Management Services
Help your people, help your business.
With today’s challenges in funeral service it is more important than ever to have your business operating at peak performance. All businesses have room for improvement and Johnson Consulting has five primary ways to ensure success!
- The Performance Analysis and Strategic Plan Package
The objectives of our Management Services Division is to help you deliver an unprecedented level of customer service, provide an optimum workplace environment, achieve recognition as the marketplace leader and maximize your financial performance. It all starts with the Performance Analysis of your business that details the strengths and weaknesses of your overall business functionality.
The Performance Analysis usually takes six to eight weeks and includes site visits, surveys and interviews of owners, managers and all employees. The comprehensive analysis focuses on:
- Business processes and systems and how effectively they contribute to delivering seamless customer service
- Level of customer service compared to service standards developed by JCG
- Body preparation procedures and quality
- Operation Readiness Audit of facilities, grounds, vehicles and equipment
- All AtNeed documentation including all price lists, forms, and printed material
- Employee Survey on Compensation and Benefits
- Organizational Structure and Chain of Command
- Individual job descriptions, duties, roles, responsibilities and functionality
- Effectiveness of Structured internal communications and staff meetings
- Current Staffing level
- Employee Morale
- Employee Incentive Plan
- Employee Recognition Programs
- On Call and Work Schedules
- Workflow, Processes and Procedures
- Historical case count and market share trends
- Price Shopping and Price Comparison (your business and your competitors)
- General Price List Comparison (your business and your competitors)
- Phone Shopping (your business and your competitors)
- Current Advertising and Promotions
- Level of community involvement
- S.W.O.T Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
- Financial Statement Review
- Detailed merchandise and service sales analysis by company, location and arranger
- Detailed business mix analysis by company, location and arranger
- Revenue analysis
- Expense Analysis
- Payroll Analysis
- Accounts receivable assessment
- Merchandise Plan and Pricing structure of merchandise and services
- Payment policies and plans
- Cash Management procedures
- Demographics
- Utilization of computer systems
- Preneed program performance, lead generation methods, marketing and family follow-up
Once our analysis is complete, the resulting Performance Analysis Book contains a Customer Service Assessment, Workflow Analysis, Competitive Market Share Assessment and Financial Analysis giving you an accurate portrayal of your business’s current operating performance. Our findings are bound in the Performance Analysis Book and presented in person to you. Our accompanying recommendations are set forth in a very comprehensive Strategic Plan. The plan establishes Business Performance Objectives with specific Tactical Actions needed to achieve them and an Implementation Sequence to enable you to deliver an unprecedented level of customer service, provide an optimum workplace environment, achieve recognition as the marketplace leader and maximize your financial performance. This package is by far the single most important thing you can do for your business. From this package, our clients establish where they are today, where they want to go and how to get there!
Click here (or the image above) to watch the
Management Services Webinar Replay - Arranger Development and Incentive Compensation Program (JCGPerformanceTracker™)
Our Learning & Development Department has designed an arranger development and training system that improves individual sales performance. Each arranger in your organization is a company within the company. How that arranger performs in front of customers and through presentations of the various services and merchandise options has a significant impact to the business’s bottom line and growth. This system includes the following:
- Family satisfaction survey program. Each client family receives a family satisfaction survey constructed to gain specific feedback regarding the arranger, facility, service, and many other aspects of the customer’s experience. The results of the program are reviewed on a monthly basis through customized online reports. They are reviewed by company, location, and each arranger and quickly identify areas that require improvement and training.
- Sales analysis program. On a monthly basis, Johnson Consulting will enter all customer sales contracts into our web-based sales analysis program. (Johnson Consulting Group’s JCGPerformanceTracker™ program) The results of the program are formatted into customized reports and reviewed on a monthly basis. These reports are reviewed by company, location, and each arranger again quickly showing areas that require improvement and training.
- Receivables tracking. If the family customer survey results and the sales results are strong, they are only as good as the money that is then collected. For this reason it is equally important to review the “Days in Receivables” on a monthly basis and track individual arranger’s performance in securing payment for goods and services. Once again, this is compiled through Johnson Consulting’s JCGPerformanceTracker™ program.
- Training. In order to ensure the improvement in customer service, sales, and receivables, a training program is instituted. Depending on the results, training will be in the areas of burial arrangements, cremation arrangements, collections, customer service excellence, workplace communication, merchandising and much, much more. Johnson Consulting has one of the most extensive training libraries in the industry for continual improvement in the arrangement office.
- Incentive Program. Along with training of management, the program also drives the results through an incentive program. Based on our experiences, we will customize an incentive program focused on the family customer survey results, sales, receivables, overall company performance, and most importantly the owner’s areas of importance.
- Accountability Management. To ensure the success of the program, Johnson Consulting Group will conduct monthly, quarterly, and annual meetings. Those meetings with the clients include reviewing progress, evaluating performance, identifying key performers for positive reinforcement and providing additional training and coaching for underperformers.
- Comprehensive Management Services Program (THE BUSINESS SUCCESS PLAN)
Once a performance analysis is completed and the strategic plan reviewed, it is now time to move into action. Our Business Success Plan drives improvements in Customer Service, Workplace, Marketplace, and Financial Management. With such an in depth knowledge and understanding of your business, Johnson Consulting constructs a customized program and becomes your strategic partner to ensure you reach your goals and objectives. The customized components of this program may include:
- Customer Service Training
- Family Satisfaction Surveys and Reports
- Organizational Structure and Workflow Improvement Plan
- Employee Development Training
- Management Development Training
- Employee Recognition Plans
- Employee Incentive Plans
- Master Marketing Plan
- Market Share Tracking Reports
- Strategic Pricing
- Merchandising Plan
- Arranger Training
- Sales Analysis Tracking Reports
- Revenue Enhancement Initiatives
- Expense Reduction Initiatives
- Annual Operating Budget
- Cash Management Procedures
- Collections Training
- Industry Specific Financial Management Reports
- Accountability Management: Progress is constantly measured and performance evaluated so that timely management decisions can be made and executed ensuring success!
- Sales Analysis Reports
- Customized Consulting Program
Not every funeral business has the same needs. For those clients wanting to quickly focus on specific areas of their business, Johnson Consulting can create a customized program for those needs. At Johnson Consulting, we feel that every funeral business owner’s improvement needs will fall into one of the four critical components of successful funeral service practice: Customer Service; Workplace; Marketplace; or Financial Performance.
- Funeral Service Training and Development Library
Johnson Consulting Group has one of the most extensive libraries of professionally designed training programs in the funeral profession. . We can provide training on virtually every topic imaginable in funeral service. Our Training and Development Library programs focus on:
- Customer Service: Exceed the expectations of your customers
- Workplace: Provide an optimum workplace environment for your employees
- Marketplace: Maximize your penetration of the marketplace to gain market share
- Financial Management: The best financial management tools and strategies to achieve peak financial performance
Greg Hilgendorf
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Tyson McLane says:
"Most every family owned funeral home reaches a point in time when the owner generation needs a sound business plan to transfer the ownership to the next generation. That was our situation this year with our funeral homes and cemetery.
We called Tom Johnson who has been a personal friend for some ..."
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Kelvin J. Pennington says:
"Jake, I am just getting back home from our Annual Managers Meeting and I just wanted to say that Todd Van Beck’s presentations were outstanding. It would take me too long in this email to fully describe how outstanding his presentations were. I am overly impressed with him. Where have you guys bee ..."
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