spotlight | November
Dora Chavarria
Enterprise Solutions Manager
This month's recommendations from Dora are:
TV Series
Friends
TV Series 1994 - 2004
Music
Dora Chavarria is a very experienced, talented, and dedicated professional with twelve years of experience in Epicor ERP, specializing in Financial Modules.
Her expertise includes the implementation of financial processes and modules, data conversion projects, customizations, support, and enhancements on existing modules to meet clients' needs. She is an excellent communicator who can quickly adapt specific solutions to customers' necessities and explain them clearly to others. Her interpersonal skills allow her to collaborate well with others while holding a high standard for customer service.
Dora has been working at Mayan Technologies over seven years and has been an essential part of our team. Her dedication and commitment to the company are evident in her work ethic and her willingness to go above and beyond.
Professional
Dora graduated from the Universidad de Monterrey, where she received a bachelor's degree in International Finance, and holds a master's degree in Information Technologies from Universidad Regiomontana S.C. She is a seasoned veteran in both the financial and technology sectors, having spent over decade managing projects ranging from business intelligence to finance software. Her experience has given her a unique perspective on customer and end-user needs and requirements, knowledge that has made her an invaluable asset to the team.
What do you do at Mayan Technologies?
I manage the functional Customer Account Management team at Mayan Technologies. My responsibilities include projects assignments to ensure the right resources are available to meet our client's needs within time and budget. I also work closely with my colleagues in other departments to ensure a smooth handover process when a new project starts, or a customer changes their requirements during delivery. Additionally, I am a senior consultant in training and implementation services for Epicor and Acumatica, which means I help clients with financial modules to effectively manage their businesses. This role includes supporting clients with implementation and training users on how to use the products effectively.
How would you say you have grown professionally while working at Mayan Technologies?
I would say I have grown professionally in many ways. Mainly, I have learned to prioritize. Before working here, I worked as a support manager at Epicor, where many clients and projects needed to be tended to at the same time. Mayan is no different. I had to learn how to prioritize tasks so I could best serve all my clients without sacrificing quality. At Mayan, we do not have limitless resources, therefore I ensure our resources are performing efficiently and effectively. Additionally, I have learned to prioritize—not that one client is more important than another, but based on urgency. Since most of the time projects require different resources such as finance, technical, manufacturing, etc., I have learned to work as a team, to trust, delegate, and deliver results. This skill has been critical in helping us stay on top of our game.
In your position, communication is key. How do you keep effective communication and collaboration across your team and clients?
Our team meets three times a week to discuss our progress, plan next steps, and brainstorm ideas. This helps everyone be on the same frequency and bring up any concerns or issues they may have. Knowing there is designated time to review projects helps the team get organized and plan their progress, as well as creates the opportunity to catch up with each other. Meeting regularly also allows us to make sure that no one has too much on their plate. When you know what everyone is working on and what they're struggling with, you can help them — and they can help you.
I conduct myself with high standards of professionalism. At MayanTechs, we encourage open communication. It is essential to maintain open lines of communication with our customers and our team. With clients, my communication is primarily through email. I always make sure I respond to emails promptly and ensure I answer their questions or concerns as quickly as possible.
What has surprised you most about working in this industry?
Most of the problems are not technical but people problems, either because of a process that people created or a miscommunication. That is why I believe it is super important to listen, not only to the person leading the project, but to the end users, and not focus on delivering a temporary, band aid solution, but really deal with the root cause of the problem.
You have been at Mayan Technologies almost since its inception, can you share your thoughts on the company's evolution over the years?
Mayan Technologies has grown a lot since its inception. The first few years were difficult—we had a lot to learn and we learned the hard way. However, we've come a long way since then. Now that we're more mature and experienced, we're able to identify problems before they happen and find solutions before they become issues for our clients. We have learned much about what works and what doesn't work in this industry. Our technical and functional certifications also help us prove reliability as a company that our clients value highly.
When leading an implementation project, how do you keep it moving forward when there are so many players involved?
When leading an implementation project, it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day details and it becomes difficult to keep the big picture in mind. To keep things moving forward, you must set aside time to be sure everyone is on the same page. I schedule regular meetings with my team so we can provide updates on our progress, as well as feedback and guidance as needed. These meetings don't have to take up a lot of time; 10-15 minutes twice a week will do just fine. This helps ensure everyone stays on track with their assignments. Each member is responsible for preparing the information to share in this meeting. If there are no updates, then there's no progress. When issues arise or problems come up during these meetings, I write them down, so I don't forget about them down the road and try my best to resolve them as soon as possible.
