Category: references

Hakanen Finance helps companies find and apply for public funding, grants and other financing solutions. Vaula was first taken into use by Jari Hakanen for sales and account management. Hakanen Finance needed a more effective CRM environment that could carry over the existing sales data and connect to AI agents. The new system had to be up and running quickly.

The Vaula team migrated the old data, set up the integrations and the MCP connection, and went through how the system should be used in Hakanen Finance’s sales work. Nothing had to be built in-house.

The old data was migrated for them

The previous system held a substantial amount of customer and sales data that had to be moved into the new CRM in the right format. This covered both existing accounts and open leads and deals. Everything was transferred into Vaula so that sales could carry on from the same records.

The migration was carried out securely in Vaula’s own local environment. The data is processed and prepared there, so customer data never ends up with outside data processing services.

Hakanen Finance did not have to build import files or spend its own time handling the data.

Integrations and MCP set up at the same time

Alongside the migration we set up the necessary integrations and Vaula’s MCP connection.

Through MCP, an AI agent can access the data in Vaula and carry out tasks in the system on the user’s behalf. Hakanen Finance’s sales team can, for example, ask the agent to find a particular customer in Vaula, log a call and create a follow-up task without having to open the CRM at all.

We went through how to use it together

Beyond the technical setup, we went through with the customer what information gets recorded in the CRM, how leads and deals are handled, and where the integrations and AI actually add value.

The aim was for the system to become part of day-to-day sales work rather than a separate project.

“Switching CRM is not worth turning into an IT project of your own. We had existing data to migrate, and the Vaula team handled the migration, set up the integrations and MCP, and went through with us how the system should be used in our work. We were left with what matters, the customers and the sales.”

– Jari Hakanen, Hakanen Finance Oy

Getting started with Vaula

A company moving to Vaula can import the data itself using an import template or run the migration together with Vaula. Data migration is included in the annual licence. We can help with the data transfer, the integrations, the MCP connection, and with how to make Vaula part of your own sales work.

The Finnish Ski Association adopted Vaula CRM to support partnership sales. The decision was driven by a need to simplify the sales process and ensure that the organisation had a tool that supports sales work as straightforwardly as possible.

Traditional CRM solutions were seen as cumbersome, both in terms of usability and cost. The Finnish Ski Association wanted to avoid a situation where the system became an end in itself or slowed down the daily work of its salespeople.

Keeping the Focus on Customers

Herkko Mali, Sales Manager at the Finnish Ski Association, works with partnerships and customer discussions on a daily basis. Time should be spent on people, so the supporting system needs to be quick and easy to use.

“We wanted a lighter and more cost-effective solution. In our sales and customer work, our main focus is on people, and we want the system to support that. Vaula feels like it was built for salespeople. It is lightweight and straightforward to use.”

– Herkko Mali, Sales Manager

Why Did They Choose Vaula?

The decision was not based on a comparison of features. What mattered most was that Vaula immediately felt practical and ready to use. Implementing the system did not require a separate project or additional training, allowing the sales team to get straight to work.

The pricing was clear and easy to understand, with no need to purchase extensive packages or add-ons. Vaula was seen as a sensible option in a situation where other solutions were either too cumbersome or too expensive in relation to actual needs.

Its Finnish development and independent product background also inspired confidence. Vaula did not feel like a generic CRM, but rather a tool built specifically for sales work.

The Finnish Ski Association recommends Vaula CRM to organisations looking for an effective sales tool without cumbersome systems or high costs.