System Overload: Why State Sales are Going Unreported
There’s a reoccurring problem playing out behind the scenes across New Mexico: too many software companies are obsessed with being first to market rather than best in market. the truth is The Industry Doesnt Need Anymore Systems! And nowhere is that more evident than inventory management.
Across the state, a growing number of stores rely on third-party systems to manage day-to-day operations. These platforms promise sleek dashboards and faster workflows—but beneath the surface, they’re failing at the one thing that actually matters: compliance.
Why It’s Happening
Here’s the play-by-play:
The Business starts having inventory issues; is convinced its due to BioTrack.
The Business takes on a new system that promises to be user friendly.
These third-party systems are built on top of the state’s official tracking platform.
They don’t always sync correctly. Sales, adjustments, returns, sublots—sometimes they never make it to the state’s database.
Transactions look complete on the surface, but due to quiet backend errors, they aren’t reported.
Operators don’t see the failures in real time. The systems don’t expose error codes. There’s no alert. No fix.
The result? Unreported sales and a growing compliance time bomb.
How Often It’s Happening
In a recent analysis of 115 licensed stores using third-party inventory systems, 81% had transactions that never reached the state’s tracking system.
And it’s not just occasional. In some cases, thousands of transactions can backlog in error logs without anyone noticing—until it’s too late. If one product on a ticket fails, none of the items on that ticket report. Some fixes even require the original customer to return, which becomes impossible once days or weeks go by.
Why It’s a Problem for the State
This isn’t just a store-level issue—it impacts the entire system:
Unreported Sales: The state loses visibility on what’s actually being sold. That means tax data, market activity, and public safety oversight are all compromised.
Broken Audit Trails: Inspectors rely on the official system to match what’s physically in stock. When the numbers don’t line up, guess who gets blamed? The operator.
Systemic Risk: These mismatches aren’t rare. They’re baked into the architecture of systems that were never designed to carry the full weight of compliance.
The Wake-Up Call
Some platforms are now scrambling—escalating bugs to developers, launching new QA processes, and coordinating with state systems. But anyone who’s been through this before knows how it ends: years of cleanup, endless documentation, and finger-pointing between platforms and regulators.
And the kicker? Most stores are still paying for the state’s core platform, which could do everything they needed in the first place…
Back to Basics
Before you throw money at another system, ask yourself: Have we mastered the one we’re already paying for?
If not, the answer isn’t another dashboard—it’s discipline.
Train your team on the fundamentals. Learn how to count. Reconcile daily. These aren’t just tasks—they’re the heartbeat of your operation.
Technology is only as good as the people using it. Before you invest in systems, invest in training. That’s how you build something that lasts.
