Transforming a major cemeteries trust to a digitally connected organisation

The customer need

Our client, a major cemetery trust, identified “Digital” as a critical component needed to support and drive the success of their 2016 – 2021 strategic business plan.  Digital Frontier Partners was engaged to review the organisation’s current capabilities and practices and identify an initial strategy/roadmap. Our review scope included customer digital channels, staff tools and practices, use of information and analytics, workflow automation, and technology leverage.   

Our approach

We conducted a number of interviews and workshops across the organisation.  The workshops included participants from different locations and organisational areas within the business, ensuring that we engaged with and understood the views of a broad cross section of the executive, office and operational staff.  This process helped us determine the organisation’s appetite and readiness for change, while also allowing us to create a shared understanding of “Digital” and communicate how it can be used to transform organisations.

We also analysed the major industry and consumer trends affecting the sector, along with an assessment of the organisation’s business model, paying particular attention to product mix as well as business and customer segments.  Our analysis provided some key insights as to how a Digital approach could both transform the economics of the business and provide a basis for the organisation to further achieve their core mission.   

Deliverable

The Digital strategy and supporting roadmap were ratified by our client, with the Board committing considerable funding to the strategy over the next 5 years.  The organisation has recently completed a restructure, which, amongst other drivers, recognised some of the key concepts contained within the Digital strategy.  Investment in the roadmap has commenced, concentrating on business segment product and distribution capabilities.  Our client has also begun the cultural shift needed to embrace Digital, employing product visioning and development processes to build their initial suite of Digital offerings.

The results

Our client firmly sees Digital as a core part of its on-going success.  Their core mission is one of care and compassion.  By leveraging Digital processes and capabilities, our client will provide their business counterparties with a seamless and efficient service, while devoting more personal attention and care to individual customers.