Don Fishing, part of the Aberdeen-based JW Holdings group, is one of Scotland’s leading fishing and vessel management companies, with offices in Aberdeen, Peterhead, Macduff, Wick, Scrabster and Kinlochbervie. They’ve made a significant investment in new financial systems from Welcom Software.

“We have interests in around 40 fishing vessels and we provide services to those boats, plus another 80 or so in which we don’t have a share.” In accounting terms, each vessel is a separate company with its own general ledger. “In effect, we have 70 general ledgers. Immediately, once the fish have been sold and their value logged, our office staff can use the Settling System to show each skipper exactly what he has made from his fishing trip and how much he needs to pay the crew.”

Don Fishing has been using the system, developed jointly with Welcom Software, for nine years. When the time came to develop a new system, the Board of Directors decided once again to appoint Welcom Software. “There are the obvious advantages of their knowing both our requirements and our working practices, plus a simpler transition from one system to another. Notwithstanding that, there were other strong arguments for staying.

“We particularly like their partnership concept in systems development. Our Accountant Andrew Cheyne has worked closely with Welcom Software over the years to provide that vital ingredient, industry knowledge, combined with solid accounting skills. For their part, Welcom Software has maintained excellent continuity in the form of Gordon Turnbull, a Specialist Consultant who really understands the specific requirements of our industry. They are also strong financially, which means they will be around in the future – something that can’t be said for many other software companies.”

“It’s impossible to quantify benefits,” adds Cheyne, ”but the old system was absolutely central to what we did. What I like about the new system, in addition to the Windows interface, is the reporting and analysis capabilities, which should help us to drive down costs even further. It will also be beneficial for our customers, helping them to identify trends and market changes, such as the mix of species within a catch compared with the same landing month last year, all of which can be emailed direct to the skipper.”

The last word goes to Nicky Garrett, Managing Director of Don Fishing: “It’s a major investment for us at a time when the industry is going through difficulties. Owners of over 100 Scottish vessels have recently been offered grants to decommission, but our investment demonstrates our confidence in the future. We see ourselves in for the long term. That’s a significant message for the industry.”