TRANSFORMING PRODUCTION WORKFLOWS

When Laboratory Process Scientist Michael Kearney joined Hightech Labs LLC, he quickly saw the need for administrative upgrades. Like many small businesses, they relied on handwritten production and sales records, limiting their growth. A packaging vendor’s suggestion to try Wherefour was a game-changer. Kearney seized the opportunity and never looked back.

With Wherefour’s cloud-based ERP platform, Hightech Labs saw immediate efficiency gains. “We started by integrating sales data with QuickBooks, which streamlined our accounting,” Kearney said. While the sales department drove the change, every team benefited. “Tracking all our materials — raw flower, edible ingredients, extraction substances, and packaging — on a single platform is a huge advantage. Managing formulas, assemblies, BOMs, and pick lists in one system makes our operations seamless.”

ADAPTING TO THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF CANNABIS MANUFACTURING

The cannabis industry has unique needs in comparison to other industries. Unlike food production where yields are relatively predictable, cannabis extraction yields a variety of results. Whereas five cups of peanuts predictably yields two cups of peanut butter, cannabis extraction constantly fluctuates. “Each production run is strain-dependent,” Kearney explains. “Color, consistency, and potency are different every time. Wherefour allows us to easily manage that data in real time.”

ADAPTING TO STATE CANNABIS REGULATIONS WITH EASE

The cannabis industry is changing faster than most other industries in today’s economic market. New regulations are being debated and legislated all the time, and it’s a huge advantage to have an ERP partner who responds to clients’ changing needs just as quickly. Until federal regulation is mandated, individual state regulations dictate how companies can operate. Certification and compliance are evolving just as fast, and it pays to have data security. “Wherefour provides traceable data storage. Our old methods of using spreadsheets left a lot to be desired. Data loss is no longer a fear with Wherefour,” says Kearney.

When Hightech Labs partnered with Wherefour, they immediately started their own product development efforts. Wherefour’s ease of use freed up enough time to make this possible and profitable. “The ‘before’ and ‘after’ in using Wherefour are like apples and oranges,” says Kearney. “We’ve experienced growth that wouldn’t have been possible without Wherefour. It has enabled our success in the seed-to sale markets of both medical and adult use cannabis.”