Access Protected
Enter the access code to view this proposal
Back to Express Hub App
Forgot or need an access code?
jesus@expressautomations.com
Enter the access code to view this proposal
Back to Express Hub App
Forgot or need an access code?
jesus@expressautomations.com
Strategic Proposal 2026
The Next Generation Portal for Express Funeral Funding
A custom-built proposal to transform EFF's Express Hub into an AI-powered platform designed specifically for funeral homes, cemeteries, and life insurance claims processing.
Note: "Hub360" is a working name used in this proposal to distinguish the new portal from the current Express Hub. EFF will determine the final product name.
Everything you need to know before diving into the details.
EFF's current Express Hub is expensive to maintain, slow to update, and lacks modern capabilities like AI, live chat, and document management. Third-party dependency creates cost uncertainty and limits innovation.
Build Express Hub360 — an AI-powered, in-house platform with full Zoho integration. Modern UX, instant notifications, intelligent chatbot, document repository, and enterprise features for corporate accounts.
This proposal details a strategic investment that will transform EFF from a funding company with a portal into a technology-enabled industry leader. Without action, EFF risks losing ground to competitors investing in modern digital experiences.
EFF's current Express Hub has served its purpose, but limitations are holding the company back from fully serving funeral home and cemetery clients.
Third-party Azure development with constantly changing teams. Prices keep increasing for every small change.
Simple UI changes take weeks and cost thousands. We can't respond quickly to client needs.
Not fully responsive. Funeral home staff struggle to check claims on tablets and phones.
Basic messaging without live chat. No instant notifications for claim updates.
No custom reports, no advanced filters, no data exports. Clients can't get the insights they need.
Missing the biggest opportunity for automation, smart assistance, and reduced support costs.
99% identical experience for all users. No dynamic customization per account or role.
Documents scattered across systems. No centralized, organized document management.
Funeral homes can't find answers themselves — every question requires contacting EFF support, increasing call volume and wait times.
Data-driven insights showing why digital transformation is critical for the funeral services industry.
Total U.S. funeral profession revenue projected to grow at 2.3% annually, showing steady industry expansion.
NFDA 2025 Report →Nearly 1 in 3 families now handle all funeral arrangements digitally — a major shift in consumer behavior.
NFDA Consumer Study 2025 →Nearly doubled from 21% in 2023 — social media is now a primary discovery channel for funeral services.
NFDA Consumer Study 2025 →Now double the burial rate (31.6%). Expected to reach 82.3% by 2045 — reshaping the entire industry.
NFDA Cremation Report 2025 →Over half of NFDA-member funeral homes now offer virtual services; 13.9% more plan to add it soon.
NFDA 2025 Report →Majority of consumers want eco-friendly options — sustainability is now a key differentiator.
NFDA Consumer Study 2025 →Leading competitors like C&J Financial deliver funding within 24-48 hours — this is now table stakes.
Growing from $13B in 2024 at 6.44% CAGR — massive opportunity for digital funeral service tools.
Credence Research Report →70%+ of consumers have visited a funeral home website (up from 46% in 2016). 31.8% prefer hybrid online + in-person planning. The shift is accelerating.
Leading funding companies have launched mobile apps, real-time tracking, and 24-48 hour funding. EFF must match or exceed these capabilities to remain competitive.
AI chatbots provide 24/7 instant support and self-service capabilities. Companies with AI-powered portals report higher client satisfaction and lower operational costs.
A clear roadmap of must-have features to match competitors and differentiators to surpass them.
Essential to match current industry standards
Features that put EFF ahead of ALL competitors
Hub360 opens the door for future integrations among the family of companies — creating possibilities that don't exist with the current Hub.
Life insurance assignment processing and funding for funeral homes and cemeteries. Fast, reliable funding that helps families during difficult times. The company Hub360 will transform.
America's leading provider of funeral stationery since 1913. Memorial register books, service folders, prayer cards, acknowledgements, and personalized keepsakes trusted by thousands of funeral homes nationwide.
