Weifang Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone sent representatives to visit Shandong Newocean Software in January, in order to find out how the area could improve and provide better services for businesses located there.

"We had a long talk and focused on discussing how to better the zone's business environment," said Wang Shukun, chairman of the board of Shandong Newocean Software. "Companies do need this type of one-on-one talk."

Newocean is not the only company to be visited by representatives from the zone this year. Staff members from 18 government departments at the high-tech zone spent two weeks visiting 328 companies to collect their opinions on the local business environment in January.

Statistics from the zone show that 280 companies were satisfied, while 35 companies were not.

It is not the first time for the zone to collect companies' feedback on its business environment. At the end of 2017, the zone, one of the first national economic development zones in China, carried out a telephone survey and an online evaluation to collect opinions about its business environment.

A total of 292 companies participated in the telephone interview, giving feedback on seven sectors: policy, government service, market, legal, finance and social aspects and the new business-government relationship.

The zone also invited 538 companies to participate in the online evaluation to assess the performance of 53 government departments. The evaluation covered five areas — working efficiency, service quality, service attitude, law-based administration and working style.

It was revealed that 73 companies expressed dissatisfaction through the telephone interview and online evaluation.

The heads of the relevant government departments were required to visit those companies which expressed dissatisfaction in 2017 and 2018 to learn more about the businesses' demands and solve problems in the most effective manner.

Shandong Newocean Software chairman Wang was satisfied with the zone's efforts in creating such a communication mechanism.

"The supporting activities offered us chances to share our opinions. I hope there are more such activities," Wang said. "We also hope the zone will be more fault-tolerant of problems emerging in our development process."

Deng Laiqing, deputy Party chief at Weifang Software Innovation and Startups Service Center, visited 12 companies in January.

"Market, finance and professionals are the most common factors considered by local businesses," Deng said.

Companies have different demands on services and resources, requiring the government to provide professional services based on firms' real demand, he added.

"Better service brings better development," said Guo Hui, deputy head of the zone's performance evaluation office. "We launched those visiting activities to enable government departments to become aware of their shortcomings so as to create a first-class business environment for companies."

Liu Yinghong contributed to this story.