A cannabis seed-to-sale software solution provider helping cannabis business owners become more efficient: Portal42

The Silicon Review

In recent times we have witnessed a surge in the cannabis industry, which means it is here to stay. We must also understand that it is undeniable that proper seed to sale software will continue to play an integral part in marijuana’s trade growth. Businesses working in this sector must find a robust solution to address the unique needs created by different business segments that work within the supply chain. Many new business owners are heavily reliant on spreadsheets, but in reality, effective spreadsheets are no longer convenient. Business owners will eventually spend more on labor costs than the cost of buying software.

The main reason to use seed-to-sale software is to help cannabis business owners to manage their inventory effectively and remain compliant with their respective local and state government. There are various seed-to-sale software providers globally, but one that stands out from the rest is Portal42. The company provides a solution that allows provisioning centers, processing, and track data to help owners become more effective and efficient. Portal42 was founded in 2015, and it is based in Detroit, Michigan.

In conversation with Courtney Forgues, CEO of Portal42

Q. When was Portal42 incorporated? Brief us about the journey so far.

Portal42 was born out of the idea of providing the cannabis industry with easy-to-use software that would assist in managing and growing their business. It aimed to be simple to master for employees of all levels and a mine of accessible data for ownership. Our dedication focused on an overall end-to-end experience that would promote the growth of their business.

Q. A short overview of the services your company offers.

Being able to have an in-store option that reports to the state in real-time and a delivery and pickup option with online payments is a powerful separating factor in this industry. We also are much more than just a point of sale. We offer many of the services that can only come from our competition through APIs with other businesses. We help eliminate the need for additional fees for services like online ordering, delivery, marketing to your customers, and taking payments. Early on, we realized that there were other factors that we had to battle with to ensure our facilities would service the population. From internet outages to hardware failures to seizures, their business could be interrupted at any time and for any length of time. We decided to work for our facilities to develop solutions for many of the problems they faced that threatened to stall their businesses. We began offering hardware and networking services to ensure their entire facility’s technology was running as efficiently as possible.

Q. There are other reputed companies in the same field. How are you a better service provider?

Portal42 was there and listening when no one else was. This has been and will continue to be our advantage as we respect the relationships we have with our facilities and their direct needs. We are not simply a “POS Solution” but rather, we partner with our facilities and spend the time necessary to learn their particular needs and focus intently on delivering those opportunities to ensure that they will maximize their potential when it comes to the vision they have for their single facility or their entire brand and its reach. We are there for them just as we have been from the beginning. This is our mantra.

Q. What are the factors that contribute to your success?

Q. Where do you see your company a couple of years from now? Are exciting things on the way?

On our horizon, we have multiple states that we are looking to partner with and some international opportunities. We are continually preparing for national legalization, which we estimate will happen in the next five years. We are introducing several apps, both desktop and mobile, that will drive better interactions for staff, customers, and owners. Including Enterprise applications for multiple facilities. Also, being able to notify customers and interact with rewards will allow us to stay ahead of the communication curve with patients and customers. With Covid-19 being such a driving force in determining the safety and health of businesses considered essential, we will be delivering a product that will add another layer of protection and process for facilities. We look forward to helping ensure a safe and productive work environment for all our facilities. Technology in and of itself is growing so much and rapidly; it takes dedication, so you are not left behind. To determine what technology would be used and when it is crucial to be aware of the advancements. We must stay close to the field to understand where tools could be used to bring about a better experience for the patient, the customer, the budtender, the manager, or the owner. We continue to see the cannabis industry innovating ahead of even the top retail organizations of today. Portal42 is proud to serve this community growing daily, and we are excited about what the future holds for cannabis.

Meet the leader behind the success of Portal42

Courtney Forgues is the CEO of Portal42. Coming out of the Health and Wellness industry, Courtney’s focus has been building consumer relationships by providing plant-based natural remedies. Her role is developing software programs to promote customer service relationships and education, making the health benefits of cannabis more accessible to dispensary customers. As more cannabis businesses realized the need for IT solutions for compliance and customer engagement Portal42 listened and delivered, amassing a customer base that included over 60% of all dispensaries in Michigan. Courtney’s focus has always been on the relationship that Portal42 builds with their customers which allows her to build a software platform that helps her clients run their businesses as efficiently as possible.