Bringing Your Cemetery Into The 21st Century
If you are managing a cemetery property that does not yet utilize cemetery software, you don’t need to be told what an absolute nightmare daily operations can be if a file gets lost or misplaced. Or when you are out on the property and you find that you forgot a critical piece of information, so you’ve got to trudge all the way back to the office. Fortunately, there is a way to put an end to this madness! Cemetery software will not only help you organize your office, but it will assist you in look up records by names of deceased, lot locations, date of burial, lot owner, deed number, responsible parties and much more. There are numerous software packages on the market today. From the very basic to the most advanced. There are even packages available that will work on your PDA so you can have access to all of your records out in the field in the palm of your hand!
Various Cemetery Software Package Features
Search
There are software programs that will allow the general public to access quite a bit of your location’s information, freeing up you and your staff to handle more pressing issues. Some of the things the public can have access to:
- Find the location of a deceased person, but utilizing the search feature
- Determine the specific burial / memorial location of a loved one
- Zoom feature so that the public can view the cemetery from many different perspectives
- Cemetery Policies along with being able to access marketing materials
- Any sites of interest that may be in your cemetery
- A listing of the day’s funeral services
- A map of the cemetery
Electronic Memorial
Another feature of some software programs allows visitors to hear and see a loved one, either via a touch screen kiosk on site, or via the Internet. Friends and family can celebrate the deceased using Poems, Tributes, Photos, Memories of the deceased as well as a guest book function. Some even have a full multi-media set up for presentations with both audio and video.
Geographical Mapping
With this component of a cemetery software package, you’ll be able to map the entire cemetery, showing all relevant geographical information. You’ll also be able to show images associated with the site such as memorials, pictures and inscriptions. Integration of the database records with digital representation is also possible with geographical mapping. You’ll also have the ability to print a map of a specific burial or memorial location. No longer will you have to dig out maps of entire sectors of your property simply to find the lot you are looking for. You’ll find maintenance is a whole lot easier to plan for with this component as well.
Of course, the mapping program will also interface with the database program so you will be able to see a site along with the information on who the owner is and who is buried at which site – all right within the mapping segment of the program.
The mapping component will not only help in over all property management, but it will also help you with inventory management. Set up your property with different colors denoting vacant sites and you’ll know in an instant what’s available and where. This will also allow you to store permanent utility maps as well, so no more having to dig out old and antiquated maps in the office! Capacity planning is also a snap with this component of a cemetery program as well.
Cemetery Software Package Must Haves
While not all programs will have some of the top of the line features shown above, you will want to ensure any package that you buy has the ability to track:
Search – both in house and for the public
Burial Records
Transactions
Cremation and Memorial Records
Contracts – including Pre Need
Work Orders
Commissions
Trust and Care
Without question you life as a cemetery manager will be greatly enhanced when you are working with a quality cemetery software program. And to think if you have a program that provides you with the ability to have all your facilities data on your hand held device! You can handle sales and the overall operation from anywhere you have Internet service!