Experienced directors carry the arrangement in their heads, but a firm should not run on heads. A written checklist turns a good director’s instinct into a repeatable process every staff member can follow, so the third case of a hard week gets the same care as the first.
First call
- Caller name, relationship, and call-back number.
- Decedent name, place and time of death, current location.
- Whether a coroner or hospice is involved.
- Immediate next step and the arrangement meeting time.
Intake and vital statistics
- Full legal name, dates, and vital statistics for the certificate.
- Next of kin, authorizing agent, and responsible party.
- Any prearrangement or preneed contract on file.
Arrangement conference
- Disposition type and service selections.
- Merchandise selections (casket, urn, keepsakes).
- The statement of goods and services, itemized.
- Clergy, cemetery, and any third-party coordination.
Documents, services, payment, and close
| Stage | Checklist |
|---|---|
| Documents | Build the packet, get authorizations signed, file signed copies on the case |
| Services | Confirm schedule, assign staff, coordinate vehicles and venue |
| Payment | Take a deposit, set up a plan if needed, track the balance |
| Close | Confirm disposition, complete recordkeeping, close with full history |
What to ask software vendors
- Can the first call flow into the case so intake is not re-typed?
- Are arrangement selections and the statement built in one place?
- Do signed documents and payments attach to the same case?
- Can staff see which checklist steps are complete at a glance?
How FuneralHQ handles this
FuneralHQ runs the whole arrangement on one case record: the first call opens the case, the conference builds the statement, the document packet gets signed, the payment posts, and the history stays intact through close. Every stage of this checklist lives in one place.
Related resources
See the case management workflow guide and the first call intake checklist.