Tomatin embraces digital future without compromising centuries-old craft
One of Scotland’s oldest distilleries is proving that age-old tradition and cutting-edge technology can coexist after a transformative upgrade to its operations has brought a new era of automation and efficiency.
Tomatin Distillery, established in 1897 in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, has partnered with fellow Scottish firm Eureka Solutions to bring its finance and reporting systems into the 21st century, all while preserving its time-honoured techniques.
Seeking to modernise while staying true to its roots, the award-winning distillery turned to the East Kilbride-based firm, a business systems specialist known for its seamless integration of powerful platforms like NetSuite.
Eureka Solutions implemented a tailored Oracle NetSuite system alongside its own bespoke integration platform, Besyncly, providing the distillery with a unified, cloud-based system that delivers real-time financial visibility and significantly reduces manual workload.
Kitty Davis, Financial Controller at Tomatin Distillery, said: “Our whisky is still crafted using the same traditional copper stills and processes that date back generations but behind the scenes, we knew our systems needed to catch up.
“The old processes were becoming increasingly unsustainable as the business grew, and we needed a solution that could support our ambitions without compromising what makes us unique.
“Working with Eureka Solutions has allowed us to future-proof our operations without sacrificing our heritage.”
Behind the scenes, Tomatin was working with outdated systems that hadn’t kept pace with its growth. What began as a simple finance setup had evolved into disconnected software, leading to slow reporting and duplicated efforts.
The mutual Scottish roots between the two firms added another layer of trust to the partnership, with both sides citing a natural rapport from the outset.
The partnership has since seen the distillery move to a new cloud-based system that improves data flow, reporting accuracy and financial oversight, with a real-time view of operations that dramatically reduces the workload of the finance team and ensures faster, more accurate reporting.
David Lindores, CEO at Eureka Solutions said: “Helping Tomatin Distillery modernise was about more than just systems, it was about respecting its legacy while preparing the distillery for the future.
“From our very first conversation, it was clear that this wasn’t just a technical project, it was a cultural fit too.
“We understood the importance of preserving the distillery’s heritage while giving it the tools to operate more efficiently.
“As a Scottish business ourselves, we appreciate the importance of keeping traditions intact, even as we transformed how they work.”
Previously time-consuming tasks, including stock reconciliation and prepayment tracking, are now automated. Where the month-end process once consumed valuable time and energy, reports are now compiled quickly and confidently, often within just 10 working days.
The relationship is a standout example of heritage and innovation working in harmony and underlines Eureka Solutions’ growing reputation as the go-to partner for ambitious businesses ready to modernise with purpose.
To find out more about Eureka Solutions, visit: https://eurekasolutions.co.uk/
To find out more about Tomatin Distillery, visit: https://tomatin.com
