Seed-to-Sale Versus Track-and-Trace… What’s the difference?
In our industry, you may hear the terms “seed-to-sale,” “traceability,” and “track-and-trace” used interchangeably. But while the terms are similar, they refer to two distinct system types. In this article we’ll explore what both seed-to-sale and traceability involve, the differences between them, and why each is important.
What Does Seed-to-Sale Mean?
“Seed-to-sale” refers to the entire life and sales cycle of a cannabis plant.
From seed planting to harvest time, on through processing, production, sales, fulfillment, and stocked shelves, and all the way till the final consumer sale.
What is seed-to-sale software?
“Seed-to-sale software” refers to business management software that allows operators to manage operations, sales, traceability, and product, from the beginning of this cycle through its end.
What Does Track-and-Trace Mean?
On the other hand, “Traceability,” sometimes referred to as “Track-and-Trace,” or “T&T,” is the continued tracking of a product through its development, production, supply chain, and sale.
Traceability software is built to track legal product information and reporting throughout a given supply chain.
Many state regulatory departments use third-party traceability systems to track their legal market. These companies offer tracking and reporting systems that regulatory bodies can use to monitor product and sales. The most common traceability platforms include Metrc, LeafData, Washington’s CCRS, and BioTrack.
What’s the Difference Between Seed-to-Sale And Track-&-Trace?
Traceability/Track-and-trace is the continued tracking of a product through its seed-to-sale cycle. This only includes the tracking, tracing, and reporting of plants and products, with no further services or features.
Because unfortunately, regulatory track-and-trace platforms are not business management systems, and only offer superficial visibility into the supply chain. Typically these systems do not go beyond the “who, what, when, where, and why” dimensions of traceability.
This means that these reporting systems come with natural limitations and gaps in services. These gaps ultimately keep them from being useful to individual business operators. Because in the end, these platforms are built to serve cannabis regulators and state agencies, not the businesses who are required to use them.
In contrast, Cultivera’s seed-to-sale software is built to serve licensed operators. This is why our seamless integrations have so much to offer cannabis businesses. Our vertical platform simplifies compliance by filling in those gaps from seed to sale.
Why Use Seed-to-Sale Software if You Already Have to Use Track-&-Trace Software?
The short answer is that seed-to-sale software like Cultivera makes track-and-trace compliance easy.
The long answer is that traceability platforms like Metrc just are not business management systems. Business operators looking to view, manage, and utilize their own data, for traceability purposes and beyond, have to look outside their required reporting systems.
That’s where we come in. Cultivera is unique in many legal markets across the nation because we offer seed-to-sale business management solutions that automatically sync to traceability platforms. From clone sales and cultivation to managing production, transfers, distribution, and inventory, to wholesale orders, B2B markets, and the final retail point of sale.
Want to know more about how we can help your cannabis enterprise streamline your operations from seed to sale? Book a live demo to see for yourself.
