Trends to Watch in 2021: The Future of Funeral Home Software
March 5, 2021
Integrated Live Streaming and 8 Other Must Haves
March 5, 2021
As the world around us continues to change and the funeral industry evolves, so do the needs of funeral directors, their teams, and the families they serve. We have conducted dozens of interviews with funeral directors over a multi-year period to define growing pain points and trends and have found that three broad categories of needs emerge.
Funeral Home Software must:
- Simplify the Business Responsibilities of Funeral Directors
- Relieve Administrative Stress for Families When They Lose a Loved One
- Help Funeral Homes Adapt to Our Rapidly Changing World
This post covers the first of the three broad categories of needs that emerged. The second of the two posts, Integrated Live Streaming and 8 Other Must Haves for Funeral Home Software of the Future, will cover the remaining two categories and can be found here.
Simplify the Business Responsibilities of Funeral Directors
Funeral home software of the future must be state of the art.
1. There must be zero technical expertise needed on the part of the funeral home. There must be nothing for the funeral home to install or keep up to date. Configuration must all be done by the app provider.
2. A fully functioning app must be up and running in a day or two – not weeks or months
3. The app must work on all types of devices exactly how we are all accustomed to working on them. On tablets and phones that means apps just like those in the app stores – icons, touch screen, etc. On desktops and laptops, that means point and click.
4. All devices must work together seamlessly. You must be able to do things like start a case on your phone and complete or update it on your desktop – or vice versa.
5. All data must be stored in the Cloud and be completely protected and secure.
No changes to existing processes.
6. The software must automate ALL the same forms a funeral director has always used – not almost the same, not similar to, exactly the same forms. If there is a custom form a funeral home uses, the software provider must provide that form on behalf of the funeral home. The funeral home provides a paper copy of the form and the software provider automatically maps it into the system.
7. Data entered in one form must flow into every other form that requires that same data.
8. The funeral home must be able to keep its exact same General Price List. Responsibility for all mapping of the GPL into the system must belong to the provider. Guides and tutorials shouldn’t replace expert onboarding and individual support.
9. There must be a shared whiteboard that updates in real-time on the Cloud so all funeral home staff can see and update an as-of-the-moment list of all tasks for all cases at all times.
A streamlined back office.
10. There must be one-click generation of any and all forms. Family members settle on the services they want by selecting items from the new digital showroom that was previously the GPL. The funeral director must then be able to simply click a button that automatically and immediately produces a contract that is ready for signature including all line items, agreed to discounts, taxes, etc. The system must protect from the human calculation errors that have always been the bane of the funeral industry.
11. Any forms that need to be signed must be able to be sent to individuals for electronic signature. Those documents must be sent by the click of one button and then automatically stored once they are completed
12. The system must be able to automatically track all billing and collections by case, accept all forms of payment including insurance assignment, credit card, check, or cash and allow unlimited individual payers for each case.
13. There must be complete integration with the funeral home’s accounting system of record such as QuickBooks. Once again, any mapping or configuration that needs to be done must be completed by the provider. Guides and tutorials shouldn’t replace expert onboarding and individual support.
At Gather we salute you. We love funeral directors and firmly believe that helping families through the loss of a loved one is one of the noblest professions. We’d be honored to show you how Gather can help you simplify your business responsibilities as a Funeral Director.
To learn more about Gather’s solutions or to request a free demo please visit www.Gather.app or call (888) 492-2697.
About Gather
Gather is an innovative case management platform and live streaming solution built specifically for funeral homes. We love funeral directors and firmly believe that helping families through the loss of a loved one is one of the noblest professions. Our vision is to give funeral directors a seamless solution that helps both the funeral home and the families they serve.
Gather is an innovative case management platform and live streaming solution built specifically for funeral homes. We love funeral directors and firmly believe that helping families through the loss of a loved one is one of the noblest professions. Our vision is to give funeral directors a seamless solution that helps both the funeral home and the families they serve.
