Cannabis cultivators are constantly looking for ways to increase their bottom lines. Whether adjusting inputs to boost yields or investing in more energy-efficient lighting, there are plenty of opportunities to put your company in the red.
Oftentimes, grows forget about how standardization can impact profits. By streamlining operations and creating repeatable processes, cultivators can guarantee a consistent product—all while making their facilities more efficient.
Curious about how standards can benefit your business? Read on to find out.
Save on utility costs
One of the biggest expenses for growers is utilities. Electric, water, HVAC—it all adds up quickly. Shaving even a small fraction off the power bills can make a big difference for the bottom lines of cannabis businesses.
Most cultivators use timers for lights, fans, and other scheduled inputs. However, facilities can take things one step further by deploying advanced automated systems with device interlocks to ensure systems work with one another instead of against each other. For example, making sure CO2 systems aren’t running when vents open or valves activate before pumps begin sending nutrient mixes to plants.
Trim labor budgets (and reduce human error)
Everyone makes mistakes. Unfortunately, an error in the grow room can often spell disaster for a crop. Whether it’s overwatering a plant bay or forgetting to turn off critical machinery, these blunders may prove costly.
Facilities that engage automation see far fewer human errors. They also require fewer people in the garden doing monotonous, repeatable tasks. Staff can focus on other tasks while leadership can rest easy knowing their grows are safe from preventable problems.
Improve brand reputation
In a market that keeps getting more crowded, it’s essential that both retail buyers and consumers know that you’re going to have consistently top-shelf product. If you can’t deliver, or put out a subpar product even once, it could be catastrophic for your reputation.
The most successful cannabis brands have robust standard operating procedures (SOPs) that detail every critical moment of the plant life cycle. Using technology like automation to cement these SOPs will assure growers nothing will go awry. In turn, every bud will be the best it can be.
Get ahead of shifting regulations
Like the old song goes, the times they are a’changing. It may not be long before the way cannabis is regulated on the federal level changes dramatically, which could equate to radical adjustments to how the industry is currently doing business.
Track and trace systems are already the norm in states with legal cannabis. Data tracking with automation makes compliance a breeze.
At the end of the day, cannabis is a consumer-packaged good—and any sort of federal reform will bring sweeping regulatory shifts. Investing in automation now will set growers up to be ahead of the game in developing a nationwide cannabis supply chain.
Meet projections and stay on track
It can be hard to estimate just how much a plant will yield, especially since so many variables are at play. With budgets on the line, it’s crucial that growers push their plants to maximum output.
Having consistency and standards in a grow facility means that plants have the best shot at bigger yields. This is especially true for cultivators with data logging systems. These components of automation solutions allow growers to track a plant’s progress; they can see where things went right and what may be holding them back. Adjustments can then be made to ensure a facility runs at peak efficiency.
The cannabis industry offers razor-thin margins, meaning cultivators must do what it takes to boost yields while trimming budgets at the same time. By setting standards and deploying consistent, repeatable processes, it’s possible for growers to reduce costs and enjoy a more bountiful harvest.
Automation is often key to this equation. If you’re ready to learn more about how AI Grow’s suite of automated solutions can benefit your business, re