Istekki and kood/Sisu organized their first hackathon together. The event led to the development of an innovative automation tool that solves a real business need.
Anni Sormunen, Solutions Architect and Product Owner of Istekki’s Form Service, presented the hackathon challenge. (Photo: Miika Keihänen)
Istekki, a company specializing in information, communication, and medical technology, partnered with kood/Sisu to organize its first hackathon. The challenge required participants to create a system that converts document forms into formats compatible with multiple platforms. The idea stemmed from a large document project for a client. Without modern technology, completing that project would have demanded extensive manual work.
“We realized this was a perfect opportunity to organize an event where kood/Sisu students could step into the shoes of software developers and tackle real-world challenges during their studies. This wasn’t a problem created just for the event, but a real societal-level issue,” explains Hanna Huuskonen, Leading Specialist at Istekki.
The hackathon gave students 24 hours to develop and present their solutions. Thirty coding school students formed teams of three. Organizers provided the challenge brief, resources, and presentation schedule at the start.
During the hackathon, students had about 24 hours to develop their best solution to the challenge. A total of 30 coding school students participated, forming teams of three. (Photo: Miika Keihänen)
Automation Saves Work Hours
Manual work often slows down processes in many industries. Technology can handle these tasks much faster. “If 800 documents were to be processed manually to fit various systems, it would take an estimated 3,500 work hours — that’s more than 480 workdays. With an automated tool, the time required is just a fraction of that,”, explains Anni Sormunen, Solutions Architect and Product Owner of Istekki’s Form Services.
SFS (Finnish Standards Association) is updating the national form standard. Istekki actively participates in this process.
“Even partial automation of form service processes makes experts’ work easier and faster. The forms must comply with accessibility laws and form standards, which means many important factors need to be considered,” adds Tarja Räsänen, Form Services Specialist at Istekki.
Sakari Kilpiö (left), Raigo Hoim, and Laura Lepistö developed the prototype that was selected as the winner of the event. (Photo: Miika Keihänen)
Winning Solution Stood Out for Its Functionality and Execution
At the end of the hackathon, student teams presented their solutions to a jury. The team of Sakari Kilpiö, Laura Levistö, and Raigo Hoim won with their prototype. It automated form conversion while meeting the required SFS standards. The jury praised the solution for its clear presentation and user-friendly interface.
“We planned ahead, thinking about possible challenges and solutions,” explain Laura Levistö and Sakari Kilpiö. “Our goal was to simplify the entire process. The prototype meets accessibility requirements, including compatibility with screen readers.”
“From the start, we knew the competition would be tough,” adds Raigo Hoim. “Other teams were strong, so hearing our team won was a real surprise.”
kood/Sisu plans to hold similar events in the future.
“Our students delivered real business value for Istekki by solving a challenge that reduces manual work and cuts costs through automation,” says Roosa Ritvanen, Growth Director at kood/Sisu. “It was amazing to see such creative solutions from the students within just one day. We’ll organize the next hackathon with partner companies at the end of the year.”
From the very first briefing to the final pitches, students worked hands-on with authentic business data, rapidly applying their skills to design, build, and present solutions. The level of creativity, professionalism, and technical quality impressed everyone involved.