Lark (software)

Lark Suite

Developer(s)	ByteDance
Initial release	April 2019;5 years ago (2019-04)
Written in	Dart
Engine	Flutter [1]
Operating system	iOS, Android, MacOS, Microsoft Windows
Available in	3 languages
List of languages English, Simplified Chinese, Japanese
Type	Collaborative software
License	Proprietary
Website	larksuite.com

Lark Suite is a cloud-based business-to-business (B2B) super-app with a collection of collaboration and productivity tools, sold and marketed by Lark.

It consists of Email, Approvals, Calendar, Video-Conferencing, Meeting Minutes, Rooms, Webinar, Base, Wiki, and Messenger along with Open API and AnyCross for integration.

Lark positions itself as an all-in-one solution to help businesses:

• Improve productivity by streamlining business workflows; and
• Reduce the costs associated with managing multiple SaaS tools.

Its suite integrates various functionalities such as messaging, video conferencing, document sharing, and calendar management into a single, unified, and natively embedded platform. Its tools support both synchronous and asynchronous communication among team members.

Lark and its China-only equivalent Feishu ("flying message") operate independently of one another and store user data separately (Lark in Singapore, Feishu in Beijing). ^[2]

History

Lark was developed by Lark Technologies Pte. Ltd., a subsidiary of ByteDance, based in Singapore, ^[2] and was originally developed as an internal tool. ^[3]

In 2017, Lark was launched to address ByteDance's growing need for a unified workplace platform to accommodate modern work environments, including remote and distributed teams.

In particular, to solve problems for global teams, Lark's product team invested in embedding translations intuitively across its product suite: including documentation, messenger, and meetings while supporting translations within images, videos, and diagrams.

Since its inception, Lark has evolved to include a wide range of features designed to enhance organizational efficiency, foster collaboration, and support the digital transformation of businesses across various industries.

In April 2019, Lark became available in overseas markets. ^[4]

In March 2020, ByteDance prepared to release a "Google-like suite of office collaboration tools" (referencing Google Workspace) focusing on cloud-based file management and document and spreadsheet editing. ^[2]

In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lark made its service available for free across Southeast Asia. ^[5]

Products

Lark's suite of products include tools to facilitate cross-border collaboration, workplace knowledge creation and management, and a platform for integration.

Collaboration

• Messenger: Enables real-time text communication within teams, supporting both direct messages and group conversations. Messenger has advanced features such as:
  • auto-translations where chat members can type or translate messages to their preferred language. Lark's customers, such as Advance AI have made use of this product to enable cross-border communication across offices. ^[6]
  • topic threads where conversations can be organized and grouped around conceptual topics.
• Email: Lark Mail is a corporate email hosting platform with features for sharing emails on chat for group collaboration.
• Meetings and Minutes: Offers high-quality video calls and meetings with screen sharing capabilities, facilitating remote collaboration, and automated note-taking.
• Rooms: Connects meetings on the Lark calendar with devices in meeting rooms to facilitate videoconferencing and screensharing.
• Webinar: Enables webinar-hosting for up to 10,000 participants with simultaneous interpretations and auto-translations. Webinar also includes features such as rehearsal mode and post-event analytics.
• Calendar: Integrates a calendar system for scheduling meetings, managing events, and automating reminders

Documentation, Workflows and Dashboards

• Approvals: Enables approval routing and notification for leave application, purchase requests, and other forms of formal requests.
• Docs: Provides cloud-based document editing and storage, allowing multiple users to work on documents simultaneously.
• Forms: Form-building tool that enables digital data collection and automatic centralization on a Lark Base.
• Meegle: Specialized project management tool for agile teams such as product and software engineering. It includes Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and workflow systems.
• Task Management: Includes tools for creating, assigning, and tracking tasks and projects within teams.
• Base: Base is a lite-databasing system to build workflows and dashboards. It also comes with no-code automations allowing users to set up automated notifications or reports to chat groups. Base is also used as a project management tool with Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and timeline views for managing projects.
• Wiki: Knowledge management solution for organizations to create, organize and manage rich content. Wiki is often used by organizations to share a knowledge base with cross-border teams.

