AI-Powered Expense Reconciliation & Automation

Introduction

A private jet charter firm based in Los Angeles, CA (annual revenue of $60M and 130 employees) needed a more efficient financial reconciliation process. With 240 credit cards in circulation among pilots and flight staff, every expense had to be accurately tagged to specific flights, tail numbers, and trip profitability reports. Manual data entry by a six-person team consumed significant time, delayed monthly closings, and introduced errors. Previous automation attempts failed due to the complexity of trip-based accounting and FAA compliance requirements.

Challenges

• Complex Expense Reconciliation
  A large volume of daily credit card transactions needed to be matched to individual trips.
• High Labor Costs & Inefficiency
  A dedicated team was manually reviewing and entering data, causing delays and added expenses.
• Error-Prone Process
  Inconsistent tagging and human errors often led to discrepancies in financial reporting.
• Scalability Issues
  The firm couldn’t efficiently add more jets or handle increased transaction volume without scaling labor.

Solutions

Cadre AI developed and implemented an AI-powered financial automation system tailored to the firm’s unique trip-based accounting requirements.

1. AI-Powered Reconciliation Platform
   Automated the matching of each expense to its corresponding trip and tail number.
2. Automated Accounts Payable (AP) Processing
   Eliminated manual data entry by integrating OCR and NLP, reducing human involvement.
3. One-Click Financial Statements
   Provided real-time Trip Profitability Reports and Jet Owner Statements.
4. Seamless Integration & Compliance
   Custom APIs ensured compatibility with existing legacy systems while meeting strict FAA regulatory standards.
5. Training & Adoption
   The finance team received hands-on sessions to facilitate a smooth transition and maximize user adoption.

The private jet charter firm drastically cut labor costs and boosted reporting accuracy by automating trip-based expense reconciliation. With real-time insights, their finance team can now focus on strategic analysis rather than manual data entry, and the business is positioned to scale its operations without adding unnecessary headcount.

“Cadre AI transformed our finance operations. What used to take a full team days now happens in seconds. We’re not just saving money—we’re finally able to scale efficiently.”
— CFO, Private Jet Charter Firm

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Project Results

The firm achieved a 78% reduction in reconciliation time, allowing monthly closings to be completed in days instead of weeks. Financial reporting accuracy improved to 99.8%, a marked increase from the previous 86% rate. Additionally, the company realized $150,000 in annual cost savings by reducing its accounting staff from seven to three full-time members. Looking ahead, it projects savings of over $250,000 in the next six months by avoiding offshore hires as its operational scope expands.

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