The whisky industry has long been one intertwined with rich heritage and Scottish culture, so breaking into a traditional space with a digital-first approach was going to be no small feat.

For those born and raised in Speyside, having some kind of connection to whisky is almost inevitable. In my case, this connection was formed through my granddad, who worked at a distillery outside of Elgin. These close ties have allowed us at Vapour to witness first-hand the challenges that distillers face in a modern world. We’ve often found that the real test doesn’t lie in adopting digital methods, but in enabling change among the people on the ground.

This new shift from customary whisky production is shaking up the industry and changing how we and others around the world think about our much-loved spirit.

Having undertaken detailed market analysis, we identified that there were major gaps in existing solutions used by distilleries. These solutions were either prohibitively expensive, lacked the level of detail customers seek, or were highly reliant on external consultants.

We strongly believe that the most valuable data and the story behind any whisky product is driven by shop floor operations and the craftspeople making and maturing the whisky.

Digitising these operations doesn’t mean putting people out of jobs; in fact, it has the opposite effect. It puts control and ownership back in the hands of those carrying out the day-to-day tasks, allowing them to see real- time data as they work.

As a result, we created a solution for comprehensive tracking of a product from crop to cask, rather than focusing on timely record keeping processes. By consistently tracking on the go, distilleries can provide customers with the data needed to build a complete picture and tell the full provenance and story behind the spirit they enjoy. It’s also a practical way to flag any issues with casks. With digital tools, distilleries can now monitor and adjust processes in real-time, ensuring consistency and quality like never before.

We recognise that every distiller or maturation manager faces unique challenges and opportunities, with each cask having its own distinct identity. By driving deeper insights with every warehouse task, we’re able to provide a 21st century solution for a 600-year-old industry through affordable traceability and transparency.

Vapour is a custom digital platform built around the needs of spirit and liquid producers. Rather than shoe-horning function into pre-existing ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems, we’ve created a platform flexible enough to handle the managing and tracking of the ageing of a variety of products - from malt to grain whisky, bourbon, cognac, beer, and even hot sauce, to name a few.

The nature of the digital product means it’s extremely quick to set up for customers anywhere in the world and can be done remotely from our base in Scotland. We now have customers as far afield as Australia using Vapour, and our customer base across Europe has expanded significantly too.

While the industry will need to carefully balance innovation with tradition, it’s important that the digitisation of whisky is viewed as a new chapter in its long and storied history.

Stephen Hamilton is founder of Scottish tech start-up, Vapour

Agenda is a column for outside contributors. Contact: agenda@theherald.co.uk