The original fingerprint keepsake jewelry artisans since 1998. Unique fingerprint necklaces, rings, and keepsakes capturing the essence of loved ones. 1M+ fingerprints securely stored in their digital vault.
All-in-one cloud-based cemetery management software. Interactive mapping, burial records, public search portals, and comprehensive reporting. Trusted by 1,000+ cemeteries across 40+ states.
While the current Hub has no integration capabilities, Hub360's modern architecture creates the foundation that could enable family company collaboration down the road.
With Hub360's foundation, these integrations become possible — when the time is right.
Funding + stationery + keepsakes in one platform
Secure info flow between family companies
CemSites records link to EFF claims
Cross-company relationship insights
Connect clients to family services
No competitor has this ecosystem
Hub360 isn't just a portal upgrade — it's the foundation that opens doors for future integrations among the Messenger family of companies. This strategic flexibility is impossible with the current Hub.
Why EFF should rebuild the client portal — the complete transformation explained.
Third-Party Managed
Transform
AI-Powered • In-House Control
The current Hub was built on third-party infrastructure (Azure) with no AI foundation, no internal API architecture, and no Zoho integration. Adding these capabilities would require essentially rebuilding it anyway — at higher cost with ongoing third-party dependency. Hub360 gives us full ownership and future-proof architecture.
Competitors are investing heavily in technology. Funeral homes increasingly expect AI-powered self-service, instant notifications, and modern UX. Without Hub360, EFF risks: losing enterprise accounts to competitors, increased support costs, missing future integration opportunities, and falling behind on AI innovation.
Hub360 makes EFF the ONLY funeral funding company with: AI-powered delay explanations, intelligent chatbot, enterprise dashboards for corporate groups, and the foundation for future family company integrations. These advantages are years ahead of competitors.
Hub360 is built by certified Zoho developers with deep funeral industry expertise — no learning curve, no expensive third-party rates. We estimate 35-60% cost reduction on development, plus features can be delivered in days instead of weeks. The investment pays for itself through operational savings and enterprise revenue growth.
Every capability compared — see exactly what changes and why it matters.
| Feature / Capability |  Express Hub (Current) |
360 Express Hub360 (New) |
|---|---|---|
| ENHANCEMENTS Basic → Advanced | ||
| Claims Management | ||
| Notifications | ||
| Analytics & Reporting | ||
| UPGRADES Partial → Full | ||
| Messaging System | ||
| User Authentication | ||
| REPLACEMENTS Inadequate → Modern | ||
| Mobile Experience | ||
| Development Speed | ||
| Development Cost | ||
| NEW FEATURES None → Available | ||
| AI Chatbot & Delay Explanations | ||
| AI Claim Intelligence | ||
| Instant Funding Notifications | ||
| Dynamic User-Type UI | ||
| Document Repository | ||
| Enterprise Analytics | ||
| Electronic Signatures | ||
Transform how EFF's funeral home clients interact with claims through intelligent automation.
AI integration across every touchpoint. Smarter, faster, more efficient — for EFF's funeral home and cemetery clients, and EFF's internal team.
24/7 AI assistant answers claim status questions, guides users through submissions, handles FAQs — keeping clients informed and connected to EFF around the clock.
When funding takes longer, AI uses claim history, funded claims data, and insurance company database to proactively explain delays — clients get answers without calling, no frustration.
AI reads EFF's internal staff notes (not visible to clients) to answer key questions: Why isn't this funded yet? When was the last activity? What comes next?
When EFF funds quickly, clients get real-time alerts so they recognize EFF's speed and value — highlighting the service they're receiving.
Different UI for small funeral homes vs. large groups and corporations — enterprise users get sophisticated multi-location dashboards, advanced KPIs, and corporate reporting.
AI predicts claim approval probability, estimated processing times, and potential issues before they become problems.
AI monitors patterns and alerts staff to unusual amounts, suspicious activity, duplicates, or data inconsistencies.
Secure, industry-standard platforms for each use case
Hub360's AI capabilities will be built using established, secure platforms — the same technologies trusted by businesses worldwide. We'll evaluate and select the best options for each specific need:
Zoho Analytics built-in, with potential integration to AI-powered insights from providers like OpenAI or Google for advanced analysis.
