Memorial Business Systems, Inc. (MBS, Inc.) has announced it has attained Certified Partner status in the Microsoft Partner Program. To become a Certified Partner, MBS, Inc. had to demonstrate expertise with Microsoft technologies and demonstrate its ability to meet customers' needs with exceptional expertise. Microsoft Certified Partners receive a rich set of benefits, including premier access, special training, and the highest levels of support, giving partners a real technologically competitive advantage.
Memorial Business Systems' software and services are designed to improve the operational efficiency and effectiveness of cemetery and combo operations. MBS, Inc. software represents the leading edge of technology ensuring against customer obsolescence.
"We are obviously pleased to have attained Certified Partner status. This is confirmation that our software is advantageous for cemeteries at all levels and as flexible and easy to use as we say they are," said Fred Miller, President of MBS, Inc."We put out products that work from the get-go, and our customers are clearly appreciative. Our developmental talent gets the credit."
"Microsoft recognizes MBS, Inc. as a new Certified Partner for demonstrating its expertise in providing customer superior satisfaction using Microsoft products and technology," said Allison Watson, corporate vice president of the Worldwide Partner Group at Microsoft Corp.
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September 6, 2001 Memorial Business Systems,
Inc. Announces the Release of Nexus XP: The Latest Advance in Industry-Specific Management
Software
Memorial
Business Systems, Inc. (MBS, Inc.) has announced the release of Nexus XP for the week of
September 24, 2001. Continuing MBS' commitment to provide "State of the Art"
software applications, Nexus XP is the next step in the evolution of products designed for
this industry. "Nexus XP is definitely a breakthrough," said MBS President Fred
Miller.
The result of MBS'
twenty years of combined experience in cemetery management and software design, Nexus XP
provides the best solution currently available. Offering unparalleled ease of use and
access to useful information the release of Nexus XP also provides MBS a launch pad from
which to take industry software to new dimensions of flexibility, speed and stability.
Nexus XP introduces
the "Task Center" which provides the simplest way yet of performing most
data entry, editing and transaction options from one easy-to-use screen. With Nexus
XP’s Enhanced Reporting Capabilities users are able to access, view and print
requested information through over 150 built in reports. Written to meet the tax and
trusting laws specific to all 41 states that MBS serves, Nexus XP requires no custom
programming.
Some of the Advanced
Design Features include support for simultaneous views of multiple windows and the
ability to look up and even add information without interrupting contract entry or
reporting. Enhanced Multi-user Capabilities enable Nexus XP users to concurrently
operate the system with greater ease and speed.
After aggressive
beta testing and evaluation, Debbie Cammarano of the Associated Catholic Cemeteries of
Seattle said, "I love the Task Center! All the options are on one screen so
that you can move around anywhere." And it was Tina Delgado of Sunset
Memorial Park in Albuquerque, NM that added, "Nexus XP is going to make my job
a lot easier."
For more information on Nexus XP or
MBS’ other products, please contact Fred Miller at 800-844-4447 or fmiller@mbs-intl.com. Also visit MBS’ web site
at www.mbs-intl.com.
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August 1, 2001 MapInfo Authorized
Training Center Reopened by MBS, Inc.
Beginning in August 2001,
MBS, Inc. is proud to return to the ranks of an Authorized MapInfo Training Center.
Originally certified in October of 1999, MBS and their trainer had taken a one year
sabbatical from their training schedule. With this return to service, MBS is proud to have
the honor of being the only MapInfo Authorized Training Center in Tennessee and one of the
very few in the mid south area of the United States.
With MBS's return to the
MapInfo Training Center roster, MBS will be offering the full load of Introduction through
Advanced MapInfo Professional courses once a month. MBS will also be offering a
second Introduction to MapInfo class one additional time per month. Completing
their MapInfo Professional offerings, MBS has added MapInfo's Upgrade Workshop to their
line up of classes and will be instructing this class once a month.
The additional Upgrade
Workshop is a new class offering and is designed for MapInfo Professional users interested
in learning about the changes to MapInfo Professional between versions 4.5 and 6.5.
These changes are outlined and cover all feature upgrades in a one day session.
For class outlines and
schedules, please visit MBS's MapInfo ATC web site at: http://www.mbs-intl.com/MapInfo_ATC.htm.
