Why paperless cannabis compliance should be on your roadmap for 2021
Paperless Cannabis Compliance
In today’s Technical Tuesday we are going to discuss the value of paperless manufacturing and compliance systems. We’ve all seen or experienced jungles worth of paper tucked away in filing cabinets or roaming binders, gigabytes of Excel sheets that haven’t been updated today, and many walls adorned with white boards displaying an assortment of colourful diagrams and words. The problem further complicates itself when you add in multiple locations and or multiple facilities. The costs go up, and the efficiencies generally go down.
In 2015 Corp Magazine said that on average an organization pays $20 to file a paper document, $120 to find a misplaced document and $220 to reproduce a lost document. On average, 25,000 documents carry an estimated cost of $500,000 to a company, just to file!
Here is a list of 6 other additional benefits (Goodwin, 2014) you can look forward to when you transition away from paper.
1. Increased Operational Flexibility
Cannabis production is a dynamic environment that requires accurate and up-to-date information to make informed business decisions with speed and precision. Remote access to the data that matters creates new possibilities for 24/7 remote monitoring and support.
2. Quicker Responsiveness
The Cannabis industry in whole is still in its infancy, and as a result the regulations around the production of Cannabis are ever evolving. Having a paperless solution in place allows you greater mobility and efficiency in responding to these regulatory changes.
3. Better Environment for Innovation
Creating a better product starts with understanding the data. Having the ability to compare batches easily and efficiently allows departments and teams to have a deeper understanding of the effects of their processes and where they can begin to find areas of improvement. New ideas and innovation can now flourish when departments and teams have access to accurate, real-time data sharing tools.
4. Greater Efficiency and Productivity
Whether you are looking to forecast your next harvest date, determining if you have enough materials to complete that cloning activity, or timing when your bottling line will have some downtime so you can schedule in routine preventative maintenance, it is all about identifying and achieving your timelines. Having a paperless system allows your planning team to have an immediate insight into the inner workings of your business without the need of the great paper chase.
5. Simplified Security and Compliance
Intellectual property stored on physical documents has a greater chance of getting into the hands of those who should not be able to see it. Software can not only secure your business-critical documents such as Batch Records, SOPs, and Work Instructions within an access controlled environment, but it can also enable you to have finger tip access to these documents in a time of need such as during a regulatory audit.
6. Reduced Paper and Associated Costs
This one is obvious, but still worth mentioning. When you consider the number of activities, work records, schedules, reports, instructions, etc. that get recorded to a paper document for your GxP Cannabis production, and the costs associated to document management, it all becomes quite staggering. Reducing your paper footprint to only the essential documentation print offs can improve your organization, lower your energy consumption, and increase employee morale. The reduction in paper and the increased employee morale will bolster your “3BL” or “Triple Bottom Line” (People, Planet, Profit).
Summary
We can see that transitioning to a paperless operation comes with many benefits and savings to your Cannabis production business. Being able to take your data, make it easier to digest and navigate then turning that into informed actions and responses to the challenges your business faces will provide value for years to come.
References:
Peterson, M (2015, November 5). 82 Percent of Companies Still Spending Billions on Paper. Corp Magazine. https://www.corpmagazine.com/industry/technology/82-percent-companies-still-spending-billions-paper/
Goodwin, G (2014, May 6). 6 Benefits of Moving to a Paperless Manufacturing Environment. LNS Research. https://blog.lnsresearch.com/blog/bid/197143/6-benefits-of-moving-to-a-paperless-manufacturing-environment