You are responsible for many accounts and resources; how do you handle the pressure?
I believe that the best way to handle pressure is to take it one day at a time. I have a saying that I tell myself and my team: “This is something for future Dora to worry about”, meaning it is a problem for another time. You can't worry about everything at once—you'll just burn out (and probably make mistakes). So, I set small goals. For example, if we're working on a large project that has several milestones, I'll break those milestones down into smaller goals—and focus on each one individually. This way, you can build strong work foundations and avoid worrying about the last milestone before even starting on the first one.
What are your thoughts on Mayan's culture and how do you connect with it?
Personally, what I like most about Mayan's culture is its willingness to listen to the client, find ways to solve problems, and come up with creative solutions. It's about listening and trying to fully understand what our client is asking for, why they're asking for it, and what they're trying to accomplish with it. The reason for this is that sometimes, a client will come up with a customization that seems reasonable on the surface, however it is important to consider the implications of that change and how it can affect related systems or processes, that may not be obvious at first glance. The key is finding an effective solution to achieve the initial goal, even if it isn't what the customer originally imagined.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
I would say the hardest challenge I have faced was recognizing I had pursued a professional career in the wrong specialized area. While studying for my bachelor’s degree, I dreamt of working in stock finances after graduation. Once I graduated, I started my professional career working in this area, however, it was not long before I realized it was not what I had expected and decided I needed to take a step back to reconsider what I wanted for my professional future.
What would you say to those who are interested in joining the software consulting industry?
The consulting industry is an exciting one to be in, but it isn't easy. The best advice I can give anyone is to take a deep breath and try not to think about it too much. If this is an industry that interests you, then it's something you should pursue, so don't let anything stand in your way.
Consulting's biggest challenge is preparation. It's essential to keep in mind that the industry is changing quickly. You can't just read the manuals and expect to be an expert—you must keep developing yourself by staying on top of trends and making sure you're always learning new skills. Sometimes you've got to go out there and learn by doing, jumping into different roles, running tests, and getting your hands dirty.
Preferences + Stats
Management Style -
Result-Based Management
I try to adjust my management style to meet the needs of the team I am managing but I prefer Results-based management.
Certifications -
Financial Management (Epicor)
Advanced Financials (Acumatica)
Implementation Project Mgr. (Acumatica)
Inventory and Order Management (Acumatica)
Business Consultant (Acumatica)
12+
10+
Years Experience
ERP Implementation Lead
Turned Around Projects
20+
Personal
After learning more about Dora's professional life, we proceeded with some questions about her personal life. She is a very passionate person and has many interests outside of her professional life. Dora describes herself as a person who likes to live in the moment but also spends time planning for the future. She loves her family, husband, and daughter especially.
Tell us about your family, and how they have impacted your life both professionally and personally.
I am a mother and a wife. My husband Alonso, and my daughter Andrea, are my everything. They have impacted my life professionally and personally in various ways. I've been married to my husband for eight years, and my daughter is four years old. Both of them are very important to me. I feel as though they are the two people who make me feel most alive, and they are also the people who help me become a better person every day.
My husband is incredibly supportive and encouraging, which makes me feel like anything is possible. He is also funny and kind, he helps me laugh through any rough patches in life. He is my best friend and someone who always has my back no matter what.
As a mom, I have learned that you can be successful at work while being present with your family. I’ve always wanted to be able to spend more time with my daughter and have tried different things, however what has worked best for me is working from home. I try to balance both worlds so I can spend as much time with my daughter and be available whenever she needs me. This was especially helpful during her first few years when she took her first steps and said her first words. Working from home has allowed me to be there for her every step of the way.
What profession other than your own would like to attempt?
My professional career began in Psychology. I've always been interested in Organizational Psychology, focused on companies, recruitment, and selection. This curiosity was led by the desire of understand how people think and why they make the choices they make. The field of psychology is fascinating because it helps us understand humans better and improve our lives, and since I have learned more about Psychology, it is another career that I would have liked to pursue.
What personal goal would you like to accomplish in the next 5 years?
