Pure Sunfarms

PURE SUNFARMS is one of Canada’s largest, single site, licensed producers of high-quality, BC-grown cannabis. With decades of growing experience and 1.1 million square feet of best-in-class greenhouse operations, the company has capacity to produce 75,000 kilograms of dried flower annually for the Canadian recreational market.

It’s a successful formula, and Pure Sunfarms is experiencing tremendous growth. To support and maintain that growth, the company partnered with NexTec Group and Acumatica.

Not long ago, Pure Sunfarms was operating like many young cannabis companies, using several disconnected applications and lots of spreadsheets.

“It was difficult for us to take the company where we wanted to go without deep insight into our financial and cultivation operations,” explains Tarlyn Campbell, Director of Projects for Pure Sunfarms. “We knew that an integrated ERP system was what we needed, one that could serve as our foundation for the future.”

The organization enlisted the help of a leading business consulting firm to help it select the best ERP system and technology partner for its needs. “We took a wide-ranging look at many ERP packages. Some were overly complex and costly,” Campbell recalls. “It was vital for us to get a new system in place quickly; we couldn’t wait through a lengthy implementation before we began drawing benefits.”

The consulting firm recommended Acumatica with a cannabis management solution add-on, along with the team at NexTec Group as an option, and this is what Pure Sunfarms ultimately decided to move forward with. “Acumatica is great – it’s what we needed,” says Campbell. “And NexTec helped guide us through the process. They delivered on what we needed, and got the system up and running quickly.”

She adds, “Thanks to a well-planned process by NexTec and other crucial partners, the implementation went smoothly with hardly any disruptions to our operations.”

Before Acumatica, Campbell says that it took time and effort to make connections between different information at Pure Sunfarms. “Cultivation and production operations were separate from our financial and sales data, requiring a lot of time from our team to make the appropriate connections to run the business.”

“Everything is in one place now. We have traceability and cost data from seed to sale. Acumatica gives us an integrated view of the company, and gives us confidence in our ability to scale profitability.”

Acumatica and NexTec have helped Pure Sunfarms unite its operations, providing the insight and visibility it needs to make strategic decisions and capitalize on new opportunities.

“Everything is in one place now,” says Campbell. “We have traceability and cost data from seed to sale. Acumatica gives us an integrated view of the company, and gives us confidence in our ability to scale profitability. We now have the ability to forecast demand based on historical data and incoming orders, and are close to achieving a just-in-time production model.”

The Canadian cannabis industry is highly regulated, and companies within the industry are subject to frequent audits. Previously, the preparation for these audits was exhausting.

“We had all the necessary data, but not in one place,” says Campbell. Now, compliance is built into the way Pure Sunfarms does business. “We are able to produce the necessary CTLS reports directly from Acumatica,” notes Campbell. “And when Health Canada recently audited us, we were able to generate the information needed. It gives us great confidence that we’re able to demonstrate compliance with much more ease.”

Pure Sunfarms attributes the successful transition to the entire team’s ability to collaborate from start to finish.

“The NexTec team, starting before the sale and continuing now, is great to work with,” says Campbell. “Our project manager was attentive,” she adds. “The solution architect listened to us, learned how we operate and configured Acumatica to give us what we need. And, our consultants provided targeted training that got our staff up and running quickly.”

Impressively, Campbell notes, the entire project was completed remotely during the coronavirus pandemic and came in under budget.

NexTec and Acumatica helped lay the foundation Pure Sunfarms was seeking. In the time following the implementation of Acumatica, Pure Sunfarms sales have been on the increase.

“We now have a platform for growth and expansion,” concludes Campbell. “We are united in our operations at Pure Sunfarms, guided by a system that provides a strong foundation to support efficiency, productivity, and future growth.”

About NexTec Group

NexTec Group is one of North America’s largest and most experienced technology consulting firms, specializing in industry-specific solutions for mid-sized organizations. For nearly 30 years, NexTec has been a trusted partner to businesses, delivering, implementing and supporting the core Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions they need to scale and grow. NexTec is a gold-certified Acumatica partner with deep experience in field services, manufacturing, distribution, professional services, and more.