Even as most record keeping systems have become digital, there are still some collections of data that are being maintained on paper. We’ve seen plenty of cemeteries with all or some of their records on paper. Paying a third party to convert these to digital can be very costly. Luckily, with readily available software programs, you and your staff can complete the most time consuming tasks on your own time.
First let’s talk about why. If you’re successfully keeping your records in a paper format, you might wonder why you should bother digitizing them. Well, I’ve got four good ones for you.
Did I convince you? Great! The good news is you can start simply and on your own!
Transforming your burial and sales records from paper to digital does not have to be costly or complicated, though it may take some time. Even if your end goal is to find a paid solution, you can save money by getting started yourself and save thousands of dollars.
Where do I start, you ask? Well, with whatever you have available. Microsoft Excel or other database software will work very well for getting started. There are some important things to keep in mind as you start creating your digital database that will make data entry simpler, help you get the most out of the database now, and provide a smooth transition to an upgraded system if you choose to do so in the future. Let’s talk about these best practices.
You’re probably already doing this, but it’s too important to skip. The important thing you need to remember is that you want to be able to tie your maps to your data. That means every grave (or lot if that’s as detailed as your data gets) needs a unique ID. The thing to keep in mind is that it’s really important that that number is unique throughout your cemetery.
You and your staff may know that the section labeled PETUNIA is the same as PET is the same as P, but computers won’t (at least not easily). Your data will need to match your graves. The same goes for dates. You and I know Oct 1, 2010 is the same as 10/1/2010, but if you try sorting your data by date when it’s in a mixed format, you’ll run into problems.
This is one of those it’s good for now and good for the future tips. Keeping your burial records separate from your sales records will help you simplify your data entry while keeping exactly the data you need for each record type. In the future, it will help you take advantage of related records, where multiple burial records can be related to a single grave.
I know it’s tempting to lump things in together for simplicity’s sake in data entry, but remember, each record needs to find a home on the map (eventually). For instance when someone buys 2 graves, you’ll want to keep a separate entry for each grave. This is where we start running up against the limitations of using a simple database to represent something a little more complicated, but this is a pretty simple work around.
Speaking of being easier to combine, separate your data! For example, have a column for each of the following: First Name, Middle Name, Maiden Name, Last Name, Suffix. This helps you leverage the searching and filtering capabilities in your database software and keep data entry consistent - no wondering where the Maiden name should go.
How about a couple of bonus “What not to do’s”? Because there are built in sorting and searching functions, you do not need to worry about the order that you enter your data. If you need to make it alphabetical, you can do that with the click of a button. If you want to just see your graves in Section 1, you can do that with another click of the button. Let the software do the work for you!
So you can of course take all this knowledge and create (or update) your own file, but we’ve also got one you can download from our website here. There are instructions, and separate tabs for burials and sales. Our contact info is included so if you need any help, don’t hesitate to reach out! Get started with your digital transformation today!