Storypark and Xap join forces to create new CCMS platform, ‘Storypark Manage’

Storypark and Xap Technologies have formed a partnership in an innovative new deal that will see the two companies pool their expertise and experience to create a new child care management software (CCMS) system called ‘Storypark Manage.’ 

The platform, which has now been launched, marks the first time Storypark has extended its service offering into the administrative and management side of the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector, and has been configured to ensure a seamless integration with their existing family engagement, pedagogical practice and professional development platform. 

Commenting on the news, Storypark Co-CEO Peter Dixon said “Bringing these platforms together is an incredibly exciting development for us, our customers and the broader ECEC community. 

The depth of Storypark’s functionality combined with the advanced technology and automations in Xap will maximise outcomes not just for families and children, but also for owners, staff and organisations.”

“We are thrilled to announce this partnership and look forward very much to extending our purpose-driven contribution to ECEC in Australia in a new and innovative way. There’s been a lot of change this year so we’re happy to bring a solution that helps to mitigate change for ECEC organisations and families.”

Xap 2.0’s next generation platform makes it the ideal partner for Storypark 

Xap 2.0, which is the latest iteration of the KidsXap all in one childcare software platform, was formally launched in August 2020 with a range of new innovations set in an intuitive and easy to navigate CCMS management system which will be available to Storypark Manage users. 

Features of note include a suite of over 65 administrative tasks that service managers can automate or semi automate thus saving substantial amounts of time, a built in occupancy optimiser that uses predictive modelling to identify opportunities for service managers to target families with discounts and incentives to take up enrolments on quieter days, and a fully integrated CRM engine that has been created after many months of customer consultation. 

Ruchir Parekh, Xap CEO, said the Xap team are working hard to keep abreast of developments in business intelligence, predictive technologies and automation, all of which he believes are the future for software platforms, and which have the capacity to make operating an ECEC service “easier and more productive.” 

‘Storypark Manage’ to be fully integrated with Storypark 

The new partnership will see Storypark Manage integrated with Storypark’s education platform, providing service managers a streamlined process and offer families a single point of entry for both administrative and child-related engagement. 

Specifically, child, guardian and room details entered into or managed through Storypark Manage will automatically populate and update child and room information in Storypark

From a family’s perspective the existing Storypark for Families app will provide access to features in Storypark Manage, so parents/guardians will only need one app to access the information about their child across both platforms.  

“By bringing Storypark and Xap together we are not just making life easier for administrators and families and giving them an edge in a very competitive market, but we are also creating new possibilities to support children’s transition to ECEC by giving families the ability to document what’s important for their child before they actually start, so educators can be better prepared on the child’s first day,” Mr Dixon said. 

New platform to be configured with both small and large operators in mind

Given Storypark’s extensive customer base across different settings and governance types in Australian ECEC, the partnership has been carefully configured to ensure that functionality and features are available to all providers.  

For larger providers with multiple sites, the system will provide an enhanced capability to track multiple centres’ performance at any one time using the built in business intelligence functionality of the system on a simple and intuitive dashboard, and APIs that integrate with existing systems,giving operators data insights and more visibility on day-to-day operations.  

It will also give operators the ability to customise how they approach the management of their services and experience they create for families, according to their own philosophies, practices and culture. 

“The recent changes and confusion within the CCMS provider space has meant a lot of early learning organisations are having to reevaluate their options.” Mr Dixon said, “Storypark Manage is a powerful technology solution that gives them the tools to manage their service, their way.”

Lady Gowrie Queensland, Mr Dixon noted, are one of the first of a growing number of services who are adopting Storypark Manage.

“It’s great that an organisation who prioritises quality practice, family experience, reliability and integrity in relationships is one of our early adopters,” Mr Dixon said, “because this is exactly what we’re working to offer in Storypark Manage.”

For more information on Storypark Manage please click here.