Eureka Solutions and NetSuite distil success for Tomatin’s finance transformation

Tomatin Distillery, nestled in the Scottish Highlands, is renowned for its rich heritage and exceptional craftsmanship in producing premium single malt Scotch whisky. Established in 1897, Tomatin has earned a reputation for creating complex and award-winning whiskies. With a commitment to quality and tradition, the distillery is known for its use of traditional copper pot stills and locally sourced ingredients, combined with innovative ageing techniques in a variety of cask types. Passionate about sustainability and maintaining its long-standing commitment to quality, Tomatin remains one of Scotland’s most respected and cherished distilleries.

WHAT WERE TOMATIN’S CHALLENGES?

The company faced significant challenges with its legacy finance system, Pegasus Opera. What started as a straightforward setup grew into a “Frankenstein” system as the business grew, with various independent software packages added over time. This fragmented approach created headaches between departments, but particularly for the sales team, who struggled with slow, outdated reporting. The system only updated figures after the month-end ledger closed, leaving stock levels and sales data out of sync and making it difficult for the team to make informed decisions.

Frustration grew, especially around the lack of real-time data. Reporting was sluggish and lacked the detail needed to track performance effectively. Ultimately, the decision was made to consolidate onto a single, more robust platform. The goal was to achieve better reporting, streamline the system, and provide up-to-date, accurate information.

SELECTING A SOLUTION

After evaluating various options, the company selected Oracle NetSuite, implemented by Eureka Solutions, the UK’s leading NetSuite partner, to tackle its business challenges. NetSuite emerged as the ideal fit, meeting requirements while addressing key pain points, with Kitty Davis, Financial Controller, commenting “NetSuite felt just right in terms of features, price, and complexity—a true “Goldilocks” solution.”

Kitty highlights the strong rapport between Eureka Solutions and Tomatin from the very first meeting, noting, “It felt like an immediate connection; the team truly understood our needs from day one.”

Additionally, Tomatin was drawn to Eureka Solutions as a Scottish-born and bred business, which aligned with their own rich Scottish heritage. This local connection was a key factor in their decision to partner with Eureka Solutions.

To meet the challenges, Eureka Solutions provided Tomatin with a comprehensive, two-fold solution by implementing NetSuite alongside Besyncly, our in-house integration platform. This powerful combination equipped Tomatin with a more robust and efficient finance and accounting system, enhancing reporting and overall functionality. Meanwhile, Besyncly seamlessly connected their systems, ensuring each team worked within their designated platform, streamlining operations and improving efficiency across the board.

The company relies on Distillery Records and Management System (DRAMS), an industry-standard system to manage bulk whisky stock. As DRAMS is HMRC-approved, it was crucial to keep this system in place. Besyncly now connects DRAMS with NetSuite, enabling smooth data transfer, including new fill and warehouse rent invoices.

In addition, Besyncly played a key role in integrating their existing EPOS system, KCPOS, with NetSuite. This integration connected gift shop sales with NetSuite which ensured accurate daily transaction monitoring and simplified data transfer, a significant improvement over their previous, isolated till system.

THE RESULTS

Before adopting NetSuite, month-end processes typically consumed the entire month, with the first week of each period dedicated to stock and sales closures. This time was largely spent catching up, making it an inefficient use of resources. With NetSuite, the process is now much more streamlined. The system’s flexibility allows Tomatin to continue posting transactions as long as the correct posting dates are applied, eliminating bottlenecks and enhancing the closing process.

Kitty noted, “NetSuite has totally changed the way we handle our month-end close. What was once a stressful and time-consuming process now runs smoothly and efficiently. The ability to reopen periods and make adjustments as needed has provided us with a level of flexibility and accuracy we’ve never had before.”

Due to this, NetSuite has greatly improved Tomatin’s ability to meet its critical financial reporting deadlines. Previously, month-end involved substantial manual work, including accruals, prepayment journals, and spreadsheets to ensure the accounts were accurate. Since adopting NetSuite, this can all be achieved within the ERP, enabling the team to confidently meet its goal of delivering management accounts within 10 working days.

Kitty Davis added, “It’s been a game-changer in helping us deliver accurate, timely reports without the burden of manual intervention.”

One of Tomatin’s standout benefits of NetSuite is its simplified management of prepayment journals. The system allows the team to determine how long a prepayment should be amortised and when invoices should be posted, eliminating the need for manual journal entries. Additionally, the ability to create templates for regularly used journals will continue to help save significant time and effort during the month-end close process.

Overall, the team has greater confidence in their financial reporting, knowing the system offers greater accuracy and flexibility compared to their previous manual processes. With ongoing improvements to reporting and financial management, NetSuite is positioning Tomatin for continued growth and success.

BENEFITS REALISED

• Streamlined processes across several departments
• 50% reduction in time taken for month end close
• Reduced report lead time by 2 weeks with improved accuracy and completeness
• All transactions now recorded/posted in the correct periods
• Elimination of manual processes – including accruals, prepayment journals, and spreadsheets
• More time available for strategic tasks
• From only 6 finance team members having access to data, now 75% of employees can interact with NetSuite

FUTURE PLANS

Kitty and her team have found Eureka Solutions’ NetSuite Support Team to be exceptionally responsive, however they want to become even more self-sufficient and now plan to cultivate internal NetSuite superusers. Eureka Solutions will provide specialised training to create internal champions who can promote best practices and foster a culture of continuous improvement. Additionally, a structured learning path for accreditation will be introduced, offering users a clear framework to master the system’s core pillars.

By focusing on these areas, Eureka Solutions and Tomatin aim to maximise the value of the system and ensure it continues to drive success across the business.