Over the past few years, New Zealand has increasingly become a hub for innovative companies making significant strides across industries and entire economic sectors.
Among those making the biggest splash across the ditch in Australia are Core Schedule in the healthtech arena and Banqer in the edtech space.
These companies have not only revolutionised their respective fields within New Zealand but have also expanded their reach to Australia, addressing critical issues in healthcare and education.
Healthcare rostering revolution
Core Schedule, founded by New Zealand physician Stephen C. Pool, is a groundbreaking platform designed to streamline healthcare rostering.
The platform’s mission is simple yet profound.
“At Core Schedule, we believe in the power of having the right people, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time. It’s not just about rostering; it’s about optimising healthcare delivery to ensure every patient receives the care they deserve,” says Pool.
The urgent need for the platform became evident during the COVID pandemic, as traditional scheduling methods proved inadequate to meet the crushing demands of healthcare staffing.
Core Schedule’s solution was comprehensive, addressing intricate scheduling requirements across various units, including the Emergency Department at Royal Adelaide Hospital.
The platform’s success in managing the hospital’s COVID response unit, which required scheduling for approximately 600 full-time equivalents (FTEs) within a tight timeframe, highlighted its adaptability and efficiency.
“Every minute saved on rostering is a minute gained in caring for patients and saving lives,” says Pool, who created Core Schedule while working in New York City.
Core Schedule’s advanced scheduling and workforce management solutions offer numerous benefits to healthcare professionals and patients alike, including improved work-life balance, shift swapping and easy time-off requests reduce burnout and reduced administrative burden for hospital staff.
The benefits for patients include consistent care and enhanced quality of care and a reduction in medical errors.
Core Schedule also addresses compliance regulations and staffing challenges through key features such as safety scans, audit trails, and customisable scheduling rules.
“Our platform navigates the complexities of compliance regulations, shift rotations, and optimal staffing levels. Its comprehensive approach fosters efficiency, reduces errors, and enhances patient satisfaction,” says Pool.
Transforming financial literacy education
In the education sector, meanwhile, Banqer has emerged as a leading force in financial literacy education.
Co-founded by Kendall Flutey, Banqer was inspired to expand into the Australian market thanks to the vexed issue of financial illiteracy.
“Financial illiteracy is a global problem, with numerous reports showing concern regarding Australians’ financial literacy,” says Flutey.
“We believe that our innovative approach to financial education can help address this issue.”
Banqer’s platform offers a “financial playground” for students, providing real-world simulations that cover essential financial concepts.
“Through real-world simulations, such as opening mock bank accounts, earning fictitious wages, paying expenses, enrolling in superannuation, managing risk with insurance, and investing, students gain hands-on experience with financial concepts, building financial capability and growing future financial wellbeing,” Flutey says.
Adapting the platform to meet Australian needs presented challenges, such as aligning with local tax brackets, superannuation systems, and language differences.
“Firstly, we had to ensure our platform was relevant to the Australian context. For example, in New Zealand, renting as a young adult is called ‘flatting’, which we quickly found out doesn’t mean anything to Australians,” says Flutey.
“We also aligned Banqer High with the National Curriculum and various state curricula, covering a broader range of learning outcomes.”
Despite these challenges, Banqer’s impact has been significant, reaching over 125,000 students across all six Australian states since launching its primary school platform in 2019 and its secondary school platform in 2020.
“We’ve observed material improvements in financial literacy and capability among students who use our platform,” Flutey says.
“What’s exciting is that many students have reported taking real-life financial actions as a result of their learning.”
Future innovation and growth
Both Core Schedule and Banqer have ambitious plans for further innovation and growth in the Australian market.
Core Schedule is focused on integrating the latest AI technologies to assist with roster generation and workforce optimisation.
“We are working on integrating the latest AI technologies to assist with roster generation, teaching allocation assignments, and workforce optimization,” says Jasmin Kelly, Core Schedule’s vice president of sales and marketing.
The company aims to enhance its product offerings and form strategic partnerships to increase visibility and credibility within the Australian market.
“Our expansion strategy focuses on enhancing our product offerings, forging strategic partnerships, and ensuring top-notch customer support to meet the unique needs of the Australian market,” Kelly says.
Meanwhile, Banqer is innovating with the release of a new version of Banqer High for senior secondary school students.
This version is designed for use in pastoral care programs, preparing students for the financial world after school.
“Students encounter a range of financial scenarios, including renting and furnishing a house, managing living costs, buying a car, and understanding the link between wellbeing and financial decisions,” Flutey says.
To learn more, please visit New Zealand Tech Story.