Tracking Supplies: Reducing Waste on Embalming and Prep Room Materials—Where Your Profit Disappears
You buy embalming fluid, cosmetics, linens, and gloves. Some gets used. Some expires. Some disappears. You never track it. Result: 15–25% of your prep room budget is pure waste.
Key Takeaways
• Average funeral home wastes $300–$600/month on prep room supplies (expired, misused, lost)• 40% of waste happens through expired products, spillage, and "we didn't know we had it"• Tracking supply usage reduces waste by 30–40% and improves cost control• A simple tracking system costs $0–$50/month and saves $3,600–$7,200/year
Supply Tracking: The Foundation of Waste Reduction
For a detailed cost analysis of supply tracking systems (digital vs. manual), see our digital vs. physical inventory comparison. Once tracking is in place, the next step is automation with QR code reordering.
The Waste Problem Nobody Talks About
You buy a case of embalming fluid. Your prep technician uses it. Some expires before it's empty. A bottle leaks. Someone grabs the wrong product. You order a new case when you still have half the old one.
Over a year, this adds up to hundreds or thousands of wasted dollars.
Why? Because most funeral homes have no system to track what's in the prep room.
Where Prep Room Budget Gets Lost
1. Expired Products (40% of waste)
Embalming fluid, cosmetics, and other chemicals have shelf lives. Once expired, they're unusable and must be discarded.
Example: You buy a bottle of trocar treatment for $45. It expires before you use it fully. You throw away $15 of unusable product.
2. Overbuying (35% of waste)
You don't know what you have, so you order more. You receive duplicate shipments. You end up with oversupply.
Example: You order embalming fluid without checking inventory. A week later, your existing supply arrives from a prior order. You now have 3 cases instead of 1.
3. Spillage & Damage (15% of waste)
Bottles break. Containers spill. Products are damaged during prep.
Example: A bottle of embalming fluid breaks during transport. You lose the entire bottle ($30–$50).
4. Misuse or Overapplication (10% of waste)
Staff uses more than necessary or uses incorrect products for certain applications.
Example: A technician uses premium cosmetics on a cremation case where standard cosmetics would suffice.
The Financial Impact
Average funeral home monthly prep room supply budget: $800–$1,500
Waste Calculation
- Monthly budget: $1,000 (average)
- Waste rate (untracked): 20–25%
- Monthly waste: $200–$250
- Annual waste: $2,400–$3,000
For a funeral home doing 15–20 cases/month, that's $2,400–$3,000/year in prep room waste alone.
How to Track Supplies Effectively
Step 1: Audit Your Current Inventory
Spend a Saturday doing a complete prep room inventory. For each product:
- Name and brand
- Size/quantity of container
- Expiration date
- Cost per unit
- Current quantity on hand
- Shelf location
Step 2: Create a Tracking Log (Simple Spreadsheet)
You don't need fancy software. A simple spreadsheet works:
| Product | Cost | Starting Qty | Used | Current | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Embalming Fluid (gallon) | $35 | 2 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 3/2026 |
| Lip Color (tube) | $12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 12/2025 |
| Trocar Ointment | $18 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6/2025 |
Each time a technician uses a product, they log it. Monthly, you update the spreadsheet.
Step 3: Set Reorder Points & Expiration Alerts
For each product, decide when to reorder:
- High-use items (embalming fluid, surgical gloves): Reorder when you hit 50% remaining
- Medium-use items (cosmetics, trocar supplies): Reorder when you hit 25% remaining
- Specialty items: Reorder 30 days before expiration
Step 4: Staff Training
Make it easy for staff to track usage. At the start of each shift:
- Technician notes what they're using on a prep room log
- Log includes: date, product, amount, case number (if applicable)
- Manager reviews log weekly
- Manager updates master inventory spreadsheet monthly
Sample Prep Room Usage Log
Date: Oct 16, 2025
Technician: Sarah
Products Used:
- Embalming fluid: ~0.5 gallon (Case #2847)
- Cosmetics (lip color): 1 tube (Case #2847)
- Surgical gloves: 1 box (general use)
Technology Options
Option 1: Spreadsheet (Free)
- Simple, no cost
- Manual updates required
- Works for smaller funeral homes
Option 2: Inventory App (e.g., Airtable, Zoho)
- $15–$50/month
- Mobile access for technicians to log usage
- Automatic alerts for reorder/expiration
- Some apps include barcode scanning
Option 3: Integrated Funeral Software
- Built into case management system
- Link supply usage directly to specific cases
- Track supplies by case for better cost analysis
- $49–$200/month (covers multiple functions)
Reducing Waste Through Best Practices
Practice 1: FIFO (First In, First Out)
When new products arrive, place them behind existing stock. Use older stock first. This prevents expiration waste.
Practice 2: Store by Expiration Date
Organize your shelves so products expiring soon are at eye level. This makes it obvious what needs to be used.
Practice 3: Monthly Expiration Review
First Friday of each month: check for items expiring in the next 60 days. Plan to use them or discard early.
Practice 4: Use Quantity Control
For high-waste items (cosmetics, gloves), buy smaller quantities more frequently rather than bulk orders that may expire.
Practice 5: Staff Accountability
If a technician consistently uses more product than average, review their technique. Sometimes it's overapplication or spillage.
Expected Results
After implementing a tracking system:
- Month 1: You'll discover how much waste you actually have. You'll discard expired items and consolidate duplicates.
- Month 3: Staff is logging usage. You can see patterns (who uses what, and how much).
- Month 6: Waste reduces 20–30%. You're reordering smarter. Expiration waste drops significantly.
- Year 1: Total waste reduction: 30–40%. Annual savings: $800–$1,200+
Bottom Line
Your prep room supplies are like any other inventory: they need to be tracked, managed, and controlled.
Without tracking, you waste 20–25% of your budget on expired products, duplicates, and spillage.
With a simple tracking system, you cut waste by 30–40% and free up $800–$1,200/year.
That money goes directly to your bottom line.
Track Supply Usage Efficiently
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