Custom CRM to centralize and integrate services for an historic New England cemetery

A complete digital rebuild for an enduring Boston provider of death care services

Client

Boston-Area Cemetery Company

Services

Digital Product Design & Development

Industry

Death Care

Technologies

Node.js, ReactJS, WordPress, PHP, UX/UI Design, AWS, MySQL, RESTful APIs

Challenge

A venerable Boston funereal institution established in the late 19th century, our client sought to unify a set of disparate systems and documents (including physical historical records), and modernize their system.

This new integrated business system needed to be able to handle the inherent complexities of the industry, including:

▪️ the multidimensional nature of resting plot specifications and available space for the departed

▪️ carefully managed cemetery subdivisions catering to different demographics and religious traditions

▪️ the multi-varied nature of internment needs and logistical challenges of scheduling gravestone production, memorial services, and burials

all while maintaining an elegant and compassionate experience for grieving families in their most difficult time.

Solution

We worked with our client to digitize documentation and site maps, then designed and built a new custom CRM from the ground up, to handle both internal and client-facing processes.

Internal workflows:

▪️ processing and tracking of workflows through the entire lifecycle of each internment request and fulfillment

▪️ new internment request onboarding and workflow initiation

▪️ scheduling and tracking headstone creation, funeral ceremonies, burials

▪️ integrations with their main marketing website, ArcGIS interactive cemetery maps for plot/grave searching, and other internal business systems like QuickBooks, et al.

▪️ tablet-specific functionality for cemetery counselors to initiate or retrieve internment request details at any time

▪️ integration with mailing list services for followup and marketing of additional services

User interface for a management system. It includes various input fields for personal information such as name, address, phone number, and email, as well as sections for reminders, appointments, and notes. The interface has a clean design with a light color scheme and green accents, and features toggles for ‘Family View’ and ‘Person Type’ selection. There are also actions available for adding new entries and navigating through previous and next items in each section.

Impact

Our work helped this client convert tens of thousands of physical records into a searchable digital format, pulled their entire workflow into a unified central business platform, and set them up for future system growth with a scalable infrastructure + deployment pipelines.

Screenshot of a reminder management interface titled “REMINDER MANAGEMENT,” featuring options for adding new reminders, sorting by due date, assigned to, and reminder type. It also includes filters for date range, type, project, assigned to, and an option to include closed reminders. The interface has a clean design with a green “CLEAR FILTERS” button prominently displayed.
Screenshot of a digital interface displaying details of a resting place. It includes fields for tenant and co-owner information, grave status, and instructions for ridge size. There’s a section showing “Grave 1” assigned to an individual with dates of birth and death provided. Options to add notes, pictures, and documents are available, with no current pictures or documents added. The interface is organized and designed for managing resting place details.
Screenshot of a “Work Order Management” interface. It features a green “+ ADD NEW” button and sections for filtering work orders by date, priority, status, assigned personnel, and more. A table lists work order details such as description, comments, priority, status, type, and dates. Filters for including completed, on hold, or cancelled orders are also present.
A screenshot of a mailing list management interface with options for date selection, contact preference, and export format.

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