Options include OpenAI, Google Gemini, or Anthropic Claude — all enterprise-grade with strong security and privacy standards.
All AI integrations will be evaluated for security, data privacy, and compliance before implementation. EFF's data stays protected.
Our Approach: We'll research, test, and recommend the best AI solutions for EFF's specific needs — balancing functionality, security, and cost. No vendor lock-in, full transparency on all technology choices.
Hub360 can integrate EFF's eFAX system directly into the portal — streamlining document communication between funeral homes and EFF:
Users can fax documents directly to EFF without leaving the portal
Real-time status updates on faxes sent to or received from EFF
Complete log of all fax communications per claim
Cost savings driven by affordable rates plus faster development from deep Zoho expertise and funeral industry experience.
Hub360 delivers features 5-10x faster with certified Zoho + funeral industry expertise
Conservative estimates based on industry benchmarks and EFF's operational scale
Expected Payback: ~18 Months
Gradual ROI through cost savings, new enterprise wins, and operational efficiencies
* Conservative estimates. Value grows as new enterprise accounts and operational efficiencies compound over time.
A transparent breakdown of the Hub360 investment, delivery timeline, and what's included — built for EFF's long-term success.
Throughout any enterprise project, new ideas emerge, requirements evolve, and opportunities arise. We recommend EFF budget an additional 25% buffer for enhancements discovered during development. This is not scope creep — it's innovation. Every successful platform grows beyond its initial vision, and Hub360 will be no exception. This buffer ensures EFF can say "yes" to great ideas without delays.
A phased approach ensuring zero downtime and continuous progress
~3-4 Months • Heaviest Lift
Rebuild everything the current Hub does — guaranteed no step down. All core infrastructure, Zoho CRM live API connections, user authentication, claims management, and fundamental architecture.
Deliverables:
~2-3 Months • The Magic
All the exciting new capabilities — AI chatbot, delay explanations, document repository, live chat, enterprise analytics, dynamic UI, and integrations. This is where Hub360 becomes extraordinary.
Deliverables:
~1-2 Months • Perfection
Final cleanup, smart workflows, notification systems, email alerts, UI perfection, extensive testing, performance optimization, and last-moment refinements. Launch-ready quality.
Deliverables:
The current Express Hub remains fully operational throughout development. EFF's funeral home clients experience no disruption. Hub360 is built in parallel, and migration happens only when everything is tested and ready.
Every major technology initiative carries inherent risks. Here's how we proactively mitigate them to ensure a smooth, successful transition.
Your current Express Hub continues operating normally throughout the entire development process. Hub360 runs in parallel until fully tested and approved.
Hub360 follows the same professional security practices used by businesses worldwide — secure hosting via Cloudflare, automatic backups, and encrypted connections. Fully documented and 100% owned by EFF.
In the unlikely event of any critical issues post-launch, your original Express Hub remains intact and can be reactivated immediately — no data loss, no panic.
We don't just build software — we become your long-term technology partner, invested in your success.
The cost of inaction is often greater than the cost of transformation
The ideal partner for EFF's digital transformation — 10+ years Zoho expertise, 200+ clients, 98% retention.
Official Zoho Advanced Partner | Louisville, Kentucky | 100% USA-Based Team
Visit expressautomations.com
Live Demo Portfolio: Explore our mock portals built from the ground up at our website — see firsthand the quality and capabilities we deliver.
Certified partnership demonstrating the highest level of Zoho platform expertise and proven client success.
Zoho Creator Certified Developer, CRM Consultant, and 6+ additional certifications across the Zoho ecosystem.
Extensive experience building custom client portals exactly like Express Hub360 for 50+ industries.
8+ certified developers, all based in the United States. No offshore outsourcing. Direct communication.
OpenAI and Zoho Zia integration experience. Building intelligent automation that reduces manual work.
REST/SOAP API expertise connecting Zoho with external systems, payment gateways, and third-party services.