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Deathcare Innovation LabProposed for ICCFA 2027

Example applications

What a team could actually build.

Six illustrative concepts, written to show what a three-day prototype can contain. None of these are completed projects, and none are being offered as products.

Illustrative concept — not a completed participant project.
See the challenge tracks
01Family Experience

Family Journey

The problem. Families absorb an enormous number of decisions in a single meeting and leave unsure what was chosen, what is still open, and what each choice means.

The proposed solution. A private, guided space where a family reviews decisions already made, sees what remains, and can ask their team a question without another phone call.

Bereaved familiesArrangement coordinatorsAftercare staff
  • Fewer repeat calls to the funeral home
  • Families arrive at the second meeting already aligned
  • Aftercare follow-up starts on a date the family chose

What a hackathon team could demonstrate

A working family-facing view that updates when staff mark an item complete.

Family Journey

Illustrative concept

1

Today’s plan

2

Choices

3

Ask your team

Today’s plan

What is confirmed, what is pending, what happens next

Choices

Each decision with plain-language explanation and cost band

Ask your team

A question that routes to the coordinator on duty

Illustrative concept — not a completed participant project. Sample screens contain fictional information only.

02Cremation & Compliance

Crematory Ready

The problem. Daily readiness checks are completed on clipboards and reviewed too late to fix anything, so issues surface during audits rather than during shifts.

The proposed solution. A shared readiness checklist where each station confirms its steps and any incomplete item is visible to a manager before the process begins.

Crematory operatorsShift supervisorsCompliance leads
  • Issues caught during the shift, not at month-end
  • Consistent practice across locations and staff
  • Faster onboarding for new crematory team members

What a hackathon team could demonstrate

A checklist that records who completed what, and a manager view that flags the gap.

Crematory Ready

Illustrative concept

1

Daily checklist

2

Flagged items

3

Manager overview

Daily checklist

Step-by-step confirmation with time stamps

Flagged items

Anything incomplete, with the person responsible

Manager overview

Completion status across every location

Illustrative concept — not a completed participant project. Sample screens contain fictional information only.

03Cemetery Innovation

Memorial Explorer

The problem. Families walk the grounds without a way to see what exists, what is available, and what a memorial there would look like.

The proposed solution. An interactive grounds explorer that shows sections, availability, and memorial styles side by side, so a family can arrive with a shortlist.

Prospective familiesGrounds staffSales and interment teams
  • Shorter, calmer property visits
  • Fewer questions about what is and isn’t available
  • Grounds teams stop walking the same sections twice a day

What a hackathon team could demonstrate

A browsable explorer with real availability data pulled from a simple inventory table.

Memorial Explorer

Illustrative concept

1

Grounds map

2

Memorial styles

3

Visit planner

Grounds map

Sections with availability and character

Memorial styles

Options each section permits, with examples

Visit planner

Save a shortlist and book a guided walk

Illustrative concept — not a completed participant project. Sample screens contain fictional information only.

04Family Experience

Aftercare Companion

The problem. Support for families effectively ends the day of the service, even though the hardest weeks come after it.

The proposed solution. A scheduled aftercare companion that sends the right reminder, resource, or check-in at the right moment, and tells staff when someone has not engaged.

Bereaved familiesAftercare coordinatorsCommunity partners
  • Consistent follow-up without extra staffing
  • Families receive help at the moment it is useful
  • Aftercare becomes measurable rather than anecdotal

What a hackathon team could demonstrate

A timed message sequence with a staff view of who still needs a personal call.

Aftercare Companion

Illustrative concept

1

Your first month

2

Resources

3

Care team view

Your first month

Practical steps arranged by week

Resources

Grief support, financial guidance, and local referrals

Care team view

Who has not yet received a scheduled touchpoint

Illustrative concept — not a completed participant project. Sample screens contain fictional information only.

05Growth & Preneed

Preneed Pathfinder

The problem. Preneed conversations stall because options and pricing feel opaque, and prospective families are not ready to commit to a meeting.

The proposed solution. A low-pressure planning explainer that walks someone through options, costs, and questions to bring, then hands off to a professional when they are ready.

Families planning aheadPreneed counselorsFaith and community partners
  • Earlier, better-informed conversations
  • Counselors spend time on decisions, not definitions
  • Planning feels like guidance rather than a sale

What a hackathon team could demonstrate

A guided flow that produces a shareable summary a counselor can open before a meeting.

Preneed Pathfinder

Illustrative concept

1

Where to start

2

Options compared

3

Bring this to a meeting

Where to start

A short guided path based on what matters to them

Options compared

Side-by-side view with transparent cost bands

Bring this to a meeting

A summary the family can print or share

Illustrative concept — not a completed participant project. Sample screens contain fictional information only.

06Pet Aftercare

Pet Tribute Studio

The problem. Pet families receive little guidance on aftercare options, and keepsake or memorial choices are described verbally rather than shown.

The proposed solution. A memorial builder that lets a pet family see and choose a tribute, then share a remembrance page with the people who knew the animal.

Pet familiesAftercare staffVeterinary clinic partners
  • Pet families choose with the same clarity as other families
  • Veterinary partners stay informed without phone tag
  • Remembrance continues after the service

What a hackathon team could demonstrate

A tribute selection flow that generates a shareable remembrance page.

Pet Tribute Studio

Illustrative concept

1

Choose a tribute

2

Remembrance page

3

Clinic partner view

Choose a tribute

Visual options with plain descriptions

Remembrance page

A shareable page with photos and stories

Clinic partner view

Status and handoff for referring clinics

Illustrative concept — not a completed participant project. Sample screens contain fictional information only.

Your turn

Every one of these started as a complaint in a hallway.

The gap between knowing a problem and demonstrating a solution is now a three-day guided build.

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