Technology to connect products and consumers
31st October, 2024
31st October, 2024
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13th December, 2024
The Warehousekeepers and Owners of Warehoused Goods Regulations (WOWGR) is set to be reformed and simplified. This is along with other simplifications to the holding and movement of goods which will bring the warehousing of duty suspended beer and spirits, including whisky casks, in line with those of wine and other fermented products. The changes are set to be introduced quickly, with the 3rd March 2025 set as the date for the reforms to come into force, leaving warehousekeepers with little time to prepare. Many in the industry see this long-anticipated repeal as a significant step to bring more accountability and transparency to cask ownership, especially where assets are held in suspended duty in bonded warehouses and third party facilities. With regard to bonded warehouses and third party facilities, WOWGR reform likely means disruption and confusion in the short term as the industry adapts. The importance of data integrity has never been more keenly felt. Reform for them means increased accountability and traceability in the storage and management of casks, as well as greater communication with brokers and cask owners who demand and expect robust proof of ownership. The use of spreadsheets , disparate legacy systems and unverified paper certificates denoting cask ownership are long-standing chinks in the whisky industry’s armour that this reform sets to put right.
29th November, 2024
Love them or hate them, spreadsheets can be useful for recording many different types of data tracked by a distillery or warehouse. Financial planning, inventory management, recipe records, barrel locations, duty calculations, chances are you’ll find a spreadsheet at the heart of many of these important tasks in spirits operations. As producers and warehouses scale, the amount of data captured grows, so too the number of people using a shared spreadsheet and the demands put on it. The need for greater efficiency in production, coupled with the drive to introduce sustainability measures that stand up to close scrutiny, all further add to the vital importance of data that is held. As a result, many turn to technology to find a more streamlined and user-friendly solution to support the running of their day-to-day production, storage and operational tasks. The main drivers being the need for transparency and traceability across the entire supply chain, especially as a business grows and the number of assets produced increases. The need for a scalable solution becomes a priority, as does one that provides ultimate assurance that the data collected, and used to base important decisions on, is accurate and up-to-date. Data loss, or error, with something as simple as a mistakenly deleted row in Excel can mean game over. Or at best, a headache for a day or two whilst you wait to see if it can be recovered. A technology solution retains a full history and ensures all data is fully backed up and readily accessible. Here, we look at data challenges facing many distilleries and warehouses today and the tipping points that push organisations to seek solutions beyond spreadsheets.
25th November, 2024
We’ve long been a fan of The Spirits Business and all their efforts to champion innovation and progression in the spirits industry. Their articles regularly feature comments from our CEO Rob Hollands who’s often invited to give his take on the big issues affecting the sector. So, when the opportunity to get involved in their prestigious awards came about, we took it! Especially when it meant sponsoring an award category close to our hearts - Distiller of the Year. It was sealed furthermore when we found out that the brilliant Claudia Winkleman was to be the esteemed host.