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If you are considering the possibility of dispensing with your traditional Excel spreadsheet to incorporate a piece of software for funeral homes, the first thing you should know is that you have made a great decision. Implementing a funeral home management programme, or at least a bookkeeping software, will bring you many benefits. Here are some tips on how to choose the right software for your funeral home.
Software for funeral homes: an indispensable ally
Good software for funeral homes can help you to improve all your company’s internal processes. It will bring order, optimise your management, help you keep effective bookkeeping and avoid making mistakes, as well as saving you a lot of time.
- Good software for funeral homes will help you to keep an orderly and unified record of customer data, suppliers, invoices issued, purchases made, funeral services provided, policies, funeral courses, insurance document management, booked rooms…
- With just one click, management software allows you to access the information you need by searching by dates, suppliers, clients or insurers. You will save a lot of time and effort, especially on dates close to tax payments, annual accounts closures or possible audits.
- By implementing the right software, you can save resources and avoid possible human errors. In addition, you can reduce the costs involved in the services of an accountancy firm.
- A good analysis of the figures is much easier, so you can optimise the management of your funeral home and make better decisions to redirect or expand your business. Many management programmes even allow you to export information automatically with graphs that make it easier to review income, expenses and the types of funeral home services offered.
- Software for funeral homes allows you to store all your business information on your computer or in the cloud. In addition, many programmes take care of automatic backups from time to time. Forget about keeping all the paper documentation stored in filing cabinets or boxes that take up a lot of physical space and that you can surely use for other functions.
What types of funeral software are there?
Before we recommend some software for funeral homes, there are a few factors to consider when choosing the type of software that best suits your business needs.
Cloud or local software?
Local software is installed on the user’s computer and stores the data on that same device (as a rule). In this case, the user is responsible for the maintenance and security and the licence fee is usually paid in one lump sum. Cloud software runs on the Internet and the data is stored on a network of servers. This means that several users can use the programme at the same time and their data can be accessed from any device with Internet access. They are secure and updated automatically. The payment system is based on a monthly fee.
Free or paid software?
Free bookkeeping software tends to have a limited set of features. It can be a good option if you are testing out possible options and want to do a free trial before settling on a definitive software. You may end up having to use a paid programme to run your funeral home properly. Also, keep in mind that paid versions usually include their own updates that will automatically incorporate any legislative or tax changes that are approved in the future.
Open or closed source?
Closed source software generally offers you technical support and updates for the lifetime of the product, unlike open source, where you will have to work collaboratively with other users to improve the service. If you have no idea what we are talking about, closed source is your option.
Bookkeeping software for funeral homes that can make your life easier
GS Funeral Home
It is a very complete cloud-based software. It offers the possibility of managing the services provided, automatic invoicing, management of insurance companies, policies, own or third-party vehicles, document management of funeral home procedures, as well as easy access to all the information about the deceased. The software also produces simple graphs, exports documents and invoices to PDF and allows you to set sales parameters for your clients. It is obviously a fee-based programme, but IT support is included in the contract.
FerSoft for Funeral Homes and Mortuaries
This is a very complete software for funeral homes and is also available for a fee. In addition to incorporating all the functions of a bookkeeping programme, it also includes the possibility of managing centres, rooms, vehicles, tombstones, transfers, etc. It makes work orders easier, indicating the service, details of the deceased and details of the funeral. In addition, it offers a section for notification of masses and anniversaries. This software is highly recommended and you can try it out with a free demo.
VTime
This is an application that covers the general needs of any funeral home or mortuary. It allows the management of funeral home services, design of service models, budgets, automatic and manual invoices, vehicle management… Among its most interesting options there is the control of access to users by username and password. The programme licence is for life (it does not expire) and offers an optional maintenance service for less than €17/month.
Wave
One of the best bookkeeping software. It does not include the tools for funeral home management, but it is free and perfectly functional for SMEs. It makes it easy to scan receipts and invoices, which are automatically added to accounting transactions. Another of the most interesting options is that it offers the possibility of installing an app on your mobile phone so that you can access accounting information from anywhere
