A premier vertically integrated cannabis company
WHO ARE YOU?
Jessamyn Stephanía, Chief Technology Officer of NUG
WHAT DID YOU DO?
As Chief Technology Officer of NUG, a premier vertically integrated cannabis company, I work with every sector of our company from seed to sale. I am responsible for building and maintaining communication systems from between management and employees and using logistics for seamless distribution and integration of products to market.
Years before METRC, California’s mandated tracking system, was introduced, I had developed and implemented NUG’s specialized track-and-trace system. This system was developed to follow a cannabis flower or product’s movement through production from seed to sale while also recording any factors that may influence its output. These factors include environmental recordings, personnel’s input, all daily logistics data, and the plant’s and product’s health as well as the areas that hold them. When we integrated our system with METRC, I updated the process to also record compliance communication and paperwork with the state’s system.
NUG’s track-and-trace system is used by every member of our team, from cultivation to laboratory testing staff, to our edibles department and manufacturing, all the way up to distribution employees who deliver our products to NUG retail stores and partner companies. Our complete vertical technologic integration touches every step of the product development process.
HOW DID YOU DO IT?
During both the development, implementation, and ongoing advancement of the system, I work closely with staff members of every level of our supply chain. In the beginning stages, I wanted to figure out how the software would work best for the employees to record useful information for themselves. With the fully developed system, I’m always looking to advance the technology further make it faster and more efficient while reducing risk. I do this by speaking with the men and women who are working our operations and getting their first-hand experiences. I’ll ask them questions to better understand the system, whether it's efficient, and what its capabilities and shortcomings are. I then take that feedback, transform it into functional code, draw flow charts and diagrams, and ultimately implement changes to improve the process.
WHEN DID YOU START THIS COMPANY?
My background has always been in technology. I graduated from Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico with a bachelor’s degree in business and IT engineering and spent years working for an architect engineering firm as an IT consultant. Five years ago, I had the opportunity to join NUG as its Senior Software Development Engineer. Through hard work and the encouragement of our management team, I rose through the ranks and was named the company’s Chief Technology Officer.
WHY ARE YOU INNOVATING WITH THIS PRODUCT OR SERVICE?
Track-and-trace is essential for product accountability, quality, and purity assurance from seed to sale. By precise in the development of our products and observant of their outputs through our track-and-trace system, we are not only able to capture as much data as we can but also use that information to project yields, find areas of opportunities and improve our methods to be faster and more efficient with less risk.
WHERE :
California, United States
INDUSTRY:
Cannabis
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nug/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nug/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesocialnug
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NUG_brand
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMdbTU_Uekrc57ONEaPL3AQ
