In this press release issued last week you can read that PlotBox has acquired MIS (sometimes referred to as HMIS).  The PlotBox website brings about this statement about the integration of the companies, “ (this transaction) bring(s) one of the industry’s most comprehensive capabilities – from PlotBox’s cloud-native mapping, operations, records, and financial management to MIS’s longstanding experience serving funeral homes.”

The press release also states this about MIS, “MIS is a management platform serving funeral and cemetery operators across North America, streamlining operations from first call through aftercare. The software unifies case management, scheduling, arrangements, billing, and reporting, with integrations for accounting, payments, and partner tools.”

PlotBox CEO Sean McAllister made this prepared comment in the press release,  “At PlotBox, we believe funeral and cemetery professionals deserve technology that meets the complexity of their work and supports their commitment to service.  We are excited to welcome MIS customers and provide them with the innovation, reliability, and partnership they need to operate with confidence.”

MIS had been owned by Batesville since 2012.

Here is the website for PlotBox

Here is what PlotBox investor Serent Capital says about the company

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take:  There has been a lot of shifting of ownership of Death Care companies lately.  Every week we see notices of different companies moving in different directions, sometimes like in today’s article, via acquisition.

In my opinion, the one common denominator in the transactions is the movement to “more and more” technology.  I think those who own and manage funeral homes, crematories, and cemeteries should take heed of what the supplier companies are doing.  I think these transactions and the vendor companies getting more and more technology oriented is showing a roadmap of what the consumers of Death Care are going to want down the road.

My take on all of this technology is that even if you consider yourself “technology challenged” like me, it will pay to learn about the capabilities that these technology companies can bring to your operation and to have some semblance of how you may want that technology available to work for you in your specific situation.

Death Care is fast transforming in the services that we provide for consumers and fast transforming in the options that consumers have to select their Death Care choices from outside the traditional funeral home provider network.  If traditional funeral homes want to keep and expand their market share in the future they need the technology tools to do so.  Putting your head in the sand and hoping these technologies will go away will, more than likely, not bring a positive outcome for your business.

More news from the world of Death Care:

• Rewilding death:  Interest grows in green burial options.  Adirondack Explorer  (NY)
• Complaints, questions linger over Forest Park cemeteries.  Video news story and print article.  KTBS TV – Shreveport (LA)
• Petition for burial in shroud to National Assembly.  City News Everywhere – Montreal (Canada)

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