From adhesive compounds to ammunition and industrial motors, manufacturers across the country are proving that artificial intelligence isn’t a buzzword — it’s a practical tool for tightening financial controls, improving visibility, and freeing up time for strategy.
1. Meridian Adhesives Group - Smarter Cash Forecasting in Charlotte
For Meridian Adhesives Group in Charlotte, North Carolina, AI became a way to see — and plan — more clearly. The company’s finance team was juggling cash across nine U.S. operating accounts, making it difficult to predict liquidity or plan capital expenditures.
With an AI-enabled 13-week cash-flow forecasting model, Meridian’s CFO now pulls and classifies over 30,000 transactions in minutes instead of weeks. The system automatically detects trends, seasonality, and anomalies — giving leadership a live view of where cash is moving and when.
For small and mid-sized manufacturers, this kind of model isn’t out of reach. Many modern ERP systems already integrate with forecasting tools that use machine learning to spot patterns and improve accuracy over time.
2. Hornady Manufacturing - Automating Accounts Payable in Nebraska
At Hornady Manufacturing in Grand Island, Nebraska, the finance team faced a familiar headache: thousands of invoices from hundreds of suppliers, each in a different format.
Matching them to purchase orders and goods receipts ate up valuable staff time and introduced errors.
By partnering with Esker, Hornady rolled out AI-powered invoice processing that reads, matches, and routes invoices automatically. The results: fewer late payments, cleaner audit trails, and a more predictable month-end close.
The lesson? You don’t need a massive IT department to start. AI invoice automation platforms are now cloud-based and plug into existing ERP systems — something local manufacturers can adopt quickly to reduce overhead and strengthen vendor relationships.
3. Yaskawa America - Turning Data into Working Capital in Illinois
At Yaskawa America in Waukegan, Illinois, the finance team took a broader view. Using AI-driven analytics integrated with SAP, they identified where payments were lagging, bottlenecks were forming, and cash was tied up unnecessarily.
The payoff: a 70% reduction in past-due invoices and shorter days payable outstanding — translating directly into improved working capital and stronger supplier trust.
Yaskawa’s example shows that AI isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about enabling finance teams to make faster, data-driven decisions that improve cash flow and resilience.
Bringing It Home to Southwestern Pennsylvania
For manufacturers in our region, these stories are blueprints. Whether you’re in machining, plastics, or food processing, the opportunity is the same: use AI to make your finance function smarter, leaner, and more strategic.
Start small. Automate invoice capture. Test a forecasting model. Audit your payment cycle for delays AI could catch. Each improvement compounds — saving time, strengthening trust, and preparing your business for the next big contract.
At Catalyst Connection, we’re here to help manufacturers explore practical AI solutions — not as a tech experiment, but as a business advantage.
Want to talk about AI for your finance team? Contact us to start exploring what’s possible.