Open Platform & Integration

• Open API: Lark provides open APIs enabling customers to build their own apps and integrations with other software using REST APIs.
• AnyCross: AnyCross is a no-code UI for building integrations with other software.

Implementation and Use Cases

Lark is utilized by a diverse range of businesses, from small startups to large enterprises, looking to enhance their internal communication and collaboration. Its adoption is particularly notable among organizations with remote or hybrid work models, where traditional in-office communication tools are insufficient.

Lark also has customers from frontline-heavy industries who use its chat-centric suite for unifying collaboration between headquarters and frontline staff. The translation features assist companies in training and communicating with staff in native language.

Prominent Customers

Lark is used by companies with global presence such as Haidilao, Xiaomi, and Nas Daily. Lark is also used by regional companies such as fintech company Atome, car marketplace Carro, and consumer electronics companies such as Anker.

Nas Daily's executives have publicly shared their appreciation for Lark on various occasions. ^[7]

Lark was used by the Singapore National Day Parade committee to plan and coordinate the annual event in 2023. ^[8]

Business Model

Lark operates on a subscription-based model, typically offering various tiers of service that cater to different organizational needs and sizes. This may include a free tier with basic functionalities, as well as premium options that provide access to advanced features and higher levels of support.

Lark Meegle and Lark AnyCross are sold separately from the main product-suite.

Lark Pro users can opt for a Frontline plan which provides a specialized module and pricing for frontline workers.

Startup program

Lark has partnered with Antler on a program called "Lark for Startups" which offers a subsidized version of Lark to Antler's portfolio startups in Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia. ^[9]

COVID-19

During COVID-19, Lark began offering teachers and students unlimited video conferencing time, auto-translation capabilities, real-time co-editing of project work, smart calendar scheduling among other features. ^[10]

Reception and Impact

Larksuite's ability to centralize information and streamline processes have led to substantial efficiency gains among its customers, particularly in the food and beverage and retail industry. For example, ZUS Coffee reports a 90% increase in efficiency in progress reporting. Haidilao reported a 25% increase in overall operational efficiency across its global outlets.

According to the Lark reviews on Capterra, Larksuite has been praised for its wide range of features, including chat, video conferencing, cloud documents, and smart calendars, all integrated into a single platform. ^[11]

The platform's ease of use and ability to facilitate remote work have been highlighted as key benefits. One reviewer noted that "Lark offers all we need, especially communicating with different teams/departments" and that "with Lark, knowledge is flowing, everyone is learning and communicating." ^[11]

Larksuite's has obtained various international certifications for security and privacy compliance including ISO27001, ISO27017, ISO27701, and ISO27018. ^[12]

The Lark Security White Paper outlines the company's comprehensive approach to data security, including encryption, backup strategies, and emergency response plans.

References

1. "ByteDance - Building for any Screen with Flutter (Flutter Dev Story)". Flutter Youtube Channel. May 19, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
2. Huang, Zheping (March 9, 2020). "ByteDance to Launch Google-Like Work Tools During Outbreak". Bloomberg News . Retrieved July 22, 2020.
3. Sternlicht, Alexandra (April 15, 2024). "Some ex-TikTok employees say the social media service worked closely with its China-based parent despite claims of independence". Fortune . Archived from the original on April 15, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
4. Xu, Tony (April 3, 2019). "Bytedance officially launches productivity tool Lark". TechNode. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
5. Sheth, Hemani (April 3, 2020). "Lark offers digital collaboration tool for free in India owing to lockdown". Business Line. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
6. "Lark on LinkedIn: Lark: Shaping Efficiency at Advance Intelligence Group | Lark Customer". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
7. "Jovel Chan (CIM) on LinkedIn: The problems in F&B are PLENTY But someone has so solve them (especially… | 16 comments". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
8. "Lark: Event Planning Success for NDP 2023 Show Support Committee | Lark Customer". www.larksuite.com. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
9. "Tech in Asia - Connecting Asia's startup ecosystem". www.techinasia.com. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
10. Li, Cathy (April 29, 2020). "The COVID-19 pandemic has changed education forever. This is how". Weforum.
11. "Lark Reviews". Capterra. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
12. "Lark | Compliance". www.larksuite.com. Retrieved 2024-05-10.

External links

• Official website