I am a person who focuses a lot in planning for the future and saving. I have several financial goals related to my daughter's education which I want to achieve. Due to COVID, my family, as well as many others, are coming out of a long period of isolation. During this period, we were not able to travel or do any social activities, so an important goal I'd like to accomplish in the next five years is to make up for lost time.
Share with us something you are particularly proud of?
My daughter is my pride and joy. She's an amazing girl and student, and I'm so happy to be her mom. While I'm not an athlete myself, she is, so when I see her running or playing sports, it fills me with happiness.
I feel proud to be able to be a mother, create life, and foster values in my daughter for her future. Seeing her healthy, growing day by day, and learning new things is what makes me proud.
What moves/motivates you and pushes you to pursue goals every day?
One of my biggest motivators is my daughter. She's the engine that drives me to pursue goals every day, she has taught me that I'm stronger than I ever thought possible. But she isn't the only one who motivates me. I am also my own motivator and I love being professional woman.
I love setting goals and pushing myself to achieve them. For example, "I want to achieve this number of sales in this determined period." or "I want this quantity of projects at this time." But since my daughter came into my life, I do everything for her because when you find something bigger than yourself, it changes everything.
What is the most humbling experience you ever had?
My daughter was born in December, and at 15-days old, we both acquired a virus which affected her more than it did me. We spent three weeks hospitalized where she spent her first Christmas—something that was not part of our plans. In fact, I had decorated our home for the holidays since October because I wanted to make sure her first Christmas was special.
Unfortunately, we couldn't spend it at home or with our family. This made me realize that plan don’t always go the way you want them to, however it is important to always see the positive. This incident only strengthened my family, we realized who is there for us in difficult moments. I learned to say "no", even if they are family and to put ourselves first, making my daughter’s health my priority. It is an experience that changed me for the better.
Do you have a favorite quote?
It is not actually a quote but there is a song by Sia called Unstoppable. It's a song about being true to yourself and full of ideas I self-love. Part of the lyrics talks about how you are invincible and a force of your own. Not in the sense that nobody can hurt you or do anything to stop you, but in the sense that you're confident and powerful, as well as reassure yourself that you are capable of handle whatever comes your way.
If you could have a conversation with anybody dead or alive, who would that person be and why?
I admire people who achieve their goals no matter what, those who start from scratch and build something great. It may not sound interesting, but I would like to meet my great-grandmother since she passed long before I was born.
By researching old letters and photos, she had a complicated life in the old days in Mexico. She was married at a young age to a 60-year-old man. I'd like to understand where some of our customs came from since many of them persist as family traditions. We've held onto them for so long, but it would be interesting to know where and how they originated.
As a mom, I have learned that you can be successful at work while being present with your family.
Tips from Our Experts
We have the privilege of working with very talented experts, each in their area. Why not share some of that knowledge. Here are Dora's best practices when it comes to project management.
Confidence is essential to success– To be successful, you need to present yourself with confidence. It's easy to mistake confidence with arrogance, but the two are vastly different. Arrogance is a belief that you're better than others or superior in some way. Confidence is a belief in your ability to achieve what you set out to accomplish. It is not about being better than anyone else; it's about being better than you were yesterday.
Busyness is a state of mind – When you love what you do for a living, there is no such thing as being too busy. You just need to learn how to manage your time well and do the best you can with what you have. When you are passionate about something, you can achieve a lot more than what others can achieve if they are not passionate about what they do.
There is no one-size-fits-all plan – When you're building a project, it's important to be aware of the whole structure. The shape of the building may change over time, but if you don't keep an eye on how it's coming together as a whole, you'll end up with an edification that's not as sturdy as it could be. The same is true of your goals and ambitions—you need to look at the whole picture and make sure they're all working together in a way that makes sense. Be the architect of any project. Review the plans and foundations. Shape your goals without unbalancing the structure.
Did You Know?
Here are three things you probably didn't know about Dora Chavarria:
Dora loves to dance, and her childhood dream was to be a professional dancer.
Instead of starting her morning with a coffee, Dora prefers a cold Coke.
Dora is a huge soccer fan, her favorite team is the Tigres UANL.
Thank you for reading this month's Spotlight article, where featured team members provide insight into their job at Mayan Technologies and detail what their role encompasses while opening up about their personal life.
Stay tuned for our next Spotlight article about:
ATHZIRY SIERRA
Jr. Technical Consultant