May 2020

Page B13 MAY 2020 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on B COVID-19 INDUSTRY RESPONSE ment program. However, many small to medium-size firms also find that visibility and access to this information are critical to their growth and success since cas- ket suppliers can play a key role in their future success of the firm. How to Measure Supplier Performance Once a funeral home decides to measure supplier performance, the next logical step is to determine what should be measured. While this depends significantly on your firm’s structure including owner- ship, consider the following ele- ments as you create a list of critical vendor analysis criteria: 1. Determine what matters most to your funeral home and op- erations. For some companies, reliable, on-time delivery is the most critical task a casket suppli- er can fulfill. For others, it can be flawless quality. Reflect on what is truly critical and frame your analysis around those criteria. 2. Make certain that you measure actions and not perceptions. It is not unusual for funeral direc- tors to go on “gut feel,” rather than by hard data. Because per- ceptions can distort reality, hav- ing good, meaningful informa- tion is essential. It will allow you to have a “reality check” on whether your perceptions of your supplier accurately match their performance. 3. Ensure you are measuring root cause actions and not mid- stream events. In other words, what matters is what causes problems or delays; it can be tempting to measure one event multiple times since all subse- quent consequences of the first event are often out of scope. What to Measure in Casket Supplier Performance You should identify the items that you can measure. Measurable items may vary based on your operation, your inventory policies, the role of the supplier, and many other po- tential factors. It can be overwhelm- ing to sift through your require- ments and narrow down what truly matters for your funeral home. Re- member what Albert Einstein said, “Not everything that can be count- ed counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” In the end, the factors will likely include: Product Quality. To many fu- neral directors, it begins and ends with quality. It wasn’t too many years ago, deciding between a do- mestic manufacturer and a casket importer was easy. These days, just like their domestic counterparts, im- port casket companies have become laser-focused on quality in all areas of manufacturing. The result is that now some folks in our profession say the quality of caskets from some import casket companies is on par, if not superior, to domestic manu- facturers. In short, the question you must ask: Is the quality of the caskets in line with what was paid? Distribution. If product quality is the #1 requirement for funeral homes, many times dependable de- livery runs a close second. As more and more funeral homes reduce (or eliminate) caskets from their se- lection room, the need for reliable casket delivery becomes even more paramount. Most funeral homes want a company that will readily deliver a casket, especially when a situation comes up on short notice. Does your firm, like most funeral homes, appreciate when you do not have to pay extra to have a casket expedited in an emergency? With many independent casket distributors now stocking import caskets, this has greatly increased the footprint and daily coverage area to supply funeral homes with import caskets.The distributor also provides an extra level of quality control since they conduct and inspect every cas- ket on which they take delivery and will also check the casket again be- fore delivery to the funeral home. Fair and Transparent Pricing. Does it take an accountant to figure out the actual price of caskets from your supplier? With casket compa- nies offering upfront discounts and year-end rebates, determining the true price of caskets can be a real chore. Not to mention other items that could be thrown in the mix: marketing allowances, selection room representation, “freebies”, etc. to justify their casket pricing struc- ture. And sometimes to get these discounts, you had to sign a multi- year contract – just like cable TV or wireless phone companies. These days, some of the larger cas- ket companies are going to a more simplified pricing company - al- though most independent casket distributors have always preferred a transparent pricing structure for all their accounts. This ensures a fu- neral home knows they are getting the best price from the beginning without haggling, threatening to leave, or signing a contract. Along with pricing, billing can be an issue for funeral directors. Are the invoic- es you receive from the casket com- pany simple and straight forward or does it take a mathematician to fig- ure them out? Wide Product Line. Import manufacturers realize it is impor- tant to offer both metal and wood caskets in a broad product line whose designs can easily be sub- stituted for all the popular mod- els that are in the line of most cas- ket manufacturers today. Given the way casket prices have risen over the years, funeral directors need to be in a position to cost-effectively provide families with a casket that fits the financial situation of a fam- ily, and also a casket the family is proud to display their loved one. Import caskets have also allowed in certain instances an opportunity for a funeral home to offer a suit- able casket substitution to a fami- ly in cases where a preneed contact has not kept up with the rising pric- es of funeral service. Along with a wide product selec- tion, how often is the company out of stock on the caskets you regularly order?This can be a real issue when it comes time to fulfill a preneed con- tract or when your firm does not re- ceive regular deliveries. What good is an expansive product selection when the models you display are always out of stock or not available? Sales Representation. Do you expect your casket representative to be more than a friendly order taker? A good casket representative, from a manufacturer or a distributor, can be a valuable resource for a funer- al home – offering merchandis- ing support and other business ad- vice. Does the sales representative know and understand your opera- tions? Do they bring new ideas that can help your funeral home oper- ate more effectively and efficiently? Does the sales representative “go to bat” for you when there’s an issue or do they take the company side? Customer Service. What hap- pens when you need to call the of- fice with an issue? Do you get a “real” person right away or do you encounter an automated phone call to the home office? And when you talk to someone, do they solve your problem, make excuses or transfer you to another department? Made in America. We live in a global marketplace where similar industries such as furniture, textiles and automotive have all transitioned to embrace the cost-saving advantag- es in global manufacturing. Interest- ingly, most