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Technology is revolutionising the way businesses are able to store, manage and analyse information, enabling more efficient, streamlined and customer-friendly offerings to emerge. Whilst cemeteries may not spring to mind when you first think of digital transformation projects, there are plenty of opportunities for growth and business optimisation through the adoption of smart technology. A good place to start is with record management.

Cemeteries have been an integral part of society since the first Public Health Act of 1848 and it is fair to say much about the way we pass through life has changed since then. Cemeteries have historically recorded the details of those buried by hand in paper files which are then stored away, brought out only to satisfy a customer enquiry or to fact check certain information. These delicate documents are at constant risk of damage from fires and floods, or simply through frequent use. What is clear is that the old way of handling records is no longer fit for purpose, and there are much more effective and efficient ways to not only keep this important information safe and accessible, but actually utilise it to help create better plans for the future of the business.

If you are new to the world of record management solutions, here are four ways in which cemeteries can benefit from this exciting technology.

1. Protect fragile documents

Digitising your records provides a host of benefits for customers, employees and stakeholders alike; it ensures that the information is protected from overuse, accidents or natural disasters and enables key data to be accessed instantly at the click of a button. In addition to protecting fragile documents by immortalising them in digital form, this approach can also provide lucrative opportunities for cemeteries to increase their income through the printing of entries or the supply of digital copies.

2. Remain compliant

Managing a small, but busy cemetery operation can come with a number of challenges, but statutory compliance needn’t be one of them. Record management solutions enable all of the necessary information to be readily available as and when required, without needing to pull valuable resources away from other tasks. Record management solutions help you to keep on top of burial and memorial locations, rights of Interment/Burial Right, deceased persons, exhumations, plus other relevant documents or images, storing all of the data securely in the cloud within your country of residence.

3. Enhance public searches

Records management systems enable the public to easily search for information on a deceased person, without needing to take up additional resources to assist them. Records can be made available via a shared on-site device or via the cemetery website for even greater reach. Record management systems which include mapping take this one step further by providing a visual aid to showcase graves, mausolea and ash placements, without having to incur expensive surveying costs. This not only frees up internal resources as the public can conduct searches independently, but helps to attract new interest from those who may be interested in genealogy or local history.

4. Track your inventory status

Understanding what capacity you have at any given moment is vital to optimising any business operation and cemeteries are no exception. Record management solutions enable managers to quickly obtain information regarding current inventory, including reserved and sold plots. Once recorded, this information can be automatically updated, and when combined with mapping, can provide a visual resource which not only shows current availability, but provides a valuable navigation asset for customers too.

Adopting the right technology to help improve the management of your cemetery and the customer experience is not just a nicety, it’s a necessity. Customers are increasingly demanding tech-led experiences and cemeteries need to move quickly to ensure that they are able to respond to the needs of all stakeholders.  Record management and mapping solutions are often thought to be costly, but there are a number of solutions, including RecordKeepr (formerly byondpro Community Edition), which can provide instant benefits, at an extremely affordable price.

Find out more at Cemetery Records Software – RecordKeepr Cemetery Mapping (opusxenta.com)

*Commercial news content is written and provided by the supplier. The publishing of this piece does not imply endorsement or recommendation by SLCC for goods or services*