Seed to Sale Software
Seed to sale software is a type of manufacturing ERP system designed to help manage, track and regulate the entire marijuana cultivation processing for cannabis businesses, from seed to final sale.
Also referred to as cannabis software or marijuana software, a seed to sale system provides businesses and organizations in the cannabis industry the ability to regulate, track and report on their own cannabis products, from the planting stage all the way to distribution and sale. Some software solutions in this category specialize in seed to sale tracking, while others are fully integrated with key applications and tools and are capable of running entire operations. This means one class or category is comprised of seed to sale tracking software products, while the other class delivers best-of-breed seed to sale software.
Cannabis seed to sale systems are equipped with inventory management tools and capabilities, giving users the ability to keep track of their inventory across the supply chain and throughout its entire lifecycle to ensure compliance. The cannabis business is one of the most highly regulated industries in the US, Canada and other countries where cannabis and hemp are legal. The primary role of seed to sale platforms is to help businesses that cultivate and distribute cannabis products stay compliant with every local and state law and federal regulation as well. It also aims to make the overall seed to sale process easier and more efficient for all industry players and operators.
Distru is a fully-fledged Seed to Sale ERP solution covering the full manufacturing to distribution process.
At its core, seed to sale software has very similar functions to conventional enterprise resource planning or ERP systems and other supply chain and inventory management solutions. The key difference is that with seed to sale systems, the primary focus is in cannabis seed to sale processes, which includes the proper management and tracking of all cannabis products, the cultivation process, the distribution and industry compliance.
Some seed to sale platforms may be equipped with cannabis retail point of sale (POS) features and capabilities, while others merely support the integration of third-party cannabis POS systems, since there are plenty of standalone cannabis retail POS solutions available. In addition to the ability to track the entire lifecycle of cannabis products, some of the features and tools typically included in seed to sale systems are cultivation tracking, processing and manufacturing, inventory management, compliance management, supply chain management and in some software products, the dispensary POS function.
Cultivation tracking is one of the key components of any seed to sale software, as it is the feature that lets you automate and monitor the grow performance of your cannabis plants. With the tool, you can easily keep track of any waste that is generated throughout the cultivation process. The solution also allows you to account for any possible inconsistencies or errors in the weight of the product due to moisture loss. Cultivation tracking allows you to spot inefficiencies in your current operation through a better tracking process for both time and labor costs. You may even use the tool to log observational notes as well as relevant information about some of your current cannabis strains, allowing for more effective plant genealogy and potency tracking.
Another way to capitalize on the full potential of seed to sale platforms is through the processing and manufacturing function. Most cannabis seed to sale systems in the market are equipped with this feature or some variation of it. Basically, the function allows you to optimize your product yield by simply keeping track of your nutritional cycle through your lighting solution, your watering strategy as well as your approach with pesticide application. You have the ability to effectively analyze the volume of your last harvest and use the data to forecast and optimize future product yields.
Inventory management is a common feature in a lot of manufacturing ERP systems, including seed to sale software platforms. With the help of the built-in inventory management tools, you can easily convert multiple cannabis products into finished goods that are ready for sale and distribution. It allows you to track both raw materials as well as finished products, just like any general-purpose ERP system. It also enables you to effectively audit your inventory and make sure the proper dosage and weight are achieved and recorded. This feature will automatically notify you and your team when inventory levels are running low, ensuring that purchase orders for raw materials are ready to be sent or sent automatically at an opportune time to avoid stock shortages.
As we’ve previously stated, the cannabis industry is one of the most highly regulated industries in the free world, making compliance a very important factor in running a successful cannabis business. For that reason, the compliance management function in every seed to sale platform has become among its most critical features and one of the key aspects that many cannabis businesses and operators always look for when evaluating cannabis software solutions. This feature allows businesses to keep track of their cannabis products in every stage of the supply chain, such as where the cannabis is planted, cultivated, harvested, processed and sold.
If you’re running a cannabis business, a dispensary or a cannabis farm, having the ability to effectively trace all your products is of absolute importance. That is if you wish to continue your operation without getting in trouble with the authorities. The compliance management functions in seed to sale software will facilitate your requirements by going over all your plant cultivation and product processes to ensure strict compliance with local, state and federal regulations. The system will also automatically report any and all compliance data to the authorities while making sure concise and easily digestible reports are generated with a compliance-friendly approach.
Finally, there’s the supply chain management function, which is another crucial aspect in most cannabis seed to sale platforms. This feature is all about facilitating and tracking the distribution and transportation manifest. The feature allows you to keep clean and accurate records of every cargo to and from distributors, suppliers and retailers for the purposes of future regulatory reviews and audits by the authorities.
Seed to sale software offers quite a few benefits for businesses and organizations operating in the cannabis industry. The first, and perhaps the most important, of these benefits are ensuring proper compliance with industry laws and safety standards. The software is designed to help make sure local, state and municipality officials are getting the information they need from your operation and that your company is on time with tax payments and other necessary fees. Moreover, through the software you can easily keep track of the ever-changing industry regulations and standards, maintaining strict and proper compliance.
Seed to sale platforms can also help you avoid legal troubles that can result in hefty fines or even worse, the closure of your cannabis operation. Even if you’re a new player in the cannabis industry, you should be fully aware of the stringent rules and regulations it imposes on cannabis businesses and organizations. If you want to avoid hefty fines and keep your operation open and legal, then you have to make sure your employees and your company as a whole remain compliant with the local, state and federal laws and regulations and not commit any infractions that may lead to serious legal issues. The right seed to sale system can help with this aspect of the business quite easily.
The seed to sale software’s ability to help customize workflows is another advantage that cannabis businesses can expect from implementing this kind of system. Different software solutions in this category can facilitate custom workflows and help make sure you get access to multiple data collection points so you can easily check in on your products at any point in the cultivation process. The cultivation process can often produce different by-products, as well as variations in weight and even in product quality. The software will help you and your workers get all the data you need to properly manage your workflows.
Seed to sale platforms will also benefit cannabis businesses when it comes to proper conversions. The cannabis plant can serve as a raw material for manufacturing or producing other products, ranging from cannabis oils to a wide variety of edibles. As such, you have to effectively keep track of the right conversion rates, measurements and calculations to make sure you’re not missing out on any potential money-making opportunity. This is something that the right seed to sale system, when implemented properly, can bring to the table.
Seed to sale software is a crucial tool for cannabis businesses of any size and scale. However, the usability and functionality of this type of software is dependent on your requirements. For example, if you own a small dispensary, but you don’t grow or cultivate your own plants, then you might benefit more from a cannabis retail POS system, even though a seed to sale system could still be useful in your specific use case.
The bottom line is seed to sale platforms are vital for cannabis businesses that want to or are already managing their products from seed to final sale. This type of software is equipped with all the core features and tools that a cannabis company needs to effectively track and regulate every aspect at every stage of the seed to sale process.
