I’ve been thinking about this “Trends” article for the past month.  I was going to originally title the article “Back to the Future” on the premise that I’ve seen two trends emerging this year in Death Care.  Those trends were (1) The movement “back” towards more simple and natural burials and other disposition methods and (2) The increased use of breaking and futuristic technology in the Death Care universe.

 

However, as we moved through the month of December it has became apparent to me that the pace and adoption of “Technology” in the Death Care space has far outweighed the movement forward in the natural burial world.  In essence, both are moving forward, but “Technology” is moving so much faster that I decided that the trend that you cannot miss for 2026 is the increased use of technology in the profession. . . . . It is my opinion that your decision not to stay up-to-date with all of the new technology available will cost you business — and probably sooner than you would expect.

 

Technology during my working years —  Just to put “technology” into perspective you need to know that I started full-time as a funeral director in 1980 — 45 years ago.  We also had technology advances early in my career that are being refined and continuing to this day.

 

While this sounds primitive in today’s world we moved from land phone lines to cell phones, we moved into computers and online registration of Death Certificiates and online transmission of obituaries to the news outlets.  We moved out of the “casket selection room” into “online portals” for casket selection by families which both reduced inventory and gave families a wider selection of caskets that could be delivered by our supplier within 24 hours.

 

When I look at the technology developed during my early years it seems to me that most of it was designed for the funeral director and helped with productivity —  cell phones, online registration portals, and even computers with word processing abilities helped in the processing of obituaries.  All of those things helped the funeral director and his/her productivity.

 

Technology for the Consumer —  When I look at all of the new technology coming out today there is quite a bit that helps with the productivity of the funeral director.  For instance, case management in the palm of your hand with a cell phone app that is easily shared among colleagues without having to be at the funeral home, small portable systems for the production of off-site livestreams, and online preneed registration and claims processing with insurance assignment companies to just name a few.

 

But, where I really see technology moving forward is for the Death Care consumer.  Being able to shop (and price shop) online is growing more and more acceptable to the point that if you don’t show your prices consumers may not consider your funeral home because they cannot get an accurate assessment of your services.  There is also the ability to fill out case management files online for consumers and even pay and/or pre-pay options for them online.  Finally, there are even options for the consumer to find “lost” or “hidden” assets through the use of technology such as can be done thought Sunset.

 

Why is staying up on “Technology” so important?  —  If you go back to when I started 45 years ago the things that were really important to the consumer, in no particular order, seemed to be the reputation of the funeral home, the family history with the funeral home, the appearance of the funeral home, the knowledge of who the funeral home directors or owners were, and the involvement of the funeral home in the community.

 

I’m not saying that those things are not important today, but I also know that “getting things done the way the conumer wants”, “the knowledge of what to expect”, “the knowledge of what they can expect to pay”, and the resources you have available for a consumer such as online arrangement, streaming options, grief resources, and more might be more important to a deciding consumer today.

 

And, these potential consumers are visiting your funeral home not in person, but through the technology available.  If they don’t see what they are looking for it only takes a couple more clicks to see if a competitor offers that particular request.

 

As an anecdotal realization and affirmation of that thought process I recently read where Australia and New Zealand Death Care leader, InvoCare and its 330 facilities will be “heavily investing in digital transformation to streamline operations and modernize customer interactions (as) a key part of their broader growth strategy”.

 

In many cases staying up with technology costs capital resources. . . . but, before you decide to go without a new technology — ask yourself if the financial costs you save will be offset by a potential loss of clientele. . . . .and, will the dollar savings be worth it?

 

More news from the world of Death Care:

• Funeral homes frustrated by Washington state cremation stalemate as capacity shrinks.  Seattle Times (WA)
• Biodegradable fungus caskets now available at Lougheeds.  Sudbury.com (Ontario, Canada)
• Fourth-generation funeral director Wilson Fraser steps down after decades of service.  The Press (New Zealand)

 

 

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