- When you sign up for "Yes Cheese! Photo" at the same time, you can use the "Yes Cheese! System" that streamlines the work of childcare workers, free of charge (*1).
- The "Yes, Cheese! Photo" is a system that allows parents to purchase photos taken at the preschool via the Internet.
- There are more than 30 functions available. The "Yes Cheese! System."
The award will be presented to a wide range of products and services that support childcare with IT,BabyTech® Award JapanThe winner of the 2021 Excellence Award in the Childcare ICT category was the "SaaS-type comprehensive childcare tech service including 'Yes Cheese! SaaS-type comprehensive childcare tech service" in the Childcare ICT category in 2021. This service can be implemented simultaneously with the photo sales service for childcare facilities, "Hai Cheese! Photo," a photo sales service for childcare facilities, and the "HI Cheese's System," a support tool for childcare operations such as attendance management and parental notification, are provided free of charge (*)! System," a support tool for childcare operations such as attendance management and parental notification, etc., when introduced at the same time as the "Hi-Cheese! (*2) We spoke with Miho Nishimura of Sen Corporation, which operates the service, about the content of the application, how the service was launched, and their vision for the future.
(*1) Application is subject to conditions.
(*2) Even if you do not have a contract for photo sales service, you can use only the "Yes Cheese! System" only, even if you do not have a contract for photo sales service. (*2) Even if you do not have a contract for photo sales service, you can use only the "Yes Cheese!
(We spoke to...)
Thousand Corporation
Yes Cheese! Business Division Sales Department
Miho Nishimura
More than 30 business support functions are available free of charge in the "Yes Cheese! System."
Editorial:I look forward to working with you today. First of all, could you give us an overview of the "Yes Cheese! System" service?
Nishimura:Thank you very much for your cooperation. Yes, cheese! System" is, in a word, a tool to improve the efficiency of the circle's operations. It is something that can greatly reduce the burden on childcare workers to manage attendance and contact parents through the use of IT.
What makes it unique is that it offers its services free of charge. At Sen Corporation, in addition to the "Yes Cheese! System" as well as "Yes Cheese! Photo," a service for selling photos over the Internet. Its subscribers can use the "Yes Cheese! System" free of charge.
Editorial:The fact that it is free is amazing! In general, these systems are expensive, so many preschools may use subsidies to install them.
Nishimura:Yes, it is. We often receive comments such as, "Are you sure you can afford zero yen?" However, our photo service has the largest market share in the industry, and we have established a solid business foundation there, which is why we are able to provide our services in the way we do today.
Editorial:I see, at the BabyTech® Award Japan 2021, the judges commented that it was wonderful that so many different childcare support tools were available free of charge.
Nishimura:When people try to install a system, they often find that subsidies are discontinued in some municipalities, or that they are held back by the cost of the system. We started this service with the hope that we could solve these regional differences and budget problems by offering the service free of charge. In fact, we have had many cases where our "Yes Cheese! system, more than 90% of the teachers we have talked to have realized the benefits of the system, saying that it has led to a reduction in their work hours.
Editorial:I have an image of hard work for nursery school and kindergarten nursery school teachers, but are they still very busy?
Nishimura:The work of a childcare worker is more demanding than we can imagine. For example, they have to manage children's attendance at school, contact parents, keep records of children's nap and sleep, make annual teaching plans, keep a daycare log, and perform many other tasks in their spare time. However, it is difficult to make time for these tasks during work hours, and we hear that some of them are done at home. And since most of the paperwork is handwritten, it takes even more time to complete.
Editorial:It seems to be difficult to write almost all of the documents by hand. Mistakes may occur due to the analog nature of the writing process.
Nishimura:In fact, many people give up full-time employment and become part-time childcare workers because they do not have the time to devote to this type of work.
Editorial:How does the "Yes Cheese! System" how does it support the work of childcare workers?
Nishimura:More than 30 different functions are available to simplify documentation and communication tasks. The system can manage preschool attendance at the touch of a button, and a daily logbook can be created by simply typing in the necessary information. As a result, the amount of time spent on paperwork has been greatly reduced.
Editorial:That is very convenient. Please tell us about the response from the childcare providers.
Nishimura:We have received many comments that "the amount of time spent on paperwork has been greatly reduced, allowing me to spend more time with my children. We also hear that "it has become easier for staff members to take time for meetings.
Editorial:You have reduced the amount of paperwork involved, making it easier to focus on your core business. Can you tell us about your photo sales service, "Yes Cheese! Photo," a photo sales service?
Nishimura:This service allows parents to purchase photos of their children spending time at the preschool over the Internet. There are two types of photography plans: "Dispatch Photographer Plan" in which a photographer takes pictures, and "Teacher Photography Plan" in which a teacher takes pictures. The photos taken can be viewed and purchased on the Internet. The security of the photo data is also very secure, and we provide support in case of any problems regarding photography and sales.
