Months ago, pre-pandemic, when crowds were still gathering, I was invited to be a keynote speaker at a funeral service conference. I taped my speech ahead of time, and when I stepped up to the stage, I ran the video instead of speaking in person. WHY would he do that? many attendees, perhaps rightfully, wondered. My point was that the digital world...

When we think of cemetery maps, the first thing that usually comes to mind is a small printed map given to visitors, helping them navigate their way to a service, monument, or burial site. While pocket maps are helpful, digital cemetery mapping as part of a robust cemetery software solution is becoming an indispensable tool that delivers business b...

Cemeteries are focused on the past by their very nature. But what will the cemeteries of the future look like? How will we be honoring and remembering the dead in 10, 20, and 50 years? Just as the traditions and rituals around death change, so will the places where we lay the dead to rest. Cemetery mapping software has unlocked a world of opportuni...

Cemetery mapping is a favorite phrase these days – but what does it mean for you and your business? There is no doubt that having a digitally mapped cemetery will help your business manage inventory and provide much-needed guidance to visitors, but where do you start when considering how to make a cemetery plot map? Moreover, what is the most pract...

Many cemetery managers know that it's time to upgrade to modern cemetery mapping software. While some are looking to digitize their paper-based records, burial ledgers, and spreadsheets, others are looking to transform productivity and efficiencies. So, where should you begin as you search for new cemetery software? The OpusXenta team has been work...

Remember paper road maps and atlases? Thankfully, with GPS and other technological advancements, we don't have to rely on such rudimentary way-finding tools anymore. And just like navigating roads and highways have changed, so, too, have the tools used by funeral homes and cemeteries to map and locate current plots and landmarks and plan future dev...

There are many ways technology can assist cemeteries and crematoria to streamline business processes, preserve history, meet compliance, and mitigate risk. All businesses face risks, and the death care profession is no different. However, in this profession, compliance and regulations are dictated in each state and territory regardin...

Just as the traditions and rituals of death care have evolved over time, so have our ways of keeping cemetery records: from handwritten notes and maps, to Excel spreadsheets, through to comprehensive cemetery management software. These newest options have brought with them new opportunities, and notably – the chance to move far beyond simple record...

It's believed that dirty data, or bad data, costs the US economy a staggering $3.1 trillion every year, according to an IBM survey. Dirty data is no small problem – and unfortunately, the death care industry is not immune to its effects. If you're using digital cemetery software, funeral arrangement software, or marketing automation software of any...

In business, it's easy, and certainly comfortable, to maintain the status quo. But when you take a long hard look at our industry—or really any industry—you realize that change is a constant. Disruption is a given. And uncertainty is certain. But despite all the challenges coming our way in the death care industry—there is great opportunity. If we ...

If you are a cemetery, crematorium, or funeral home, records management is an essential function of daily business. In addition to accessing critical financial and regulatory records, maintaining up-to-date information on your customers, their families, and their relationships has real business impact.Does your current records management software s...

 "Who moved that information?" "Where did you find that number?" "Which version did we work on last?!" These can be universal phrases in an organization that has information silos. Inventory, bookings, customer relationships, mapping and marketing – perhaps they're all managed in different systems right now. Some records may even be paper-base...

Unhealthy Fears About Death and Technology The funeral home industry is no stranger to myths and rumors that perpetuate our collective fear of the unknown. Often the death care industry falls prey to superstitious beliefs or campy depictions that just aren't true.  Those of us working in the funeral and cemetery business take these presumption...

For many, the opportunity to work from home used to be an elusive dream. In the face of the global pandemic that is COVID-19, when so many of us are now forced to work from home, the reality of trying to 'get things done' whilst working remotely from our work colleagues and meeting rooms is perhaps more challenging than we may have envisioned....

Anzac Day 2020 is unlike previous years, in that we will not be able to join in the dawn services and community events that usually mark the day of remembrance. With respect to those soldiers fallen, we present a piece noting a Victorian Cemetery's community Anzac Day preparation in 2019. Remembering All Fallen Soldiers ANZAC Day 2019 and the groun...

Do you ever find yourself wishing you had remembered to acknowledge a special day or milestone, but the moment passed before you could arrange to get an email or correspondence written, designed, and sent out in time?  Juggling the many anniversaries, holidays, key moments, and business events one at a time can create an endless cycle of hurry...

The cemetery and crematoria business have seen rapid change in the last decade, and changes will continue. Customer expectations are different, a much more personalized service is expected, and there are no more 'rules' when dealing with a death. Cremations are increasing, putting pressure on cemeteries to increase revenue with reduced burials. Mem...

Cremation numbers are rising and have been since the 1960s in most of the United States. Below we will look at the reasons for this and the trends that are impacting the cemetery, crematoria and funeral home industries today, and into the future. The growing popularity of cremations has seen revenue fall for many cemeteries which are now struggling...

Recent changes brought about by social shifts are predominantly driven through the way in which the millennials or more broadly Gen X/Y/Z view and engage with the world around them.Cemeteries and funeral homes (and the broader death care industry) will be substantially impacted by these changes and so need to prepare their busin...

Established in 1905, Carr Villa Memorial Park (CV) is the main cemetery servicing the Launceston area in Tasmania. With the addition of an on-site crematorium, the first cremation took place in 1939; CV now facilitates a variety of burial offerings. From a lawn cemetery and a monumental cemetery to a limited monumental section, as well as various a...