Customer
Hedin Automotive
In a Nutshell
The collaboration between Crasman and the renowned Autotalo Laakkonen began a decade ago and led to the launch of Finland's first online car store in 2016. A long-standing partnership and strong trust were key when Laakkonen's website redesign project took an unexpected turn: in May 2022, Laakkonen was sold to the Swedish company Hedin Automotive. This acquisition interrupted the ongoing development work and set new, challenging parameters for the entire project.
Customer
Hedin Automotive
Industry
Automotive Industry
Services
UX / UI
Technical implementation and maintenance
SEO and Analytics
Challenge
Building a brand from scratch and managing an accelerated timeline amidst a corporate acquisition
During the website redevelopment, the entire project was halted pending instructions from the new owner. Eetu Raunio, Head of Digital and Marketing at the automotive group, recalls: "We were revamping the website and diversifying the search functions. We paused the project and awaited instructions from Sweden." Crasman's designer Tatu Hurskainen had to create Hedin Automotive's Finnish brand identity almost from scratch, for which he received praise from Raunio: "Tatu did an exceptional job. Together, we examined the implementations made in Sweden and constructed guidelines that enabled the site developers to commence their work." The situation was further strained when the project's launch timeline was brought forward by two months, requiring agreement on minimum requirements for publication, according to Crasman’s client director, Unto Kotilainen.
"The time-to-market for our projects has significantly improved. Overall, I am extremely satisfied with everything we have accomplished with Crasman. It has been much more than just web development. We have learned a new way of operating, and its financial significance is far greater than that of a single software project."
Solution
A rigorous sprint model and shared branding tool for Hedin's national subsidiaries
In response to challenges, Crasman and Hedin Automotive implemented intensive and efficient development cycles known as sprints. Concurrently, a brand tool created for Finland's needs proved to be so successful that it was distributed as a toolkit to all sixteen of Hedin's national subsidiaries. However, the true engine of operational efficiency turned out to be the sprint model. "Developers are given the peace to focus on the selected tasks during the sprint, without constantly receiving new ideas, clarifications, or change requests via email. It sounds simple, but that's its brilliance," notes Unto Kotilainen.
Implementation
The new operating model has produced excellent and measurable results. The erratic nature of development work has decreased, and productivity has increased, which is reflected to the customer as better results and lower costs. "Development tied to sprints has ensured that the productivity of the developers assigned to the project is at the highest possible level," says Eetu Raunio. "We are monitoring the same annual budget and its implementation with the Customer Relationship Director at Crasman. Simultaneously, the time-to-market for our projects has improved significantly. Overall, I am extremely satisfied with everything we have achieved with Crasman. It has been much more than just web development. We have learned a new way of operating, and its financial significance is much greater than that of a single software project."
