The ability to legally purchase cannabis online or by phone for home delivery is an absolute miracle. This is especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic because, for many patients, it’s been too risky to visit their dispensary. Pandemic aside, people rely on delivery services due to mobility issues or chronic medical conditions. For patients, the delivery professional provides a lifeline to wellness with every home visit, and god bless them. And make no mistake, adult-use customers deserve the same level of service for legal cannabis. It’s becoming a new normal.
While many professional cannabis strategists forecast the gradual emergence of delivery services, the pandemic unequivocally accelerated delivery service growth. It was pedal to the metal for many dispensaries, going from 0 to 60 in a few seconds to quickly ramp up the delivery side of their business. It’s a formidable challenge to build the backend logistics, educate and train drivers, and create a regulatory-compliant delivery service on the fly. If you’re in the delivery business or are contemplating jumping in, buying the right delivery software is critical for running a successful operation. Delivery service is essentially a mobile dispensary with its own rules and regulations. You’ll need software to keep things organized, preferably a platform that easily integrates with other marijuana software and seed to sale software. But what is good delivery software? What features are essential? Well, you can relax, take your foot off the gas and enjoy the scenery because this roadmap helps identify the software features that will serve you best along the way.
Cannabis Delivery Software for a Special Service
It’s fascinating that many people describe the cannabis delivery business as two models; Pizza Delivery and the Ice Cream Truck. We find it amusing that both foods are known to satisfy munchie cravings, but that’s another story. The Pizza Delivery model relies on individual orders packaged at the store then delivered to the customer. The Ice Cream Truck method is when the vehicle contains a variety of inventory and depends on longer delivery routes with fewer restocking trips. Like everything else in cannabis, state law plays a role in how deliveries may operate in the 14 states which currently permit delivery sales.
With either model, the delivery driver has a variety of responsibilities:
- Receptionist/Check-In to confirm age requirements and sale (medicinal or adult-use).
- Budtender, Cashier, and Company/Brand Ambassador.
- Security Officer.
- Follow Covid Compliance Protocols and PPE Guidelines.
- Compliance Officer for state-mandated, in-vehicle delivery documents, address and age checks, transfer manifests and transaction receipts, maintaining mandated inventory value limits within the vehicle, delivery hours compliance, customer purchasing limits, and more.
The Best Cannabis Delivery Software Features
From stocking the vehicle to completing the sale, delivery software plays a vital role in almost every step of the process. When researching the best cannabis delivery software features, ensure it provides:
- Support for both scheduled deliveries AND on-demand deliveries (Pizza/Ice Cream).
- A centralized, dedicated Dispatch Panel for all delivery operations.
- Scanning capabilities for packing.
- Real-time driver manifests and inventory ledgers.
- Fast and efficient vehicle inventory transfers and control.
- A dedicated mobile delivery app for iOS and Android mobile devices.
- Dynamic Delivery so nearby customers may browse inventory from your menu for delivery..
- Real-time GPS driver location, route optimization
- Driver communication capabilities with dispatch and customers.
- Seamless compliance with transaction data, signature capture and ID verification processes.
- Compliance with state-mandated seed to sale tracking software.
- Strategic partnerships with other first in class logistics platforms for high volume route strategy, optimization, and order fulfillment on the fly.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that we built BLAZE Delivery software to execute all the functional priorities above and more. However, the last bullet point is crucial. Logistics, efficiency, and compliance are the keys to successful and profitable delivery services. It’s important to know whether the delivery software integrates with other premium software platforms. BLAZE created partnerships with three of the most successful delivery software companies, Dutchie, OnFleet, and Tookan. This is one more reason why BLAZE Delivery is the best solution for your cannabis delivery software.
Our integration with Onfleet keeps delivery orders on track. Onfleet is a cloud-based logistics management software platform that supports thousands of delivery fleets in the U.S. and 90 countries worldwide. The company powers millions of deliveries every month across various industries, including grocery, retail, alcohol, cannabis, pharmacy, packages, and furniture. After a customer places an order, Onfleet automatically sends the customer a follow-up text with a link to track their order process, including their place in the driver’s queue and an ETA. Onfleet also enables you to track and analyze time, distance, and performance data to reduce costs by identifying and improving route strategy and eliminating bottlenecks. Tookan offers similar integration advantages, including automated dispatch, geofencing, and route strategy optimization.
We’re excited to partner with Dutchie which also has a formal working relationship with Onfleet. Dutchie is an online ordering platform for adult consumers to purchase cannabis products for delivery or pickup. Founded in 2017, Dutchie created the easiest way to buy cannabis products and have them available for pickup or delivered right to your door. For dispensaries, Dutchie supports order tracking, specials, analytics, and enables automatic, real-time menu updates. When you combine the performance and data analytics capabilities of BLAZE Delivery and our partners, no other cannabis delivery software comes close. It’s true synchronicity in action.
Waypoints for the Road Ahead
Currently, 14 states permit regulated cannabis deliveries. For perspective, 35 states permit medical cannabis sales, and 15 of them (up from 11 in 2020) allow for both medicinal and adult-use sales. Given the positive societal trends influencing cannabis acceptance, home delivery will become more popular. This provides the groundwork for tremendous growth and opportunities for traditional dispensaries and stand-alone delivery storefronts. It’s time to commit to a firm delivery strategy and do it right from the starting line.
To learn more, please visit our Delivery page. When you’re ready, give us a call at (415) 964-5689 or schedule a demo. We’re here to help!
