Even though full cannabis legalization is still entangled in a web of bureaucracy and misconceptions, there is no doubt that the tides have turned. Both marijuana and hemp have finally moved from a black market status to a legitimate industry that generates billions of dollars in revenue.
The transition from the “back alley” to the dispensary has its challenges. Cannabis inexplicably remains illegal at the federal level, while legalization varies between states. Local regulations, suspicion from authorities and the battle with the black market only make things more complicated for business owners. Amidst this chaos, seed-to-sale software platforms promise to make life for retailers a little bit easier and help dispensary owners and producers to organize their operations in a more transparent and compliant way.
While you might think that this is a highly niched market, but as the cannabis industry grows, even established companies like Microsoft want their share of the profits. In June 2016 Microsoft partnered with KIND, a platform used by regulatory agencies, to develop its own dedicated marijuana seed-to-sale software.
What is Seed-to-Sale Software?
To put it simply, seed-to-sale software is a SaaS (software as a service) platform that makes labeling, tracking and managing your products according to state regulations immensely easier. A seed-to-sale platform makes sure that not a bud of product that leaves your shop remains untraced. Of course, there are many other benefits in using specialized software for your business and we’ll take a look at them one by one.
Plant Management Capabilities
Gone are the days of the pen & paper! With a seed to sale software, you can manage all your plants according to their needs by automating the process. Seed to sale software assigns a unique barcode to each one of your plants so you can trace back to it anytime. In addition, you get:
Task Reminders
Commercial grow operations involve a ton of details that are impossible to keep in mind. With an S2S platform, you can place reminders for specific tasks.
Chain of Custody Tracking
If your company has multiple employees, you can track who did what on which plant at a certain point.
Clone Tracking
If you are growing clones, you can use S2S to track a plant back to its sister plant.
Energy Consumption Tracking
Operating a grow room means that grow lights are running pretty much constantly. S2S software helps you with tracking energy consumption and calculate exactly how much you spend on electricity bills.
Environment Monitor
Temperature, humidity, CO2 levels etc, are important factors for your cannabis plants. A specialized software can provide you with all necessary metrics at a glance!
Ingredient Tracking
Track all the ingredients and nutrients that each plant uses. This can be especially useful in the event of a deficiency.
Patient to Plant Assignment (for Medical Users)
Medical patients can only buy a certain amount of cannabis per week. Make sure you stay compliant with local laws by assigning Medical Cards with the amount they purchased.
Plant Organization
Check the status of all plants that meet certain criteria.
QR Codes
Tag plants with QR (Quick Response) codes. Employees can use any device that reads QR codes (such as many smartphones) to quickly view plant-specific information and instructions.
RFID Tracking
Assign RFID tags to plants or products, and easily track them throughout the seed-to-sale process.
Seed Tracking
All the plants you are growing can now be traced back to your business, safeguarding the reputation and credibility of your business.
Strain Info
All the necessary information of a particular strain is now available at the touch of a button!
Yield Tracking
Yields fluctuate according to genetics and the environment. Keep track of the precise amount each mother produced. This function is especially useful for breeders too!
QA Testin
Keep all your test data stored in the cloud and print them on product labels automatically to ensure complete transparency.
Using Seed-to-Sale for Cannabis Retail Inventory Management
Plant management is only one of the many uses for a seed-to-sale software platform. Inventory management is a crucial aspect of any successful retailer and this is all the more important when it comes to cannabis dispensaries. In most states, municipalities reserve the right to ban cannabis businesses if they feel they are not lawful. Therefore, transparency and compliance with local laws are key for your business.
Your inventory must be traceable at all times and a seed-to-sale software can help you automate an otherwise tedious process. With a dedicated retailer platform, you can:
Generate Transportation Reports
Safeguard your business by generating appropriate documentation for every transport that comes or goes out of your business.
Convert Inventory and Grading
If you own a business that sells extracts or edibles, you can calculate and convert the exact amount of raw material used for the manufacture of the end product.
Scan Vendor Documents
Keep track of all the necessary paperwork by digitizing all the vendor and partner documents.
Create a Virtual Seed-to-Sale Paper Trail
Seed-to-sale software can provide a detailed history of every piece of product that goes out of your store.
Manage Wholesale Orders
Whether you run a wholesale or a retail business, it is important to keep track of inbound and outbound wholesale transactions.
Medical Cannabis Patient Software Solutions
In most states, marijuana has only been legalized for medical use only. Usually, this comes with heavy regulations and state control. You can utilize a seed-to-sale software to track, control and measure individual sales to registered patients.
There is a wealth of S2S options for medical dispensaries, that will ensure the smooth operation of your business under local laws.
Sales Limits
Scan a patient’s card and see whether they have exceeded their weekly limit.
Credentials Validation
Easily detect fraudulent patient IDs via an online database that can verify the registered number of each patient.
Scheduling
Book appointments with patients and avoid unwanted waiting times in your store.
Compliance and Reporting to the Authorities
An automated, all-in-one system means that every bit of your business is tracked and accounted for. Therefore, you can provide local authorities with all the data they need effortlessly, without the need for unnecessary concerns.
All your employee, plant, tax and sales data are under one roof and can be exported at any time for the perusal of interested parties. Many seed-to-sale solutions provide specific reporting options, depending on the legislation of a particular state.
Growing Your Cannabis Business with Seed-to-Sale Software
Apart from a tricky legislature, cannabis business owners also have to battle a rampant black market. Detailed reporting and traceability are extremely important when it comes to cannabis products, especially because the industry was unregulated for so long.
Safeguarding the experience of your customers against adulterated products is paramount to any legal cannabis business and a seed-to-sale software can prove instrumental in doing so. In addition, you can easily provide regulatory agencies with all the necessary reports without any additional problems.
Choosing the Seed-to-Sale Software That’s Right for You
Not all businesses have the same needs. Breeders, dispensaries and delivery services all need specific aspects of their software system. For example, it's no use running a plant management platform if you are an edible retailer that gets raw material from a grow house. Therefore, your best bet would be to choose a solution that's tailored to your specific needs.
How Transparency and Organization Increases Sales
Your customers value sincerity and can tell whether your business runs in a high standard. By keeping track of the origins of your products, you help your brand earn valuable trust by the public.
Also, at a federal level, you make the world a better place for the future of the cannabis industry by showcasing how a marijuana business can be structured and run properly. More of these examples can help the government make the long-awaited step to legalize cannabis at a federal level!
Ask Our Experts About a Plan That Is Customized to Your Needs
Here at Viridian Sciences, we want to provide the best all-in-one business management software solutions for cannabis industry business owners. Our software is built on the framework and security of SAP Business One, so you can rest assured that your company remains secure and compliant with all state laws.
Our mission is to help you grow your business by providing the world's leading enterprise resource planning technology while helping your company adhere to government regulations with complete legal compliance.
Our software enables your cannabis business to run efficiently with automated inventory tracking, seed-to-sale reporting, financial accounting, growth management, quality control, and many other essential tools to help you succeed. Ask us about custom seed-to-sale software solutions tailored to your business model today!
