It’s Time to Finish What I Started: Transforming the Bereavement Journey
In this ‘Meet our Experts’ article, our Bereavement Journey Specialist, Michael Kennelly, reflects on a decade spent transforming bereavement services and explains why it’s time to finish what he started.
When someone you have lived with for 50 years passes away, it’s brutal. You are dealing with grief that is overwhelming. At the same time, there are administrative tasks that demand attention at the most challenging moment of your life.
Why Bereavement Journeys Leave Families Feeling Vulnerable
Bereavement is one of the hardest journeys any family will ever face. And yet, when people are grieving, they are also forced into a maze of admin, repeating the same painful conversation again and again.
I sat with one woman who told me she didn’t feel vulnerable when her mother died, at first. But after the second phone call to cancel various accounts, she did. That was the moment it hit her. The so-called “sadmin” is overwhelming, exhausting and emotionally destructive.
While working with a utility company to assess their bereavement journey, I heard one customer say, “I don’t care anymore, just put me on any tariff.” The reply? “But I have to tell you about all the tariffs.” The call lasted 30 minutes. I can only imagine what that felt like from the caller’s point of view.
The Hidden Cost of Repeating a Loss
In fact, the average person has to notify around 21 different organisations after a death. That’s 21 times explaining what happened. 21 times reliving the loss. 21 times trying to stay composed while navigating processes that were never designed with compassion in mind.
It’s time for change.
From Death Notification Service to True Tell Us Once
For eight years, I spearheaded the launch of the Death Notification Service (DNS) at Equiniti. It was the first step towards improving bereavement journeys by creating a digital doorway to notify multiple organisations at once.
But the system was the first of its kind and has limitations. It was never designed to support the full, end-to-end journey. It cannot even store a death certificate. What families need now is more sophisticated, something built entirely from the point of view of the customer. A genuine “tell us once” system. One that reduces duplication and one where documentation sits on a central platform. A system that allows users to upload and validate documents securely.
Building a Better Bereavement Journey
Like the DNS, there would be a digital doorway or entry point. But the new system would capture documentation and actively improve outcomes for customers across multiple sectors. That is why I’ve joined EstateConnect because that’s what we are creating.
This is an opportunity to finish what I started. To work with financial organisations that may individually offer good bereavement journeys, but when combined with the 20 other organisations a family must contact, it becomes clear that the overall experience is fragmented and stressful.
How Technology Can Reduce Bereavement Administration
EstateConnect will offer a single touchpoint for the financial industry and for those dealing with the death of a loved one. A gateway to upload and validate documentation and unite what is currently a disjointed process.
For beravement teams, the platform will speed up administration. Designed with simplicity in mind; users will not need to be technically aware. The technical foundations already exist to provide secure uploads, controlled access and notifications. Ultimately, the ambition is to develop an executional solution across every sector, from property to insurance, banking, to telecoms and utilities.
A New Vision for Bereavement Services
I joined the bereavement tech industry by accident a decade ago. I stepped away for 12 months to join a bank. When I returned, nothing had changed. Over the years, I’ve come to understand both the challenges and what needs to be done to fix them.
Bereavement journeys are not good enough. In many ways, they have become worse. People now have multiple bank accounts, mortgages, credit cards, investments, savings, pensions and phone contracts. The list goes on. Dealing with all of these when someone dies is not just a bad bereavement journey; it’s a bad bereavement journey on repeat.
Finishing the Job: The Future of Bereavement Journeys
I’ve joined EstateConnect because the team has a clear value proposition which matches my personal agenda. And my purpose is simple: to finish what I started, and to make bereavement journeys better for everyone.
