What's New?

We are continually working to improve CIMS and help to educate the cemetery industry about the importance of computerizing cemetery records. We have published several articles on this subject and would like to share them with you here, along with other important news about our company. We also publish a CIMS Newsletter twice a year to update our clients on CIMS and industry news.

Articles/Press Releases/Announcements

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	01/09/08 Article about Prairie Home Cemetery's eCIMS Program "Move to Web keeps aging burial records alive" by Linda McAlpine of GM Today
	2nd Annual CIMS User Group Conference On November 29, 2007, more than 50 cemeterians from eight states gathered at the Cedarberry Inn for Ramaker & Associates' second annual CIMS User Group Conference. This conference was created to assist CIMS clients in getting the most from their software and for the software developers to receive first-hand feedback from CIMS clients to help improve the software. Attendees began the morning learning more about the software's comprehensive tools and how to become more efficient. This included a tips and tricks section provided by Deb Karpen, a Ramaker & Associates sales consultant. After lunch, the day continued with a presentation by Christine Toson Hentges, Vice President of Pinelawn Memorial Park in Milwaukee, WI; Restlawn Memorial Park in Wausau, WI; and Fort Howard Memorial Park in Green Bay, WI. Christine spoke about "Master Planning Your Cemetery" and presented ideas about how cemetery managers can increase their business by providing more options to their customers. Curtis Paul, a CIMS Programmer at Ramaker & Associates, then presented the new features in Version 3.4 of CIMS. This version is currently in beta testing and will be released to clients by the end of the year. Many of these new features were developed based on suggestions from current CIMS clients. Brandon Finley, Director of CIMS at Ramaker & Associates, wrapped up the day leading a discussion where the attendees were asked for suggestions on improving the software. "Once again, this conference provided a perfect opportunity for our clients to visit and learn about ways they can improve their operations and keep better records," says Finley. "I am so proud of how this conference continues to grow. I think this is truly a testament to our product and the level of service we provide." Plans are underway for the third annual conference to be held in 2008.
	A New Look for the CIMS Website! Along with the new logo, Ramaker & Associates, the creator of the CIMS cemetery software programs, has published a new website to better serve everyone trying to find CIMS product information. We hope you find the site easy to use and look forward to working with you on your CIMS project!
	Announcement: Ramaker & Associates, Inc. recently revealed its new logo for the Cemetery Information Management System (CIMS). Over the last year, the CIMS Team has been working hard to develop a powerful logo for our cemetery software. We hope you will agree that our new logo represents the strength and stability associated with Ramaker & Associates, Inc. and CIMS cemetery software. At this time, we have more than 250 clients using CIMS software worldwide. Watch for our new logo as it appears on our promotional materials.
	Ramaker & Associates Announces Grant Winner
	Published in the April-May 2007 Illinois Cemetery and Funeral Home Association Newsette: "Why 2007 is the year to take action against outdated recordkeeping systems"
	03/15/07 Press Release: Ramaker & Associates Offers a $5,000 Grant for Cemetery Software
	The first annual CIMS Users Group Meeting was held on November 1, 2006.
	Nov 2006 Press Release: Ramaker & Associates Adds Regional Sales Staff
	Ramaker & Associates is featured in an article titled "Don't forget to back up the records at your facility" in the 10/24/06 issue of the Death Care Business Advisor
	Ramaker & Associates' CIMS software is being considered for the City of Solon, Ohio's cemetery data computerization project. An article in the Herald Sun describes the City's decision to computerize. UPDATE: Ramaker & Associates won this project, and the city now has CIMS up and running in their city offices.
	Published in the January 2006 issue of ICFM Magazine: "Safeguarding your records & maps"
	Ramaker & Associates Helps Preserve Data for Cemetery in Path of Katrina On August 29, 2005, the 30-foot storm surge leveled the City of Gulfport Cemeteries' office building, located two blocks from the beach, in Gulfport, Mississippi. Years of plot and operations information, recorded on thousands of cemetery lot cards, was lost. To add to the confusion, the loss of life in Gulfport created an immediate need for burial plots. However, in the months prior to Katrina's wrath, the Gulfport Cemeteries had shipped all of their lot cards and cemetery maps to Ramaker & Associates, Inc. to be scanned for integration into CIMS. Ramaker & Associates had completed the scanning of all this information and sent it back to the cemeteries' office, where it was washed away in the storm. Click for more information.