2024, the company experienced a noticeable increase in inbound business inquiries through new media channels. This represented a clear improvement with a relatively modest investment of just over 10,000 yuan, according to Zhou.