Batesville Connect™ Digital Experience Brings Unprecedented Convenience and Confidence to Funeral Directors
Batesville, Ind., May 25, 2022 – Batesville, a leading provider of quality products and innovative technology solutions to death care professionals, announced the launch of Batesville Connect™, a new digital experience that transforms how funeral directors access account information, order and track products, pay bills, and manage their business with the company, using the world-class SAP® Commerce Cloud platform to deliver a better online experience. Accessed through the company’s secure website, Batesville Connect provides unprecedented levels of convenience, confidence and control, which are important in an “always on” work environment. “Technology is a powerful enabler in today’s funeral homes,” said Jenn Parvin, vice president of marketing and technology at Batesville. “Our goal was to connect funeral directors to the information and processes they use every day to manage their business. Essentially, to create one system where they can place orders, view invoices, pay bills, research products, track casket deliveries, access educational content, or just update and manage their account information – anytime, anywhere, using any device.”
The launch of Batesville Connect is an important milestone in building an agile technology infrastructure that will scale to meet the needs of the business, while providing the flexibility to quickly respond to the changing digital landscape. The project has touched nearly every internal application and involved experts from across the company.
SAP Commerce is used by leading B2B and B2C companies around the world to enhance customer engagement, build loyalty and drive revenue. That starts with putting the customer at the center. Batesville conducted research to learn how its customers use online systems in their personal and professional lives and what they value in a supplier’s system. By looking through the customer’s lens first, the company’s technology experts were able to establish a clear roadmap that focuses on the things that matter most to funeral directors and make those the center of the new platform.
Connections that simplify business processes
“Our research showed that funeral directors are not only open to using technology to manage their business, they expect the same kind of online, self-service experience and capabilities at work that they are accustomed to in their everyday lives,” said Parvin.
Batesville Connect provides that – and more – with an innovative Customer Dashboard that serves as the central point of access to a wide range of tools and information. Some of the key features of the platform include:
- Enhanced product experience: Easy access to detailed product information, including personalization options and product suggestions.
- Simplified online buying experience: Search and filter products by feature, color, material, etc., add personalization, save to the online cart, and follow the intuitive checkout process.
- Visibility to open balances and bill pay: View current balance at any time of the month, select a group of invoices and pay using a preferred payment method.
- Ability to track casket delivery: Check the estimated 2-hour delivery window and view the Batesville delivery truck’s progress on the route to the funeral home.
- Comprehensive order history: Reference and keep track of current and past Batesville orders, whether placed online or through other channels.
- Administrative capabilities: Manage user permissions to control access to pricing data and certain functions, manage funeral home users and keep account info up to date.
The customer Dashboard is one of the most transformational elements of the new system. From a single screen, funeral directors can instantly access the information and tools to help manage their accounts, without having to call a customer service specialist, the local service team, their sales consultant, or a finance representative.
“By giving funeral directors the flexibility to take care of routine processes when they are not busy taking care of families, Batesville Connect is a huge step forward that will deliver benefits well into the future,” explains Parvin.
The Dashboard also provides convenient links to other frequently accessed tools like the Product Showroom, Meaningful Selections and the new Batesville Resource Center, where registered users can view the latest industry trends, product updates, educational offerings, and more.
Batesville has also given its corporate website a fresh new look and an improved user experience, with even more product information, resources to help grieving families and a funeral home locator to help guide them to a funeral professional.
Sign up and sign in
The new website and Batesville Connect system are now live and available for use. To learn more, visit Batesville.com/Connect.
ABOUT BATESVILLE
Batesville (www.Batesville.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hillenbrand, Inc. (NYSE:HI), is a recognized leader in the death care industry in North America, offering a comprehensive portfolio of burial and cremation products, memorialization options and innovative technology solutions. For more than a century, Batesville has supported licensed funeral professionals in helping families honor the lives of those they love.® A history of manufacturing excellence, product innovation, superior customer service and reliable delivery helped Batesville become – and remain – a market leader.