Editorial:This is a great service for parents who are concerned about their children's growth!
Nishimura:We have received many favorable comments from many people because of the expressions and smiles that they do not show at home, or rather, because they are with their teachers and friends.
Carefully select "truly necessary" functions by comparing them with business operations.
Editorial:Photo and "Yes, Cheese! Photo" and "Yes Cheese! System"?
Nishimura:The representative of the company, who founded the company with the desire to "make the world a better place through IT," became interested in the childcare industry when he heard from an acquaintance that it is difficult to get a seat at a nursery school event. In fact, when we asked him what the difficulties were, he told us that in order to get good seats, people had to line up in front of the preschool from 5:00 in the morning. From there, we came up with the idea of sending a photographer to take pictures on behalf of the parents and sell them online.
Editorial:That experience leads to "Yes Cheese! Photo".
Nishimura:That's right. At first, we struggled to find a photographer, but we sought advice from people around us and business owners we knew and created the service we offer today.
Editorial:What do you think about the "yes cheese! What do you think about the "Yes Cheese!
Nishimura:Through the "Yes Cheese! As we began to interact with many preschools through the "photo" service, we began to learn more and more about the difficulties faced by childcare workers. The photo service makes parents happy, but it does not alleviate the burden on the childcare workers who actually deal with childcare. This was the starting point for the development of our business support service.
Editorial:So that's how it happened. What were some of the important points in the development process?
Nishimura:Our service is designed to provide comprehensive support for preschool operations and to be easy to use. Many similar systems specialize in only a few functions, such as "preschool attendance management" or "daily logbook creation," but our service provides a variety of functions to support the entire operations of the preschool. In addition, the "Yes Cheese! System" is designed to be like a colorful application that can be operated intuitively on a smartphone or tablet, avoiding the systematic use of a computer, taking into consideration the situation of the childcare workers.
Another detail, but one that is also important to note, is that for operators managing multiple childcare facilities, we do not create passwords or login IDs for each facility, but rather allow access to all managed facilities in one place at once.
Editorial:Because it is something that is used every day, such attention to detail makes the user happy!
Nishimura:We are always listening and gathering information about the addition of new functions through the connections between our sales staff and childcare workers and through the inquiry form in the system. In this process, we are careful not to get caught up in superficial requests such as "I need this" or "I need that," but rather to clearly understand the nature of the business and ask ourselves, "Will this function really solve the fundamental problem? We try to clarify this question after understanding the nature of the work before proceeding.
Editorial:By examining the business process in conjunction with the business process, we can release functions that are truly useful.
Aiming for even easier-to-use services
Editorial: Could you tell us why you applied for the BabyTech® Award Japan 2021?
Nishimura:Yes Cheese." I have known about BabyTech and the awards since the "photo" days, but I thought our services were not covered. But in September 2021, we launched the "Yes Cheese! System" was launched in September 2021, and I thought, "I can apply for this! so I applied.
Editorial:You won the grand prize, but have there been any changes since you won the award?
Nishimura:We have begun to receive comments from visitors to our website, such as "I see you have won awards," and when we participated in the Childcare Expo, some visitors stopped to take a look at our website. We feel that our services have become more attractive to more people, and our credibility as a third-party evaluation organization has increased.
Editorial:Thank you very much. Finally, can you tell us about your vision for the future?
Nishimura:Currently, "Yes Cheese! Photo" and "Yes Cheese! System" are separate services, but we are considering the possibility of unifying these services to make them more user-friendly. Also, as a sales person, I would like more people to use our services.
We hope to provide more opportunities for preschools that are not sure whether to introduce a system or not to learn about the appeal of both services.
Editorial:I hope that you will continue to provide good service for everyone - childcare providers, parents, and children. Thank you very much for your time today!
After the interview
After listening to the stories, I realized the difficulty of childcare workers' work and the "Yes Cheese! System" and the difficulties childcare workers face in their work. I also share the desire behind this service to "improve the childcare industry with the power of IT. I think the idea of IT to reduce the burden on those in need so that they can focus on what is truly important is also the foundation of BabyTech. I hope that you will continue to energize the childcare industry with the power of IT!
The "Yes Cheese! System" Official Website
https://hoiku-ict.com/
(ENDS)
Interviewing and writing:Misako Tateoka
From an IT company, she switched careers to the editing and publishing industry. Currently, I work as a freelance editor and writer, editing and writing in a wide range of fields such as travel, gourmet, and social.
What is important is "to convey valuable information to readers in an interesting and easy-to-understand manner.
He has been involved in the production of numerous magazines, including TRANSIT, FRaU, and Metro Minute.
BabyTech is always stimulated by all the services and products that I wish I had when I was a child! I am always inspired by the things I encounter at BabyTech. My hobbies are traveling, cooking, and aikido.
