Hurvínek and the case of the vanishing paperwork

Audiences see the performance. But the biggest organizational performance often happens behind the curtain. Alongside rehearsals and shows, the Spejbl and Hurvínek Theatre also manages contracts, orders, budgets, approvals, and collaboration with external artists. And that’s where Tabidoo stepped into the spotlight.

The result? Less paperwork, faster communication, and processes that once took days now completed in minutes or hours. Most importantly, there’s more time for what the theatre is really about.

We feel like we’ve been using Tabidoo forever.

Mgr. Denisa Kirschnerová, Director of the Spejbl and Hurvínek Theatre

What audiences don’t see

Spejbl and Hurvínek have been part of Czech theatre for generations. Hurvínek has celebrated his 100th birthday, and with such a long history comes not only joy, but also responsibility: preserving tradition while running the theatre in a way that meets today’s needs. Because while audiences are watching the show, a completely different performance is taking place behind the scenes.

Rehearsals are scheduled, technical preparations are made, and the programme is coordinated – all while contracts, invoices, orders, and administration need to be handled. Add to that HR, copyright and licensing for productions, budgets for new shows, and collaboration with external artists and suppliers.

And the more things happening at once, the more important it is for everyone to know what’s happening, who needs to approve what, and where to find the right information. This is where the case of the vanishing paperwork begins.

When tradition meets the future

The theatre wanted to make internal communication faster and clearer. Instead of searching through long email threads, tracking down documents, or walking from office to office for signatures, they wanted a process where everyone could clearly see what was happening and who was responsible for the next step. One of the key areas was finance.

The original approval process for financial operations was slow and left room for errors. Management also needed an up-to-date overview of budgets. Contract records were scattered across several places, making it harder and more time-consuming to keep track of deadlines and obligations.

So the brief wasn’t simply “let’s find some software.” It was much more specific: let’s find a system that can adapt to the way the theatre actually works.

The theatre didn’t have to adapt to the system. The system adapted to the theatre.

When choosing a platform, it was important that it could accommodate the specific processes of a cultural institution while also enabling a strict yet user-friendly three-step approval process for financial operations. And that’s where Tabidoo entered the stage.

Instead of changing the theatre’s established ways of working, they were able to digitize their processes exactly as they already worked. In Tabidoo, they set up a three-step financial approval process and created one central place for managing orders and contracts.

First, the individual roles were defined: request → budget check → final approval by management. Then, order and contract management was added. Several separate steps became one central hub where the entire team can see and follow the whole process.

Three steps. One approval. No running from office to office.

This wasn’t just about moving paperwork onto a screen. Tabidoo started managing the process itself. Information about financial operations and contracts is available to the people who actually need it. Every expense goes through the defined approval process, giving management full control over the budget. Contract management also helps keep track of deadlines and links documents to the relevant financial operations.

And when something needs approval? There’s no need to track down the right person or wait for someone to notice an email. The system lets them know. Automated notifications keep the process moving, and approvals of orders and contracts that once took days now happen within minutes or hours.

The best system is the one that soon doesn’t feel new

The implementation itself was quick. But something else mattered even more: how quickly the theatre team embraced Tabidoo. No lengthy change of habits. No system everyone had to learn to adapt to. Quite the opposite.

The platform followed processes the team already knew, simply removing unnecessary steps along the way. According to the theatre, how easily the team adopted the system was one of the biggest surprises of the entire transformation.

And perhaps that’s why one of the best lines from this case study is so simple:

„We feel like we’ve been using Tabidoo forever.”

What disappeared behind the curtain?

No magic trick. Just a well-designed process.

• Faster communication. Information about contracts and financial operations goes directly to the people responsible.
• Control over finances. The three-step approval process helps verify every expense before it is approved.
• Contracts in order. Documents are stored in one place, linked to financial operations, and the system helps keep track of important deadlines.
• Minutes and hours instead of days. Automated notifications have significantly sped up the approval of orders and contracts.
• Dozens of admin hours saved. According to the theatre, that’s how much time is saved thanks to clearer contract management and its connection to financial operations.

And the biggest impact?

We could end with faster approvals, clearer communication, or dozens of hours saved. But Hurvínek would probably interrupt us before we got the chance.

“The biggest impact?! Do you really want to know? Well… it made it all the way to our stage!”

Because every hour the theatre team no longer has to spend searching for paperwork, digging through emails, or running from office to office can be spent somewhere else entirely. With the audience. On a new production. On stage. Or, as Hurvínek would put it:

“Less paperwork means more time for what really matters – our audience and creating great shows… starring me, of course!”

And what could disappear for you?

Maybe it’s not theatre contracts. Maybe it’s an Excel spreadsheet that outgrew itself long ago. An approval process buried in emails. Records that exist only in one person’s head. Or a business process you’ve never found the right software for.

You don’t have to adapt to an off-the-shelf app. Build your own. Describe in your own words what you need to track, manage, or automate in your business. Tabidoo AI will help you create a business app tailored to your process.

First, a sentence. Then, an app.