OUTMIN X WHELAN'S

A gourmet food producer trades the ‘90s grind for effortless accounting

Whelan’s Gourmet Foods was feeling the pinch with outdated systems and manual accounting, with key staff changes adding to the pressure. Outmin’s automation didn’t just streamline their operations – it eliminated the need for a full-time bookkeeper. With 160+ hours saved every month, fewer errors, and real-time financial clarity, Whelan’s can now focus on growing their business instead of drowning in admin.

A family legacy of excellence in every bite

Whelan’s Gourmet Foods is a family-owned Irish food producer with a reputation for quality that spans over 40 years. Based in Dublin and run by Tom Whelan and his daughter Lindsay, they’re known for premium meats and award-winning sausages, serving retail and trade customers from two locations. Beyond their gourmet line, they also cater to health-conscious shoppers, offering low-calorie and gluten-free options. Delicious and healthy? Count us in! With a history of dedication to quality, Whelan’s has earned industry acclaim. But as the business grew, so did the challenges – especially in their accounting processes.

Challenge

Tech stuck in the ‘90s and a shifting team

As a family-run business, Whelan’s was facing a perfect storm of challenges, putting pressure on their day-to-day operations and the people who ran it. Tom and his daughter Lindsay, who was taking on a larger role, knew they needed to make some changes to keep the business running smoothly.

Here’s what they were up against:

Key Staff Changes: Two critical members of the finance team were leaving – one retiring and the other taking leave. With key team members gone, Tom and Lindsay faced a significant gap in handling essential accounting and finance tasks.
Ageing, Inefficient Systems: Whelan’s relied on TASBooks, a 90s accounting software made for the era of manual work. Most accounting tasks had to be done by hand, creating a heavy workload and plenty of room for error:
Sales Invoices: These were created by hand – about 1,600 per month! – after each delivery, using printed reports from their traceability system. Imagine printing out every delivery, then manually entering it into TASBooks line by line…
Customer Statements: With hundreds of customer statements going out each month, it took the team hours just to prepare for delivery.
Payroll Processing: Payroll for dozens of employees across two shops was also a grind. Calculations were done manually in Excel, and each entry had to be double-checked to avoid errors – an exhausting payroll process with little payoff.
Lack of Financial Visibility: With no easy way to visualise cash flow, Whelan’s struggled to see the full picture of their finances. While Tom was left looking at aged debtors each week, they were missing up-to-date insights into expenses, cash flow, and other crucial metrics.

With staff changes and outdated, clunky software, business finance was putting an enormous strain on Whelans’ success. They needed a modern solution to handle the busywork, streamline payroll, and free them up to focus on what really mattered: running and growing the business.

Solution

From manual overload to seamless automation

When Whelans partnered with Outmin, we introduced automation and accuracy by replacing outdated software with a streamlined AI-powered system that manages everything from invoice processing to bank reconciliations. Not only did the new system take care of their outdated processes, but it also absorbed the workload of previous staff members, meaning Tom and Lindsay didn’t need to hire replacements. Outmin covered it all, at a fraction of the cost.Here’s how Outmin transformed their day-to-day:

Daily Operations

Outmin automated essential daily tasks that were previously done by hand, saving Whelan’s hours each day.

Invoice Processing: Instead of manually scanning and uploading 1,600+ invoices every month, Outmin’s system automatically pulls in and organises each document, eliminating hours of tedious scanning.
Bank Reconciliation: Outmin linked Whelan’s bank accounts to the platform, so transactions are automatically recorded. No more manual entries or risk of errors – just a clear, up-to-date view of their finances.
Expense Management: Suppliers can now upload invoices directly to Outmin’s platform, so the Whelan’s team doesn't have to manage each document manually.

Weekly Operations

Outmin took over weekly payroll and reconciliation tasks, freeing up the Whelan’s team from time-consuming admin.

Payroll Processing: Outmin now manages payroll for Whelan’s team across two locations, including calculating hours, entering data, and processing payments.
Bank and Expense Reconciliation: We review bank transactions and expenses weekly to keep Whelan’s accounts accurate and up-to-date.

Monthly and Bimonthly Tasks

Outmin also handles a range of monthly and bimonthly accounting tasks, giving Whelan’s leadership a clear financial snapshot.

Customer Statements: Outmin created a custom bot that automates 250 monthly customer statements, a task that used to take several days each month. Now, statements are generated at the push of a button, freeing up time and ensuring accuracy. Talk about efficiency!
Management Reports: Outmin provides Whelan's with monthly financial and management reports within two weeks of each month-end, offering insights into cash flow, performance, and overall financial health..
VAT Filings: We handle all VAT filings on a bimonthly basis, ensuring compliance without the usual hassle or last-minute scrambles.

Additional Support

Beyond the day-to-day, Outmin helps with other administrative and compliance needs:

Annual Financials: Outmin delivers year-end financial statements to Whelan's.
Government Surveys and Insurance: We assist with government surveys and insurance reporting, providing any required data for industry or compliance purposes.

By automating repetitive tasks, Outmin gave Whelan’s a solution that streamlined their finances, improved accuracy, and allowed them to focus on their core business.

While there was a significant heavy lift to clean up past data and streamline supplier issues, now that everything’s running smoothly, Whelan’s is set up for future growth.

Result

More time plus less stress equals a happier whelan’s team

Partnering with Outmin has been a game-changer for Whelan’s. With their heavy accounting lift handled, Lindsay and her team have clawed back hours in their week, and they’re finally free to focus on growing the business (without the usual admin headaches). Here’s what’s changed:

Time Savings Galore: By automating their most time-consuming tasks, Outmin has freed up a potential 160+ hours a month of accounting admin! Time Lindsay and the remaining team can now put toward what matters most – running and expanding the family business.
No Need to Hire a Bookkeeper: With Outmin managing the workload, Whelan’s didn’t need to hire a new bookkeeper, saving both time and money. We now handle the tasks that used to require extra hands, seamlessly.
Fewer Errors, More Accuracy: With Outmin managing invoices, payroll, and reconciliations, accuracy has skyrocketed. No more stress over double-checking entries; now, they’ve got reliable numbers at their fingertips.
Instant Financial Insights: Instead of stitching together scattered reports, Whelan’s can see their financials clear as day. Tom and Lindsay now have a straightforward, up-to-date view of cash flow, expenses, and overall performance – with a single login.
A Lot Less Stress: The manual workload has dropped, making workdays easier and lighter for everyone. The smart customer statement bot alone has been a huge success, saving them hours, and with every task streamlined, they’re no longer bogged down by outdated systems.

With Outmin on their side, the daily grind of manual tasks is a thing of the past, replaced by efficiency, accuracy, and (finally!) a bit of breathing room. By automating tasks that once required full-time bookkeeping, Tom and Lindsay not only saved a lot of time but also cut costs.

“Outmin [...] makes everyday tasks easier, even taking some off my plate completely. Needless to say, the Outmin team has been a pleasure to work with.”

Now, they have the confidence and peace of mind that their finances are in great hands, setting them up for smoother days and a bright path to growth. Ready to see what a smoother, stress-free workflow looks like? Book a demo with us, and let’s explore how Outmin can help you focus on what matters most.

It’s like having a finance team working in the background who I can chat to at any time. I can now spend more time on more productive activities like delivering the best possible experience for our guests.

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– John Savage

Pi Pizza