Drew de Michaelis (Omega Society): 4,500 Cremations per Year. How We Did It. | #41

The Direct Cremation Podcast

Scaling a funeral home to serve more than 1,000 families annually demands competent execution and a well-devised business strategy. But to ramp that up to over 4,500 families in a single year requires phenomenal execution, a stellar team, and near-flawless operational efficiency.

Drew de Michaelis was the operational maestro behind Omega Society during its pinnacle, when it was serving upwards of 4,500 families each year from just one Southern California location. This achievement was far from coincidental; it was the result of a meticulous, data-focused playbook designed for peak operational efficiency.

In this enlightening episode, Drew unveils the essential metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that were the cornerstone of Omega Society's success. Listen in to discover how the right data analytics can ensure both outstanding value for families and optimal operational performance for your team.

Timestamps
(00:00) Intro
(00:47) Welcome to Direct Cremation Podcast
(01:45) Drew's background
(03:27) Drew's role at Omega Society
(06:54) Drew's first impressions of Omega Society
(07:46) Observing the complexity and identifying opportunities for improvement
(08:59) Differences in mindset and coworker interactions compared to Harry's
(10:35) Contrasting communication styles and workplace experiences
(12:54) Analyzing processes and optimizing operations in a funeral home
(15:22) Measuring important metrics, such as days per cremation
(17:35) Tracking new cases and days to cremate for maintaining health
(19:15) Managing in and out flow on a daily and weekly basis
(20:55) Monitoring customer experience through reviews and feedback
(21:47) Tracking metrics for the arrangement process
(24:30) Assigning responsibility and accountability for specific arrangers
(27:56) Drew's personal goals for their funeral directors
(30:54) Enacting change by understanding individual motivators
(32:46) The potential for skilled professionals in the funeral industry
(34:26) Trends in the industry Drew is excited about | What deathcare looks like in 10 years
(40:48) What Drew is up to nowadays

For Innovative Funeral Directors Blazing a Trail. Find us at https://directcremation.com
Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Want to start a cremation brand yourself? Learn how the some of the biggest cremation brands do it at https://www.partingpro.com

Learn the playbook responsible for growing my family business to over 4500 calls a year without digital marketing: https://wdgroupconsulting.com