ArrangeDeskFuneral home case tracking spreadsheet vs a case board
Updated October 26, 2026 · For independent funeral homes
Small funeral homes often track active cases on a whiteboard in the back office, a spreadsheet, or both. Each case gets a row: the deceased, the family contact, the service date, and a few columns of ticks for the death certificate, the obituary and the flowers.
That works while the same two people handle every case. It starts to strain when cases overlap, when staff change shifts, and when families call to ask where things stand. This page covers a spreadsheet layout that holds up, and how it compares with a shared case board.
A case sheet that works
- One row per case: the deceased, the family contact, their phone and email.
- Service type and date.
- Status: intake, in progress, completed.
- A column per step you track on every case (removal, certificate filed, permit, obituary, service details confirmed).
- A notes column with dates, not just text.
Where the sheet strains
- Every case is different, but the columns are the same for all of them.
- Families can’t see progress without calling.
- Two people editing the sheet at once overwrite each other.
Spreadsheet vs ArrangeDesk
- Cases
- Spreadsheet or whiteboard Rows
- ArrangeDesk Each case with the deceased, family contact, service date and status
- Steps
- Spreadsheet or whiteboard The same columns for every case
- ArrangeDesk A checklist per case: add what it needs, remove what it doesn’t
- What’s open
- Spreadsheet or whiteboard Scan for blanks
- ArrangeDesk Open items across all cases in one list
- Families
- Spreadsheet or whiteboard Phone calls
- ArrangeDesk A private family page showing the checklist as it’s completed, with your name and number
- Case changes
- Spreadsheet or whiteboard Unknown who edited it
- ArrangeDesk History on each case: who changed its details or status, and when
- Seeing the week
- Spreadsheet or whiteboard The whiteboard
- ArrangeDesk A calendar view of service dates
- Cost
- Spreadsheet or whiteboard Free
- ArrangeDesk $59/mo Home, $119/mo with staff logins
| Spreadsheet or whiteboard | ArrangeDesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | Rows | Each case with the deceased, family contact, service date and status |
| Steps | The same columns for every case | A checklist per case: add what it needs, remove what it doesn’t |
| What’s open | Scan for blanks | Open items across all cases in one list |
| Families | Phone calls | A private family page showing the checklist as it’s completed, with your name and number |
| Case changes | Unknown who edited it | History on each case: who changed its details or status, and when |
| Seeing the week | The whiteboard | A calendar view of service dates |
| Cost | Free | $59/mo Home, $119/mo with staff logins |
What not to put online
Keep private details off the family page. ArrangeDesk shows families the checklist items and your contact details; it doesn’t replace your records for permits, certificates or payments, and the family page is kept out of search results.
Common questions
- Do families need an account to see their page?
- No. They open a private link you send from your funeral home’s name. Replies come straight to you.
- Can we bring our current case list over?
- Yes. Import cases from a CSV export of your spreadsheet, and export everything back to CSV at any time.