Not all dispensaries are built equally. While some are massive electronic store-inspired layouts with gorgeous display cases, others are more akin to a hole in the wall with limited staff, and of course- everything in between. Across the gamut of dispensary locations and layouts, there is another layer of intricacy to keep in mind for dispensary operations- fulfilling customer orders. A robust POS software will support any model you go with, so here we have laid out the high-level outline of how each works so you are empowered to make the best decision for your operation.
Here we have the main functionality and differences between a fulfillment model and a budtender model for customer orders- choose for yourself what works best. We worked with inventory expert and cannabis project manager Tom McLaughlin to discuss how these layouts function in practice.
Fulfillment Model
The fulfillment model has a lineage in the food service industry. Similarly to how in a restaurant, the guest places an order with a team member, that order goes to the kitchen to be cooked, and brought out to the customer, a fulfillment model in dispensaries sends the customer’s order back to be compiled and is delivered as a finished product selection to the customer.
On the floor, a budtender takes the order from the customer on the floor and is able to walk through displays and product offerings in detail. They place that order on a tablet for the inventory team to package up. This gives the back-of-house team an opportunity to double-check things like promotional items and ensure the order is in compliance with local regulations (I.e., not overselling medicated products, etc.). The inventory team hands the completed order back to the cashier to ring the customer out and does another individual check of each product in the order in front of the customer for complete verification.
The fulfillment model is excellent for maximizing salesfloor space and making use of inventory staff throughout the entire sales period. With limited space on the sales floor for live products, the layout can focus on the customer experience and expedite their time in the store. This model requires a strong staff behind the scenes to build orders, but when it works, but when it works it keeps the entire organization streamlined and efficient.
Budtender Model
In contrast to how the fulfillment model has a lineage in the food service industry, the budtender model has a deep lineage in the retail industry. When a customer enters the sales floor in a budtender model, they work with a single team member for the entire transaction and the budtender who takes the order also fulfills the order.
When a budtender is ready to help a customer, they work together to navigate the product selection and the budtender compiles the order with the customer. They’re able to navigate any upsell opportunities and find opportunities to drive more direct calls to action for loyalty as they spend time with the customer. This model also allows the back-of-house inventory staff to focus on incoming orders, organize product vaults, and certainly keep the live product area stocked for budtenders. This model does require strong communication between the front-of-house and back-of-house teams to ensure that product is well stocked on the sales floor to avoid bottleneck issues.
For a dispensary layout with optimized areas of storage for live products that a budtender could reasonably access, a budtender model makes sense. These are quite common in Colorado, for example, where live products cannot be accessed by guests and have to be pulled by budtenders from storage behind the counter. This may also be optimum for dispensaries that focus on one-on-one education, where a budtender can weigh out the pros and cons of the product with the customer and make on-the-fly adjustments to find a product that fully suits a customer’s needs. This may also be ideal for retail locations that are constantly getting incoming orders and need their inventory or vault team to focus on accepting products and getting them prepped to go live.
Truly, at the heart of both methods is how to most successfully utilize the staff in inventory. While a charming budtender can go a long way, a well-organized storage system can make or break any model of cannabis sales. If you’re looking for options when launching a new dispensary or exploring options for an existing dispensary and changing the user experience model, we hope that this guide supports your decisions for streamlining your operations.
Both of these platforms are fully supported by MJ Platform as our tablet, inventory, and checkout system is seamless and built for easy user experiences. For a live demo on how our software works with either dispensary model, click here.
