CASE 2 — MODERNIZATION OF A MARKETING AGENCY'S OPERATIONS

A growing marketing agency wanted to clarify its operational everyday tasks, systems, and data usage. Tervahauta Consulting conducted a comprehensive current state assessment and developed three alternative operating models, one of which was chosen as the foundation for the company's growth and AI readiness.

The case pages are intended as a portfolio of work samples. They are based on real companies, but for confidentiality reasons, names and other identifiable details have been changed.

INITIAL SITUATION

scattered tools (Toggl, Pipedrive, Slack, Severa, Netvisor)
manual HR and payroll work was burdensome
predictability was weak (pipeline → capacity → margin was not visible consistently)
no functioning management dashboard
recruitment and HR practices were scattered
billing rate of 72%, project margins varied
the team hoped for clarity in tools and daily routines

COMPARING THREE DIFFERENT SOLUTION OPTIONS

Three realistic paths were identified for the operational renewal of the office. They differ in what the company wants to emphasize: the tool experience of the staff, simple architecture, or cutting-edge growth and forecasting capabilities.

1) People First - Best-of-Breed

Idea: retain the team's favorites (Toggl, Pipedrive, Slack), add a lightweight integration layer and data warehouse.

Suitable if: the most important thing is tool usability and the lowest resistance to change.
Pros: pleasant daily operations, easy tools, quick implementation.
Challenges: data fragmentation, weaker predictability, maintenance of integrations.
Cost: €14–22k + €1,200–1,550/month.
Internal work: 40–60 hours.

2) SEVERA FIRST -ECOSYSTEM (CONSOLIDATION)

Idea: one system family (Severa + Netvisor) → one truth of the data, minimal maintenance.

Suitable if: the goal is process discipline, cost-effectiveness, and risk-free operations.
Advantages: clear architecture, low maintenance costs, good financial integration.
Challenges: Severa's timesheet logging is not the team's favorite, CRM is lighter.
Cost: €6,000–10,000 + €780–1,100/month.
Internal work: 60–80 hours.

3) AGENCY OS – Best POSSIBLE OVERALL stack

Idea: world-class stack (HubSpot + Productive + Netvisor + Teamtailor + Power BI, a lightweight data lake is a possible addition).

Fits if: the goal is growth, AI forecasts, and transparency across the office.
Pros: best PSA, best CRM, excellent dashboard, strongest AI readiness.
Challenges: highest investment, slightly more complex implementation.
Cost: €18,000–30,000 + €1,380–2,700/month.
Internal work: 70–100 hours.

the winning CHOICE: BIG INVESTMENT, BIG ROI

The winner is Agency OS, as the agency wants to prepare for rapid scaling and take advantage of AI opportunities ahead of others.

People First solves usability but lacks predictability.
Severa-first is cost-effective but limited at the PSA/CRM level.
Agency OS offers the best overall view and the strongest data foundation for management needs.

EXPECTED ECONOMIC IMPACTS (ANNUAL BENEFITS)

Increase in billing rate +4–6 percentage points → +€96k–€144k
Improvement in project margin +3–5 percentage points → +€72k–€120k
Reduction in refunds & errors → +€10k–€20k
Increased efficiency in HR & payroll → +€10k–€20k
Reduction in manual work → +€18k–€28k
Standardization of recruitment process → +€6k–€10k

Total operational efficiency improvement:
≈ €227,000 – €357,000 / year

INVESTMENT (YEAR 1)

One-off: 18–30k €
Internal work: 70–100 h
Licenses: 1,380–2,700 €/month

Annual total costs:
≈ 22,000 – 34,000 €

ROI (SUMMARY)

Benefits: €227k–€357k
Investment: €22k–€34k
Payback Period: 2–6 weeks

Annual ROI: x10 – x15

Payback period of 2–6 weeks is based on the immediate elimination of process-related waste in the billing rate, budget leaks in project margins, and corrective work in HR/payroll, allowing the company to gain €15k–€22k per month in new value starting from the first month.

ROI estimates have been calculated conservatively and are based only on waste from process, data, and manual work, not additional sales.

CENTRAL EFFECTS

The main benefit of the reform came from the work becoming less reactive and more predictable. As sales, time tracking, projects, and invoicing now go through the same process, everyday friction and corrective work decreased immediately. The financial impact was mainly visible as a reduction in operational waste.

Project margins stabilized as budget overruns and risk projects became visible earlier. The effect was seen as smoother months rather than individual spikes.
The billing rate increased modestly as a result of improved time allocation.
The workload for HR and payroll lightened as absences, expenses, and hours now go through a single channel. This reduced corrections and leveled the process by 10-20 hours per month.
Management gained a single view of the pipeline, capacity, and finances. Predictability improved. This reduced unexpected workload spikes and enabled better prioritization.
Overall costs were saved as manual collection, checking, and reporting work decreased, and the number of errors fell. The largest savings came from time usage.