A day care centre within a short walk

Aiko is a care manager in Tokyo. She arranges care for thirty elderly clients who live at home in Setagaya. When a family asks for a day care centre, she phones round for a week. The ones with places are too far for frail legs, and the near ones are full or badly reviewed. Meanwhile the family is worn out, and so is she. With xMap Flows, Aiko built Hawk. Whenever she adds a new client, Hawk draws a fifteen-minute walk from their home, finds the day care centres inside it, keeps the ones rated four or more, picks the best five, and emails the family a shortlist that evening. Last week, a new client's daughter asked on Tuesday morning. By evening she had five centres, all within a short walk, all rated above four. Her father started on Friday. Aiko now spends that week with her clients, not on the phone. Aiko used to search for care. Now she has time to give it.

The story in words