In a rapidly growing cannabis industry, where efficiency and compliance are key, technology plays a pivotal role in connecting the dots across multi-channel sales, logistics, and regulatory requirements. A leading cannabis company in Canada partnered with us to tackle their operational challenges. With disconnected systems slowing them down, they needed a robust solution to unify their sales channels, backend systems, and customer data under a seamless, automated workflow. That’s where we stepped in with our integration expertise and MuleSoft API-led connectivity.
The client aimed to:
- Unify data across Shopify, POS systems, and their distributor network.
- Automate processes to eliminate manual data entry and reduce errors.
- Ensure seamless order processing and inventory updates across platforms.
- Establish a scalable integration framework for future growth.
Our client operates a thriving cannabis business in Canada with multiple sales channels, including a Shopify storefront, retail stores with POS systems, and a distributor network. Their backend infrastructure included systems like an open-source CMS, Salesforce CRM, Oracle JD Edwards ERP, and a logistics provider system. Despite their impressive setup, they faced challenges in synchronizing data across these platforms, leading to inefficiencies and wasted resources.
Industry: Retail & Consumer goods
- Disconnected systems created data silos, requiring manual intervention for data mapping.
- Complex processes slowed down order fulfillment and increased errors.
- The lack of real-time updates made it difficult to track inventory, logistics, and sales in one unified system.
- The need for an efficient, future-proof solution to handle multiple third-party systems.
Our team at Incepta Solutions designed and implemented a cutting-edge MuleSoft API-led connectivity framework, leveraging the MuleSoft Anypoint Platform to address the client’s challenges.
- Comprehensive API Strategy: Developed a stack of 25 APIs, each tailored to specific processes, enabling seamless communication between systems.
- Unified Workflow: Connected Shopify, POS, distributor systems, Oracle ERP, Salesforce CRM, and the logistics provider to create an integrated ecosystem.
- Automation: Orders placed online or in-store were automatically synced with stock management, logistics, and customer data systems, eliminating manual intervention.
- Scalable Integration: The solution was designed to handle future integrations with additional platforms or partners.
Technology Used:
Our solution delivered transformative results:
- End-to-end Automation: Reduced manual effort by 90%, ensuring real-time updates across all systems.
- Improved Efficiency: Order processing time decreased by 40%, enhancing the customer experience.
- Cost Savings: Streamlined operations reduced overhead costs associated with manual data management.
- Scalability: The API framework is now ready to support future growth and additional integrations.
- Regulatory Compliance: Data accuracy and synchronization ensured traceability, supporting compliance with Canadian cannabis regulations.
Incepta’s expertise in MuleSoft’s API and integration solutions makes it easy for businesses to develop an API strategy for connecting external cloud based systems and their legacy systems. The Mulesoft Anypoint Platform for APIs provides a powerful method to leverage the existing data that’s already being stored in their internal systems, and use a holistic API strategy to improve customer engagement, streamline business operations, and bring new products and services to market.
How Technology Can Transform the Cannabis Industry in Canada?
On October 17th, 2018, Canada joined Uruguay as the second nation in the world to legalize adult-use cannabis. Projections from CIBC this past spring suggest that the Canadian market could take in $6.5 billion in retail sales by 2020. To put this further into perspective, Canada’s legalized marketplace is set to rival California’s. That demand will include 800,000 kilograms of product valued at around $6.8 billion. Of that amount, it is believed that 95 percent will be for recreational use. If projections prove true, Canadian cannabis will eclipse spirits sales.
Source: https://cannatechtoday.com/what-in-the-forecast-for-canadas-cannabis-industry/
The Challenge
- Customers will demand privacy and security when purchasing cannabis products sold online or retail
- Regulators would want to have total transparency and traceability of all transactions from origin to destination
- Producers would want to enable a technology-driven process that would allow them to establish authenticity and accountability to both regulators and customers
- Establishing identity verification for producers, retailers, and consumers
- Enabling a delivery mechanism that is fast and reliable
- Transparent and standardized pricing based on quality and date of produce
The Future
- Digital Identification Technology to help producers tag their produce with data that can help identify the date, quality, and quantity of every batch
- Blockchain Technology application that can help authenticate every information and transaction as it passes from producer to delivery agent to retailer and finally to the end consumer with absolute surety and secrecy
- A standardized system for Regulators to track produce coming from inside or outside Canada, trace the source-to-consumer map, and verify the authenticity of each player involved with the cannabis eco-system
- Technologies that can communicate with multiple 3rd party technology services that involve logistic operators, e-commerce storefronts, retail POS systems, payment gateways, regulatory authorities, consumers and users of the public domain
How Digital Identity and Blockchain can revolutionize the Cannabis industry in Canada?
- Digital Identity of every produce helps producers, authorities and customers to view a digital biodata of the produce
- Transaction Data at each level is stored via Blockchains, enabling customers or govt. authorities to view full historic data from start to end.
- Blockchain technology ensures that data is not manipulated without authentication at any level ensuring 100% data accuracy.
- All products have a story to tell. Blockchain enabled applications possess the digital tools to build trust with transparency and traceability
Advantages to Producers
- TRUST: Building trust by allowing transparency in every step, providing customers with full product history.
- COLLABORATION: Technology can enable collaboration between producers, suppliers, retailers and end customers – gather the story throughout the chain.
- INTEGRATION: Digital technology can help in building the brand ecosystem by reinforcing online presence and bringing a digital dimension to the product labels.
- AUTHENTICITY: Blockchain and Digital Identity Technology can assign the product a digital passport to authenticate key information, end fake claims, and help tackle counterfeits.
- SECURITY: Verified information on products and transactions stored in a Blockchain can provide unparalleled protection using the world’s most secure data system.
Advantages to Consumers
- KNOW MORE, BUY BETTER: Consumer purchases have an impact on communities and environments near and far. Technology can help provide the gateway to information about the people, places, processes and materials behind the products consumers buy.
- FIND PRODUCTS WITH A STORY: Consumers and Regulators can find products with a particular provenance, ask questions, and endorse the supply chains that authenticate Good Manufacturing Processes.
- SMART TAG: Digital Identity Technology equips physical products with a unique digital ID that enables the tracking of each item. Through the ID, consumers and stakeholders can access a secure digital history, along with verified claims, enriched with content throughout the supply chain.
