By the Way Bakery demonstrates how artificial intelligence has expanded beyond large enterprises to help small businesses scale operations. Owner Helene Godin pitched her mini-Bundt cakes to major supermarket chains earlier this year, then faced the challenge of managing new orders efficiently.

Godin replaced unwieldy spreadsheets with an AI planning tool that tracks ingredients, labor, and production schedules for products like Schnibble mini-Bundt cakes. This technology helps the Pleasantville, N.Y. bakery manage growth when new orders arrive.

The shift reflects a broader trend of AI democratization, allowing small manufacturers to compete with larger rivals through automated operational management. This technology eliminates manual tracking errors while optimizing resource allocation for small businesses experiencing sudden demand surges.