Or visit MapInfo's North
America training site at: http://www.mapinfo.com/support/training/na/index.cfm.
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October 1, 2000 Cemetery Mapping
Software: What Can It Do, And Does My Cemetery Need It?
National Catholic
Cemetery Conference Magazine article by Fred Miller
and Tom Balducci of MBS, Inc. Originally published in the October 2000.
At the heart of all promises
made by software developers is the promise to simplify and greatly improve the process of
storage and retrieval of information. "Computers should do most of the drudgery
work," is the great hue and cry of the masses. That’s what computers are supposed
to do, isn’t it? That’s the promise.
As any seasoned, forward-looking
cemeterian knows by now, the old ways to keep records simply don’t cut it in
today’s high-tech world. Computers now largely dictate the way day-to-day operations
are run in companies today. Computers have permanently altered the landscape of business
management, fulfilling many of the promises made by their proponents. Every aspect of life
has been touched by computers, for better or worse. Computers are an undeniable fact and
factor, especially in these tough times for the service provider.
One basic tool that a cemeterian uses
everyday, and perhaps the most important, is the map of his or her cemetery. Inventory
control, management analysis, customer relations, engineering, all depend on the accuracy
of these usually time-worn, hand-shaded paper or Mylar maps. Yet just how accurate and
efficient are these maps? Obviously, the answer to that question depends on the accuracy
of the method used to keep the map up-to-date. But is there a better cemetery mapping
method available to the industry today? The answer, quite simply, is yes.
With the advent of GIS-based
(Geographic Information System) cemetery mapping software, the parameters of cemetery maps
and their uses have been increased many fold. The GIS-based digitized map, utilizing
geo-coding, a process of putting a location on a map using real world coordinates, is as
dissimilar to a paper map as a pencil is to a calculator. GIS technology has allowed the
computerized map to become a powerful calculation and visualization tool. And unlike some
CAD-based mapping software, GIS technology is designed specifically for map
generation. Sit before a computer utilizing GIS mapping software that is linked to your
accounting package, and many of your managerial tasks can easily, and more importantly, efficiently
be addressed. Have a property status question? Point and click on a space or spaces, then
run a query of the database embedded in your computer map. You’ll have your answer
faster than you ever imagined: presented to you visually, in colors of your choosing,
you’ll quickly discover what property in a particular area of your cemetery is
available, sold, interred or reserved. And with a few clicks of the mouse you can have a
printout of your property status map in color, grayscale, or lines to identify the
particular qualities of the information they represent (see illustration 1 ). Take that
property status information compiled by the mapping software and print a bar, pie,
graduated or range chart. Obviously, the days of hand-shaded maps are in the past.
The advancements brought about by
computer mapping extend into many other areas of cemetery management. At the heart of the
cemeterian’s endeavors is customer relations. If a visitor arrives to view a
relative’s grave, how are they directed to the site? Most likely, they are given a
piece of paper with a map of your cemetery’s sections, the location of the grave
marked by one of your employees. Or, brochure in hand, are they told to count trees to
arrive at the grave site, perhaps needlessly wandering the grounds of your cemetery
attempting to locate their loved-one? Worse still, does one of your employees have to take
time out of their already hectic schedule and escort the visitor to the grave site? With a
computer map, locating a grave is no longer an imprecise, sometimes arduous process. Type
the deceased’s name in a locator screen and in less than a minute you’ll be
printing out a detailed, letter-sized locator map (see illustration 2). Now the visitor
will have exact visual directions to the grave site, along with the deceased’s name,
plot and section number. These locator map features within GIS-based mapping software
offer personalized customer service in an industry that is based on caring customer
service.
Your service representatives can be
provided with up-to-date letter-sized maps that show pricing, availability, property type,
all produced using a variety of presentational techniques: shading by location, property
type, or property status. Statistical analysis is another function built into GIS-based
maps. Potential revenue can easily be determined by capturing pricing information with a
few clicks of your mouse. Question your map’s database about available spaces in a
given area, and then develop a sales promotion geared toward your pre-need market. In
IMAP’s mapping software you can display true-to-life pictures on your monitor,
showcasing your cemetery’s beauty and uniqueness without having to take your client
to the location in person. This True View feature can be especially helpful during
inclement weather, or while a salesperson is in a client’s home. The computer map can
geographically view and analyze a given land area, creating a report showing property
status in a particular section. That information can then be used to produce a chart
representing the number of spaces of each status type in that section. All of these can be
powerful sales tools.
