The Ultimate Cemetery Solution

Through our exclusive 5-phase process, TownsWeb Archiving’s Cemetery Solution helps you transition to digital with ease, enhancing the vital services your crematorium or cemetery provides via our PastView Chronicle system.

"A solution to save time, reduce costs, and improve access"

Phase 1 - Digitisation

Digitisation turns physical registers into digital files by scanning individual pages and records to create high resolution images. This is the most reliable way to preserve and protect your physical records from damage or permanent loss through manual handling or disaster, such as fire, flood and theft. This is also the first important step towards improving future online accessibility while producing quality images that are suitable for printing and sharing physically.

 Why trust TownsWeb Archiving to digitise your registers & records? 

Trusted Specialists - We understand your specific records: burial, grave, purchase, index and cremation registers, and how these records are utilised. 

Secure Environment - Records are stored in a secure, temperature controlled environment for the length of time necessary to carry out digitisation.

Uninterrupted Service - We guarantee the continuation of your services through a free look-up facility, so the public benefits from an uninterrupted service.

Ongoing Service - Every 2 years (or on your own schedule) we will digitise any new pages within the registers, transcribe them and bring them into your software so that you're compliant and always up to date.

Learn more about Phase 1.

Post-editing.
Each image is manually reviewed and adjusted as necessary to ensure all file outputs meet archival standards.

Phase 2 - Transcription

Transcription takes the metadata and key information contained within your physical registers and converts this into typed text, making it machine readable. This overcomes issues with deciphering handwriting and the potential for loss through natural deterioration, manual handling or disaster, such as fire, flood or theft.

Transcription enables the quick and accurate retrieval of data from within your registers and is another important step towards making your records more digitally accessible.

Experience - With years of experience, we can provide expert guidance in prioritising which records to transcribe, and from which registers (burials, grave, purchase etc.).

Cost Saving - We can advise on which specific fields to capture from your records, avoiding any unnecessary transcription and saving you costs.

Accuracy -   We have the facilities and experience to provide a leading industry standard of accuracy, making use of verifying databases. 

Learn more about Phase 2.

Transcribing Your Records.
With meticulous attention to detail, our specialist technicians transcribe your data into typed text, storing this on spreadsheets for reference.

Phase 3 - Offline Access

Offline access is achieved by partnering your digital files with our responsive BookViewer software. Being able to access your registers and records offline offers significant benefits, such as the ability to perform instant searching of the entire contents of your records across locations.

Offline access also reduces the need for manual handling, which causes additional wear and tear.

An Expert Solution - Our BookViewer software has been designed by experts to provide exceptionally fast access to your records and registers.

Industry Knowledge - BookViewer does not require an internet connection, relying on HDD or server instead, giving the option to store digital records and registers locally.

Flexible Approach - We created our BookViewer software to be installed across separate offices, enabling searches to be performed at other sites.

Redaction - To ensure compliance with data protection regulations, sensitive information can be removed when responding to public queries.

Learn more about Phase 3.

Viewing your digitised registers.
Your digital images are an exact replica of your registers and this offers a traditional layout, order and style without the need for physical handling.

Phase 4 - PastView Chronicle

Online access is achieved by migrating all of your digital files into our PastView Chronicle system. Your records contain highly confidential data, so our system offers secure remote access with the tools to manage and edit your records.

Online access protects staff time for other duties and responsibilities, helping to reduce costs. 

Manage & Maintain - Our PastView Chronicle system offers you a secure level of management that just cannot be achieved through physical registers alone. 

Digital Flexibility - We can guarantee that the PastView Chronicle system will offer an enhanced level of structural flexibility that simply can’t be achieved with physical registers alone.

Link Records - We will link your transcribed records to the digitised pages within your registers to make record management even more efficient.

Learn more about Phase 4.

Secure online login.
Your records and registers contain sensitive content and so it is important that they are protected at all times through a secure online login.

Phase 5 - Public Access

The phases we have highlighted so far all lead to this next phase - one of ultimate  access. Phase 5 is where your records and registers are made public through a beautifully presented and purpose-built PastView Chronicle website that is respectful of existing branding and offers advanced search facilities and opportunities for revenue generation.  

Protecting Resources - Public access grants individuals the freedom to conduct searches themselves thereby protecting precious staff time and resources.

Privacy Control - We understand the importance of privacy settings, so a PastView Chronicle website offers enhanced security controls, watermarking and the redaction of entries. 

Generate Revenue - PastView Chronicle supports organisations to generate revenue to help fund, maintain and invest in registers, records and future projects.

Learn more about Phase 5.

Matching your council branding.
Your PastView Chronicle website is designed to be conscious of, and in keeping with, your existing branding, incorporating colour, tone and style and maintaining your organisations identity.

"The feedback from our cemeteries staff using PastView Chronicle has been absolutely fantastic. We don’t know how we managed without it and wish that we’d have undertaken the project sooner!"

- Bev Nash, Bereavement Services Director, Birmingham City Council.

If you're responsible for the management of cemetery and crematorium records and you'd like to learn more, please get in touch with our friendly team today.