Mitigate Deathcare Risks Through Software

What does risk look like for cemetery, crematory or funeral home operators, what are the potential impacts, and what can we do to avoid them?

We explore these questions in our downloadable eBook, but at the risk of spoiling the ending, let’s take a quick look at some of the most common ones:

1. Space

Space, (somewhat inevitably), is one of the biggest risks faced by cemeteries.

Where opportunities for expansion are limited and land availability a challenge - how can cemeteries mitigate risk and remain sustainable?

A good place to start is ensuring that you know exactly what you have, where you have it, and the rate at which you are running out of it. 

A lack of visibility of your data may seriously limit your ability to effectively manage your inventory and maximize the space that you have. Up-to-date, interrogable information, linked to ‘true’ digital cemetery maps is key to helping you forecast accurately and plan for the future.

2. Legacy systems

Consider the wealth of information that you hold. What would happen if that was to be lost - either to time, or an unforeseen event such as water or fire damage?

Think also about how long it takes to pore over that information to find what you need. How does that impact both your time and that of your customers?

Older, disjointed systems - even those that aren’t paper-based - often mean that data comes from various sources, running the risk of conflicting information, and the increased chance of errors.

Consider then, how you could benefit from a single cemetery records management system, with linked data, updated in real time, backed up and accessible by everyone in your organisation. Feels like a no-brainer, right?

3. Unsupported software

And while we’re talking about backed up information - did you know that running old, unsupported software not only poses risks in terms of data security, but can also limit your future growth? When the time comes to upgrade your hardware, you may simply not be able to run your old software on it, costing you valuable time and money. 

Not only this, but software crashes can have a massive impact on your daily operations - without access to data, you’re running blind - increasing the chance of mistakes, slowing productivity and increasingly the likelihood of unsatisfied customers.

Learn more about the risks of running unsupported software.

These are just some of the risks that can be mitigated by using cloud-based cemetery management software and switching to a technology partner who operates a Software as a Service model.

4. Safety

Cemetery spaces pose a number of health and safety risks to both staff and the general public. Hazards such as toppled or unsecure monuments, overgrown flora, downed trees or overhanging limbs and cracked paths, to name just a few, can pose very real and literal risks to individual safety, and if overlooked or missed, may even expose deathcare providers to legal action (more of which in a moment).

It’s therefore imperative that you have everything you need to ensure that the physical space in which you occupy is as safe as possible. That means carrying out regular safety checks, risk assessments and keeping on top of your memorials management.

Do your teams have everything they need to mitigate risk? Do you have the right processes, procedures and workflows in place to ensure tasks are completed efficiently and in good time?

5. Litigation

Double sold plots, mislocated burials, wrong graves opened for burial, and installing a marker or monument at the wrong grave are just some of the many risks that can lead to the real possibility of litigation.

There have been numerous reports of families visiting the wrong graves for years - even decades - causing untold grief and distress, but also potentially millions in lawsuits for the cemetery operator.

It’s imperative therefore that records are accurate, and matched exactly to the plot locations on cemetery maps. This can be a challenge with records and maps stretching back many years, and information pulled from a number of different sources.

It’s clear, then, that deathcare providers can mitigate these risks by having a cemetery software management system that provides them with ‘a single source of truth’ - one which gives clear visibility of data and inventory, as well as confidence in the accuracy of the information they hold - allowing them to get ahead of any potential issues.

Risk Assessment

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