When does it make sense to put all of your digital eggs in one basket?
In today’s modern world, leading funeral businesses are paying increased attention to choosing the right digital tools to streamline their operations, offer better services to families, and meet clients’ growing expectations with fewer qualified staff. Recently announced C-Suite changes and shuffles would reinforce this view, as leading ownership groups are looking to leaders who can enhance their competitiveness using today’s technologies to enhance the already high standards of individual care their funeral homes offer.
Curating the right “tech stack” (i.e., technology stack: the specific combination of tools, applications, and services, including hardware and software) is, therefore, vital to operating a competitive, modern funeral business. Your tech stack will enable everything from administrative tasks to client management, to marketing, live-streaming, aftercare, and so on.
However, when it comes to choosing the best solutions, most businesses face a dilemma: Should they invest in an all-in-one solution from one software company or opt for multiple purpose-built apps from specialized providers? Both approaches come with their own pros and cons. Understanding them can help you make a better-informed decision for your own business.
The All-in-One Solution: Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Simplicity and Integration: One of the biggest advantages of opting for a single software platform is the simplicity of having all of your tools integrated into one platform. This can reduce the time and effort needed to set up systems, train staff, and troubleshoot issues. Integration means that data can flow smoothly between different parts of the business, ensuring a cohesive experience for both your funeral home staff and your clients.
- Centralized Support: With an all-in-one solution, funeral homes have a single point of contact for customer support. If there’s an issue, there’s no need to deal with multiple vendors—just one team can address all of your needs, potentially simplifying the troubleshooting process and resolving problems more quickly.
- Consistent User Experience: With all of your tools coming from the same solution provider, you can typically depend on a more consistent user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). This makes it easier for staff to switch between the different systems without navigating the learning curve associated with multiple software solutions.
Cons:
- Lack of Specialization: While an all-in-one solution may cover a wide range of functions, it may not offer the depth or specialization that a dedicated, purpose-built app could provide. For example, a funeral home may require specialized software for things like insurance assignments, grief support, photo tributes, or live-streaming. These niche needs may not be adequately addressed by multi-purpose platforms.
- Risk of Vendor Lock-in: Relying entirely on one software provider can also create the risks associated with vendor lock-in. If the company raises prices, discontinues a feature, or faces operational issues, your funeral business could find itself trapped without many options to switch vendors without significant disruptions to their operations.
- Limited Flexibility: As your funeral business’s needs evolve, an all-in-one solution may not be able to offer a sufficiently flexible mix of specialized apps. Such vendors must dedicate resources to keeping up with emerging trends or specific needs, forcing funeral businesses to compromise on functionality or pay for features they don’t need.
A Purpose-Built Apps Approach: Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Customization and Specialization: Purpose-built apps are thoughtfully designed from the outset to meet a specific need very well. This means they can offer a greater depth of functionality in areas that matter to your business. Whether you’re looking for accounting software, live-streaming tools, or a client management system, specialized apps can give you the best performance and features for each task. They are often more powerful in their areas of specialization than the tools included in most all-in-one platforms.
- Flexibility: With purpose-built apps, funeral homes have the flexibility to select the best tools for their specific needs. If a funeral home decides that one area needs improvement, they can upgrade or switch that particular app without affecting other systems.
- Innovation and Cutting-Edge Solutions: Vendors that specialize in one area often lead in terms of innovation. If a funeral home is using a mix of apps, they’re more likely to get the benefits of the latest, leading technologies tailored to their needs.
Cons:
- Integration Challenges: One of the major drawbacks to using multiple apps is the potential for integration issues. Getting various systems to communicate and share data effectively can be time-consuming and complex. Without proper integration, data silos can emerge, leading to inefficiencies and a fragmented experience for both staff and clients.
- Increased Complexity: Managing multiple apps also means dealing with more contracts and solution vendors. It can also mean a steeper learning curve for staff. While each app may excel at its specific function, juggling different platforms, each with their own individual interfaces and support teams can be challenging.
- Cost Overruns: Depending on the type of software, purpose-built apps can be more expensive when purchased individually. In some cases, funeral homes may end up paying for features they never needed or encounter hidden integration, training, and support costs.
Conclusion: Striking the Right Balance
The decision to implement an all-in-one solution or a mix of specialized apps depends on the specific needs, budget, and long-term goals of your business. While an all-in-one system can offer simplicity, integration, and centralized support, it may fall short in terms of meeting a specific objective in a specialized or flexible way. On the other hand, purpose-built apps can deliver exceptional functionality and allow for greater customization, but can also come with integration challenges and added complexity.
For many funeral homes, the ideal solution will lie in striking an optimal balance between these two approaches. Using a core all-in-one system for general operations (like scheduling, client management, and accounting) while supplementing it with purpose-built apps for specialized needs (like live-streaming or grief support) can provide the benefits of both worlds in a way that fits your business plan. By carefully evaluating each app’s capabilities and ensuring they work well together, funeral businesses can optimize their technology stacks without needing to put “all of their eggs in one basket.”
About the Author
Trajan Schulzke is a husband, father, community volunteer, digital transformation strategist, and the founder and CEO of Foveo Memorial, The Funeral Streaming Company.
