Cannabis Inventory Software Case Study
How we helped Parsl succeed
The Application
Parsl is an all-in-one software solution for retail cannabis businesses. It leverages NFC technology to provide an integrated track-and-trace platform to ensure regulatory compliance, provide sales data, and maintain inventory.
Legacy inventory management systems often don’t cater to the needs of the cannabis industry and cannabis businesses are often prohibited from using them. Parsl addresses this need with an easy-to-use, forward-thinking solution.
The Customer
Pineapple Express is a retail cannabis company based in Los Angeles, California, with locations in Hollywood, Santa Clarita, and Palm Springs. With free delivery, a wide selection, and high-quality products, Pineapple Express has expanded quickly.
That hasn't been without its challenges. Fast growth can be difficult enough to manage without the additional responsibility of adhering to the cannabis industry's scrupulous regulatory standards.
The Challenge
Pineapple Express' inventory system was grossly inadequate, consistently failing to give an accurate count. This was a legal problem as well as a business one because it threatened the accuracy of their state-mandated regulatory reports. Inaccuracies in their reports, however small, could mean large fines.
To avoid regulatory penalties, Pineapple Express resorted to manually verifying its inventory. They printed out and applied labels to every individual product, then cross-checked them against a physical list. Manual inventory has proven to be time-intensive, prone to inaccuracy, and extremely expensive. With each individual label costing Pineapple Express 18 cents, it was exceedingly expensive to maintain. Combined with avoidable labor costs, their flawed system was becoming increasingly costly to their business.
The Solution
Socket Mobile's DuraScan D600 NFC Reader is Parsl's preferred hardware solution. It is specifically integrated to pair with Socket Mobile devices. Paired with Parsl's track-and-trace software, the D600 is a powerful, versatile tool for optimizing business operations.
Parsl's tracking system uses NFC SmartTags to create a unique identifier for each product. Pineapple Express uses Socket Mobile's DuraScan D600 to scan its products into Parsl's integrated application. It can then allocate, move, sell, or destroy products. Parsl automatically tracks and maintains records, providing vastly improved accuracy and efficiency.
The Result
Adopting the Parsl-Socket Mobile solution reduced staff inventory hours by 82% and raised their inventory accuracy to 99.91%. This allowed Pineapple Express to cut the weekly inventory count from 7 staff members on 8-hour shifts to 2 staff members on 5-hour shifts.
They no longer have to worry about falling short of regulatory requirements, jeopardizing the very survival of their business.
"Inventory intake and management has gone from a long, multi-stepped process to clicking a few buttons and allocating Smart Tags, saving time and energy for the whole team," said Sharna Weaver, General Manager of Pineapple Express.
Thanks to Socket Mobile and Parsl, Pineapple Express can spend less time re-counting products and more time focusing on their customers.
