Karhu Helsinki is not just another agency churning out websites; they're architects of digital experiences. Using WordPress and Drupal as their foundation, the team builds complex, custom websites that go beyond the ordinary.

But what sets them apart? Their commitment to long-term client relationships.

As Inari Lepistö, Team Lead of Customer Care at Karhu Helsinki, puts it, "We're not the type of company who just builds it [a website] and then leaves the customer on their own. We aim to strengthen client relationships all the time when the website is being developed."

This approach means:

• Thinking about every customer touchpoint.
• Making agency-client collaboration great instead of just acceptable.
• Constantly improving the client’s needs and pain points.

The result is happy customers with beautiful websites. But it comes at a cost.

We sat down with Inari to ask her how Slite fit into Karhu Helsinki's documentation process, both internally and with clients.

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The challenge: More complex projects = more complicated information management

As Karhu Helsinki's client base expanded and their projects grew more complex, they found themselves facing a set of interconnected challenges.

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Scattered info causes misalignment

"We had a lot of changing technology," Inari explains. Critical project details were scattered across emails, PowerPoint presentations, and an assortment of note-taking apps. This fragmentation made it difficult to maintain a coherent overview of each project, causing confusion for both the client and the internal team.

With information spread thin, clients often struggled to find project updates or key information. This not only led to miscommunications but also risked undermining the long-term relationships Karhu Helsinki worked so hard to build.

Plus, that external misalignment was a direct by-product of being internally misaligned. Inari describes how that happens:

“We're 40 people here and we have 6 to 7 different teams. We have our customer care team with five people. Then there is the design team, and three different technology teams which include both developers and a project manager. So we have three developing teams who develop their own websites and do projects and all three teams have both project managers and developers working in them. Of course, these teams have their own documentation, then the developers have their own documentation that's more based on the technology, for example, for WordPress. Each team, whether they are developers or project managers, has their own documentation, which is layered.”

It's all entirely understandable. When there are so many stakeholders - all with equal levels of contribution throughout the customer servicing cycle - this becomes an inevitable agency issue.

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Documentation inconsistency

Because of the wide number of project managers and teams, documentation in Karhu Helsinki used to happen differently for everyone.

There was no unified nomenclature, structure, or shared understanding of how to document and where.

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Solution - Slite gets a promotion!

While Inari looked for solutions, one team at Karhu Helsinki was already using Slite within the company, but only for a specific use case.

"When we started using Slite, it was meant to be only our customer database," Inari recalls. But something unexpected happened. As team members started using Slite, they discovered its intuitive interface and user-friendly features. Suddenly, Slite wasn't just for their databases.

This organic adoption spoke volumes about Slite's user experience. Unprompted, team members began migrating their internal documents to the platform. The ease of use, speed, and accessibility across devices made Slite an attractive alternative to their existing tools.

"Now we have both internal and client data in the same Slite, which is starting to become quite big," Inari notes. The platform's flexibility allowed it to adapt to their needs, accommodating both client-facing and internal documentation.

What's more, Slite began to cannibalize Karhu Helsinki's old internal website. "People were tending to move data from that to Slite because Slite is faster to use," Inari says.

Each team found a way to leverage Slite that suited their specific needs, all while maintaining a cohesive, company-wide information structure.

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Slite in Action: Improving client relations

When Inari opens her laptop each morning, Slite is the first tab she clicks. Importantly, Slite isn't just her first stop, but also the first stop as Karhu Helsinki's clients keep up with ongoing projects.

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All documentation in Slite, organized across channels

When a new client signs on, their journey with Karhu Helsinki begins in Slite, as every website or customer has their own channel.

With a few clicks, a new project space springs to life, which they populate with their internal subdocs. From kickoff meetings to technical specifications, every detail is accounted for, keeping all the balls in the air as the project gains momentum.

Because every project has its own little space, knowledge flows across the team. For example, SEO insights can inform web development strategies, or customer care experiences can help shape design decisions.

It's a virtuous cycle of shared learning and growth, facilitated by the ease with which Karhu Helsinki's teams can access and contribute to the various knowledge bases. Whether it's the CEO or a project manager, there's no need to ask "Hey, what's the status here?" Everyone can go to the right channel and get all the info related to the project.

The added twist? Their clients have direct access to all their work docs.

Gone are the days of long email chains and misplaced attachments. Now, every decision, update, and milestone is documented and accessible to both the Karhu Helsinki team and their clients.

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The Results: Slite's impact on Karhu Helsinki's operations

After fully integrating Slite into their workflow, Karhu Helsinki observed several noteworthy changes in their operations:

• Simpler client onboarding: The process is shorter and gives a clearer understanding of Karhu Helsinki's processes, reducing the initial back-and-forth and helping projects get kicked off quickly.
• More fluid project handovers: Team members can step into a project as needed, without wasting time or losing information. It's been a big plus when people are on leave or when new talent starts working on ongoing projects.
• Fewer internal emails: Updates and queries happen within Slite, reducing inbox clutter and keeping conversations focused.
• More informed decision-making: With historical project data and up-to-date client information, the team can make better decisions, backed up by data, for everything from resource allocation to project timelines.

As Karhu Helsinki continues to adapt and grow with Slite, they're discovering new possibilities for streamlining their operations and enhancing their service delivery. We, for one, couldn’t be more excited to see how they'll improve their already excellent documentation flow!

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The Future: Where Karhu Helsinki’s headed next

Karhu Helsinki isn't content with the status quo. They've mapped out a new direction for their use of Slite, centered around a key change: separating internal and client documentation.

The goal is straightforward: make it easier to find what they need, collaborate across teams, and work more efficiently.

This transition won't be without its challenges. There will likely be an adjustment period as the team adapts to the new structure. However, Karhu Helsinki believes the long-term benefits - improved functionality, better security, and a more tailored experience for both staff and clients - will be worth the effort. And we couldn’t agree more.

If you’re facing a similar agency-client information struggle, try Slite. We hope it turns into something amazing for your team, like it did for our talented friends at Karhu Helsinki.