By Josh McQueen, Vice President of Product 

Many funeral professionals I’ve talked with are worried about signing up for a new software system only to be left hanging out to dry with no customer support in sight. At Passare, we understand how frustrating it can be to pay good money for a new solution and then have to try to figure it out for yourself. We believe that if you sign up for a software program, you should have all the support you need to get up and running in a reasonable amount of time. That is why we are so diligent in supporting our customers every step of the way, from our first demo to implementation and beyond. 

So, you may be wondering…once you sign up with Passare, what happens next? Well, Last week’s blog was dedicated to laying the groundwork for a successful implementation process. We looked at the different people involved and their roles, including Passare’s Implementation Manager, along with “The Boss” and “The Champion” at the funeral home. 

This week, I’d like to show you the next step in the process, but first, let’s check back in with our case study funeral home, Broussard’s Mortuary in Beaumont, TX: 

Case Study: Broussard’s Mortuary 

In my last blog, we looked at how Broussard’s Mortuary took the leap to choose to make a switch to Passare. Here’s where we left off: Jayme was selected to be “The Champion,” and she prepared to take on the responsibilities of working with the implementation team. 

After gaining a better understanding of Passare and how it would fit into their processes, Jayme and her key team members were able to determine which parts of Passare they wanted to require immediately, and which would be features they would implement later on so that they could get up and running with Passare in a timely manner. “I just want to applaud everyone at Passare for the customer service that we have received,” said Jayme. “Sometimes switching programs can be scary. It certainly was for us. We had our fears because every time you make a big move like that, you start thinking things like, ‘Is this too good to be true?’ and ‘What are we signing up for?’ These are just normal fears that a business would have when making these kinds of decisions. But Passare has gone above and beyond our expectations, and the customer service has been huge. That can really make or break a relationship, and I think that has been a really big part of our experience. It’s not just something that you sign up for and then never hear from again. It has been an ongoing relationship.” 

The Role of “The Champion”  

When I discussed “The Champion” in the previous article, I mentioned this person is the point of contact with Passare who will help implement the rollout plan with the help of their Implementation Manager at Passare. There are three main responsibilities of “The Champion,” so let’s break them down: 

1. Determine Your Must-Have Features 

There is a lot of functionality within the Passare software. I don’t want to overwhelm you and have you assume that you need to use every feature beginning on Day 1. Whether you are coming from another software platform or Passare is your first platform, the easiest way to get started is to narrow it down by defining what features you need to duplicate your current process. The role of “The Champion” here is to talk to your funeral home staff to determine the most useful features for your current processes, then communicate those custom preferences and processes to your Passare team. We can always add more bells and whistles as we go, but defining the absolute must-haves is our first step.

2. Provide Necessary Set-up Items

Once you’ve determined your must-have features, it is time to provide your set-up items such as logos, price lists, packages, custom forms, etc., so Passare can customize your software for you. It’s surprising, but one of the biggest obstacles new customers face when getting started with Passare is simply sending in these necessary items. Avoid this common pitfall! Many funeral homes are tempted to update their existing price lists and forms, but avoid this temptation. It’s already a BIG deal to switch your software or implement new software for the first time, and things get overly complicated when you add another big project on top of that. To avoid unnecessary delays, we advise you to send what you currently have to your Implementation Manager because once everything is in Passare, it is extremely easy to update all these items!

3. Review Your Custom Passare Instance

Once you provide your set-up items to Passare and your custom version (or instance) is set up, the next step is to meet with your Passare Implementation Manager to review and approve everything that has been set up for you. It will also help to create a few sample cases and walk through the processes you previously defined to make sure there are not any gaps before we communicate those processes to your team. 

As you can see, “The Champion” is a vital person during the onboarding process and has many essential responsibilities. But fear not! As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, your personal Implementation Manager will be there to guide you every step of the way and ensure everything goes smoothly.  

What’s Next? 

In my upcoming blog, I will cover how Jayme and Broussard’s Mortuary noticed an immediate time savings benefit once they reviewed and approved their platform configuration. I will also discuss how to gain buy-in from your staff and how to prepare for launch day. See you then!  

For a more in-depth explanation of the Passare onboarding process, download our Implementation Playbook. If you’re still curious about Passare and want to join the thousands of other funeral professionals who have made the switch to the funeral industry’s most advanced collaboration software, request a demo today!