domestically-produced caskets source parts like hardware and interiors from overseas in the as- sembly of their caskets. Conversely, many import casket manufacturers obtain most of the woods for their hardwood caskets from the US and use American paints for their met- al caskets. In the end, you must ask yourself, how important is it to my families that they buy an American made product? Recognizable Name . While no casket company – domestic or over- seas – can claim they have brand awareness and recognition with the general public, it can be comforting for funeral professionals to deal with a casket company that has some name recognition in the profession. To some, it’s a show of confidence when a company chooses to adver- tise and put their name behind the product. It only stands to reason that companies are proud of the prod- ucts they manufacture would adver- tise. This may not be a major factor, but one to consider nonetheless. A Final Thought The relationship with your sup- plier is a business partnership and if both parties are working to make sure that the partnership is a success it will be a success. In the long run, having a win-win supplier and ven- dor relationship will be a competi- tive advantage. To sum up consider this quote, which nicely gets to the point: “It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.” – Roy Disney At the end of the day, selecting the company from whom you want to purchase a casket is a business de- cision to be made by each funeral home. My intent with this article is merely to bring to light factors that go into this business decision; not to start a debate about domes- tically-produced v. global-sourced or big v. small. If I caused you to think differently about how you purchase caskets moving forward, then I have helped. Scott Weisenbach is the National Sales Director for Sich Casket Company. Sich is the top-selling manufacturer of premi- um quality wood and metal caskets from China and distributed by a carefully-se- lected network of independent distributors throughout North America. Informa- tion is available by visiting www.sichcas- ket.com, emailing info@sichcasket.com or calling (888) 317-1929. Time for Report Cards Continued from Page B1 ADI Registry Systems has the Solution for offering Condolences during the Coronavirus Pandemic SARASOTA,FL— Given the ongo- ing needs in the funeral and cremato- ry industry, it was business as usual for Bogati Urns prior to Florida’s stay- at-home directive. After the official declaration by Governor DeSantis on April 1, 2020, however, it’s official: Bo- gati Urns is classified as an “Essential Service” and will remain open. The directive’s specific wording reads: “Workers performing mortu- ary funeral, cremation, burial, cem- etery, and related services, including funeral homes, crematoriums, ceme- tery workers, and coffin makers.” As a ‘related service’ in this industry Bo- gati will continue working to support not only its regular customers but also those whose urn and cremation ac- cessory suppliers have been forced to shut down in other states. “We’ve already begun to get the calls. Other suppliers are closing, leaving funeral homes and cremato- ries without a solution for the prod- ucts they need to properly serve the families in their communities,” said Bogati Urns owner, Andrea Bogard LeBlanc . “This is a supremely try- ing time for everyone. If we can eliminate even one worry for someone, our team is honored to do so.” To keep its own team safe as they continue to work during the Stay- at-Home directive, Bogati Urns is requiring employees to abide by CDC guidelines during work, as well as outside of work, in order to ensure the health and safety of their families and local customers. Founded in 2004, Bogati Urn Company offers funeral homes and crematories a variety of urns, scattering tubes and related prod- ucts. Its original lead crystal line has expanded and its inventory now includes hundreds of memo- rial urns for adults, children and pets in varying materials, includ- ing glass, marble, wood, brass and metal. Custom options are also available. For more information visit www.bogatiurns.com. An- drea Bogard LeBlanc welcomes personal inquiries via phone at 941-751-3382 x 105 or email at sales@bogatiurns.com. BLOOMINGDALE,IL— As the Coronavirus continues to affect our daily lives, it’s not al- ways easy to know what to do to keep our- selves and our loved ones safe. In most areas of the US, public gatherings have been banned or discouraged. We’re practicing social distanc- ing, staying home as much as possible. Mean- while, life goes on — and life includes all the everyday deaths that happen from all the regu- lar everyday causes. But now, everyday deaths raise the question: What do current health precautions during the Coronavirus pandem- ic, such as limiting or restricting large public gatherings to 10, mean for holding a funeral visitation or service? The last thing you want to do is not acknowl- edge someone who was there to support you and your family in such a difficult time. ADI Registry Systems has the solution that fami- lies and funeral professionals are currently em- ploying to make it safer for families/friends to express condolences. For those visitors and friends who will not be signing the registry book or attending funer- al homes during this COVID-19 situation and would still like to offer condolences, ADI is of- fering other methods of registry during this time. In lieu of the Legacy page and other Guest Registry components that do not offer print- ed envelopes or an acknowledgment package, tems will provide a Registry Link. ADI will then collect data and create a printed acknowl- edgment package that will include the follow- ing: printed acknowledgment cards, addressed envelopes, printed guest book delivered, and a CSV file emailed to family. Our ADI Registry Link (i.e. bit.ly/mnapoli) can be placed in the obituary section of your website or on any site. This will allow any in- dividual unable to attend a service to register and pay their condolences, safely from home on any computer, tablet or cell phone. This option will also enable visitors to make a safe and secure monetary donation electronically through a Pay-Pal account. The Registry Link option could be suggest- ed by a simple addition of text on your web- site or social media, such as: “For those of you who will not be attending the visitation due to COVID-19 guidelines and would still like to register and send the family your condolences, please click the link provided bit.ly/mnapoli and the family will receive your heartfelt mes- sage.” ADI Registry Systems Inc. has been provid- ing digital registry for 10 years with accounts throughout the United States. For more infor- mation, visit www.adiregistrysystems.com or email adiregistrysystems@gmail.com. Bogati Urns Designated “Essential Service” during COVID-19 Stay-At-Home Sanctions COVID-19 INDUSTRY RESPONSE ADI Registry Sys-