Building a web-first cultivation management platform for the cannabis industry

Cannabis cultivation is a precision-driven industry. Grow facilities operate around continuous environmental monitoring, strict compliance documentation, and coordination across multiple teams, including growers, operations staff, and external partners working simultaneously across different areas of the same facility.

Despite this complexity, most cultivation teams relied on disconnected and inefficient workflows:

• Fragmented tools such as spreadsheets, generic file storage, and manual communication, making coordination slow and error-prone.

• Information silos and limited real-time visibility, preventing teams from accessing accurate, up-to-date operational data when needed.

• The absence of a secure, scalable platform capable of supporting multiple user roles, enforcing permissions, and enabling access across desktop and mobile devices.

As a result, cultivation teams faced operational inefficiencies, slower decision-making, and limited ability to scale their processes reliably.

Honeycomb Software led the design and development of GrowerInTheLoop’s MVP — a web-focused application built on a React (TypeScript) frontend and a .NET 8 backend hosted on Azure, with a responsive design ensuring accessibility across devices.

The platform was designed around three core user roles from the outset:

• Growers: can access the platform via a web browser from the facility floor or office, upload and retrieve operational documents, and stay connected to the workflows relevant to their role
• Partners: external company users who can collaborate within the platform under controlled access conditions
• Admins: have full visibility and control over user management, roles, and platform activity

Document handling was a central feature of the initial release. Users can upload files directly through the application, with the react-doc-viewer library enabling in-app preview without requiring external tools — a practical priority for cultivation teams that rely on quick access to compliance documents, plans, and operational records while working in the field.

The key technical components underpinning the platform include:

• Azure B2C: for role-based access control, ensuring each user type operates within a clearly defined permission boundary
• Docker & Azure Web App: containerised deployment providing a stable, scalable infrastructure
• Azure MSSQL & EF Core: structured data management for user data, documents, and role configurations

By combining a clean role-based architecture, practical document workflows, and a responsive web interface on a solid cloud foundation, the delivered MVP gives Green Nanny a production-ready platform to onboard early users, gather real-world feedback, and build toward their longer-term vision of AI-assisted cultivation management and IoT integration.

The delivered MVP provides Green Nanny with a functional, scalable starting point for their vision. At this stage, the platform enables:

• Web-based access with responsive design: cultivation teams can log in and use the platform from any browser, with a responsive layout that adapts for use on mobile devices across the facility
• Document upload and in-app preview: users can store and access operational and compliance documents without leaving the platform
• Structured role management: three distinct user types (Growers, Partners, Admins) with role-based access control via Azure B2C
• Secure cloud infrastructure: containerised deployment on Azure ensures data security, controlled access, and readiness for scaling
• A foundation for future growth: the architecture is designed to accommodate IoT data integration, AI-assisted workflows, and third-party cultivation platform integrations in later phases

Together, these capabilities position GrowerInTheLoop as a solid foundation for Green Nanny’s broader vision of a fully integrated, AI-powered cultivation management platform.