Computer mapping can also allow the
pre-planning and scheduling of new developments, creating "what if" scenarios
utilizing screen layering techniques. And using the same layering techniques you can
manage your utilities: water, natural gas, sewer and electric lines, as well as executing
OSHA and EPA tracking. Why keep going back to your architectural firm anytime you need
minor changes made to your map? With mapping software, you are able to modify your maps
yourself, deleting or adding spaces as the need arises. And because making changes to your
map is a very deliberate process, you can protect yourself from any arbitrary errors.
Then, when you are finished, the software will cleanly save all your changes. You will no
longer have to deal with smudged, sometimes indecipherable paper maps.
The examples given in this article are
only a few of the practical uses that cemetery mapping software allows. The application of
this sort of software is only limited by the imagination of the user. Hopefully, after
reading this article, you will have been enlightened enough to be able to determine if
GIS-based mapping software might be useful to your cemetery. And then, perhaps, you can
decide if some of the promises of those software developers mentioned in the beginning of
this article have been met.
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February
11, 2000 Mount Pleasant Group Converts to MBS
Software
The Mount Pleasant Group
(MPG) of Toronto, Ontario has successfully converted its multi-location networked computer
system from Oracle to Navision Financials, a completely integrated accounting and business
management system, customized to its needs by Memorial Business Systems (MBS).
Mount Pleasant Group is a non-profit
organization that provides strategic direction and support services to two operating
companies:
Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries,
which has been meeting the multi-faceted needs of the community for 174 years, and owns
and operates ten cemeteries, (including the prestigious Mount Pleasant Cemetery in
mid-town Toronto), six crematoria and eight mausolea in the Greater Toronto Area; and
Canadian Memorial Services, which was established in 1990, and owns and operates The
Simple Alternative funeral centers in North York and Mississauga.
Navision Financials utilizes a 32-bit,
client server, relational database to provide seamless access to data and to satisfy core
business needs. Awarded the Microsoft logos for Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows NT. It
was recently certified for Windows 2000.
"Navision Financials were the
solution we were looking for," said Claudia Martin, VP, Finance for MPG. "This
project was an huge undertaking. Our vision included a completely integrated total
operations management system from contact management and point of sale through to the back
office. It also included the notion of being able to support the seamless selling of both
cemetery and funeral products and services across multiple locations. The MBS team started
actual development in the fall of 1998 and completed implementation to the extent required
for us to shut down our existing system last December. Although there is still work to do
in order to complete the project as originally conceived, we haven’t had any second
thoughts about choosing MBS as our partner in this process. In the beginning there was
only our vision and MBS’ computer know-how and understanding of the cemetery and
funeral business. We were able to purchase only the software modules (programs) we needed
and working together, the MPG and MBS teams created an integrated business system for use
by all our personnel throughout every aspect of the company. The system has tremendous
potential!"
MBS, after extensive training and
testing of their staff by Navision, became one of the first 50 authorized Navision
Solution Centers in the U.S. joining an international group of over 800 other centers
operating in over 33 countries. With this background the MBS staff is able to determine
the customers needs and customize Navision products for any business with $5M - $250M in
annual revenues.
Pat Mitchell, MBS’s President,
said, "Navision Financials is the ideal choice for companies that have outgrown
traditional packages and find the high end, high priced systems used by the Fortune 1000
out of reach. Navision Financials provides the features, the flexibility, the tools, and
the power that companies need at a reasonable cost. The functionality provided and the
features that are included are normally only available on much more expensive
systems."
Judith Meeks, President and CEO of
MPG, said, "What impressed me about the MBS team was that they committed to deliver
the product for a fraction of the time and cost that might otherwise be expected for a
project of this size. That seems to be an unusual scenario in the computer industry."
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October
24, 1999 MBS,
Inc. and MapInfo Corporation Partner to Open the First Authorized MapInfo Training Center
in Nashville, TN 
