One of the biggest problems that colleges and hostel students sparred over was a massive communication chasm that existed - for seemingly trivial things - such as whether a student will be there for lunch or dinner, or if a toilet is out of order and needs fixing, or if the hostel has a new rule that they pasted on the notice board, which no one noticed. And this will continue to be a problem when COVID recedes and colleges reopen.
That's where this AI-driven platform is working to digitally bridge this gap and make sure students and hostel authorities are more or less on the same page.
Madhavi Shankar started SpaceBasic with her friend Indu Navar as they both wanted to start their own business. SpaceBasic works with universities, colleges and schools that have hostels and accommodation. They provide the software application to these institutions, then they get the students and staff on board. "Even things like mess management, leave application, announcements, attendance, anything you can think of at the hostels, all the tasks are taken care of by the SpaceBasic app," adds Madhavi.
With over 150,000 users across 50 Indian colleges, schools and universities currently, SpaceBasic was officially launched in 2017. Recently, they launched SpaceBasic.ai, an improved version of the app whose goal is to turn data into useful, valuable information where universities are also able to look at this data, reduce wastage, increase efficiency and reduce costs. "We have integrated with biometric systems, other devices and turn multiple checking points into one standalone system. Students can scan a single QR code and input that they will come for lunch or dinner that day - that way the institution knows how to manage the amount of food, salvage capacity and this can save around 15-20 per cent of the food wastage and costs," says Madhavi.
SpaceBasic makes all the communication and tasks digital so that educational institutions have more time to focus on more important things like the development and proper training of students. "Lodging a complaint has become much easier with the app. With it, the student can take a picture on his/her phone, adds the complaint, which then goes to the respective team and it follows a process that is completely automated. Instead of going to the warden, complaining about a leaking tap and then calling a plumber, which would waste a lot of time and energy, all of it is automated and digitised and thus more seamless," explains Madhavi, who hails from Bengaluru.
SpaceBasic was set up to do away with redundant and time-consuming management processes by automating daily repetitive tasks for educators, administrators and students in student housing communities and hostels. And now, the founders wish to expand their customer base among institutions in India and abroad. "We aim to acquire a million users by 2022. Although we don't know if that will be possible due to the pandemic situation," concludes Madhavi.
