Croatian Kennel Club (HKS)
Digitizing 30 years of cynological records into one unified, reliable platform.
100%
Operational requirements digitalized
600,000+
records successfully migrated and structured
2×
more requests processed monthly
ABOUT
Carrying a century of institutional work into a digital future
The Croatian Kennel Club (HKS) is the only organization representing the Republic of Croatia within the International Cynological Federation (FCI). It operates as a non-profit national authority responsible for pedigree records, breeder oversight, dog ancestry verification, issuing certificates, and compliance with international breeding standards.
Historically, this ecosystem relied on paper trails, spreadsheets, and a legacy application that had not been updated for over two decades. Data existed, but in inconsistent formats, across local copies, without validation, backups, or a unified system of record.
The challenge was to translate this institutional reality into a digital system that supports dozens of unique administrative processes while migrating and cleaning over 30 years of historical data from legacy systems into a modern, maintainable platform.
ObJECTIVE
Modernizing nationwide member and registry operations at scale
The objective was to modernize the Croatian Kennel Club’s operations by introducing a digital platform that serves both administrative staff and thousands of members nationwide. Before this project, most interactions depended on emails, paper forms, and manual cross-checks.
Our main goal was to migrate more than 30 years of legacy data into a structured, searchable system while preserving the institutional knowledge embedded in existing processes. The new platform needed to make complex procedures easier to manage, give members direct control over submissions, and significantly reduce repetitive administrative work within disconnected systems.
CHALLENGE
Building a custom system where no off-the-shelf solution could work
For decades, there was no single system of record and no consistent backup strategy. Critical data existed across disconnected files, local copies, and aging hardware, making long-term reliability increasingly fragile.
The legacy system stored data in obsolete formats that modern software could not read, and over time, a growing number of workarounds emerged. On top of this, digitalization itself was a cultural shift. Technology was not HKS’s core business, and many processes relied on experience and verbal agreements rather than formalized rules.
Any modernization effort had to address technology and data integrity, but most of all: human adoption, all without disrupting daily operations or risking the loss of historically important records.
FROM OUR EXPERT
The responsibilities that HKS has are unique in Croatia, so we all needed to learn a lot.
HKS helped us learn a lot about the world of dog breeding, its rules, and exceptions. And we helped them see the opportunities in digitalisation.
Domagoj Blažević
Project Manager
SOLUTION
From paper-based administration to a modern, trusted digital system
The solution focused on two parallel tracks: supporting HKS’s highly specific administrative workflows and safely migrating over 30 years of historical data from a deeply outdated system.
Process-driven platform design
The system was modeled around custom submission, review, and approval flows, turning previously manual and email-based procedures into clear, structured digital workflows used daily by members and administrators.
Member and administrator portals
Dedicated portals replaced emails, spreadsheets, and physical submissions, allowing members, breeders, and clubs to independently submit requests while administrators review and process them in one place.
Legacy data migration and cleanup
Hundreds of thousands of records were extracted from obsolete formats, cleaned, normalized, and migrated into a modern data model, resolving decades of undocumented workarounds.
Custom workflows and reporting
More than 45 request types were implemented with automated logic, validation, and reporting, removing duplicate data entry and significantly reducing administrative load.
This approach turned a fragmented, manual system into a reliable digital backbone that supports both daily operations and long-term growth, with absolutely no downtime during the implementation.
FROM OUR CLIENT
We would definitely recommend them to organizations that require tailor-made software solutions and a long-term development partner.
Thespian proved to be a reliable partner capable of handling complex, custom-built solutions, offering structured project management, clear communication, and strong technical expertise.
Bojan Mataković
Secretary of HKS
RESULT
A modern system that finally matches the scale of HKS’s mission
The new platform delivered immediate, concrete improvements across HKS’s core operations, transforming how data, members, and requests are handled nationwide.
Minimum-to-full digital transformation
What previously relied on paper, emails, and legacy apps is now handled end-to-end within one system, covering all operational requirements for the first time.
Data integrity restored at scale
Hundreds of thousands of legacy records were migrated and validated, turning fragmented historical data into a trustworthy, interconnected source of truth.
More output with the same team
By enabling self-service access for members and automating approvals, HKS doubled request throughput while reducing administrative pressure on staff.
Today, HKS operates with greater autonomy, clearer oversight, and a digital system built to support its work for decades to come.
