DocuWarians is a new blog feature that introduces you to the people behind the product. Today is International Women's Day. This month, we've asked Solution Manager Jo Ann Kreidel to share her perspective on working in technology.
My tasks and responsibilities at DocuWare are ...
I work closely with Solution Architect, Bob Mutarelli, and the team to support the creation of new preconfigured solutions along with the development of enhancements to our current ones. I create marketing and sales tools and write articles to help get our message out and let people know what our preconfigured solutions offer and how easy they are to use and implement. I also help with training, pre-sales and implementation set-ups.My background prepared me for this role because ...
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My formal education is in accounting and I worked in the accounting and human resources areas for over 40 years. Twenty-five of those years were spent in the manufacturing industry working for a high-end audio company (for my audiophiles – Mark Levinson). Then I moved into the software industry. In 2004, I began working in document management at Westbrook Technologies. DocuWare acquired Westbrook in 2013, and I was lucky enough to become a part of the DocuWare Team.
In 2018, a new position opened up. It involved overseeing the preconfigured solutions that are included with DocuWare Cloud. It sounded interesting, so I made the jump from Director of Finance to Solution Manager. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, I was one of the people who struggled because of labor-intensive, manual processes, and I was often too busy to eat lunch or leave the office on time. Because of my real-life experiences, I did not want to pass up the opportunity to really help other finance and HR professionals to go digital and automate processes in these areas.
My favorite DocuWare feature is ...
A DocuWare team-building activity that I enjoyed is ...
The bike building project is one of my most memorable company events. It is very close and dear to my heart. I worked closely with L.E.A.D. USA, an organization that develops individual and organizational excellence through unique experiential programs and the Wallingford Family YMCA in Connecticut getting it setup.
DocuWare provided new bikes and helmets to a group of second grade children who participated in the Random Acts of Kindness initiative. The day of the event we worked in teams to put the bikes together with no instructions and every team had an incomplete set of tools. We learned that we needed to share resources (like tools) with other teams to correctly assemble the bikes. L.E.A.D. USA President Rich Kuepper evaluated our efforts and chose a winner. Then he and a bike technician checked the bikes to ensure all were assembled correctly.
We surprised our employees by busing the children to the event to pick up their bikes. Then the children were surprised with their new bikes! What happy faces from all, a day I will never forget.
DocuWare's corporate culture is ...
Our core values say it all. Our goal is to be customer-centric, decent, dynamic, and passionate. I am very passionate about making sure our preconfigured solutions are the right fit for our customers. I love my job, the people I work with, and strive to provide great solutions for companies to digitize and automate their processes.
My favorite quote or motto is ...
I have two....“ You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream” – C.S. Lewis and “A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.” – William Shakespeare.
I'd like readers to know that ...
Today is International Women’s Day, and this year’s theme is “Choose to Challenge.” Women have been campaigning for equality since the early 1900s. Today, the world has seen a significant change. As a result, more women pursue careers in high-tech fields, but we still have farther to go. 
That’s why DocuWare joins forces with teachers and students at the Nora Cronin Presentation Academy in Newburgh, NY. The Academy educates low-income young women in the Hudson Valley. We’ve funded annual school field trips and hosted hands-on tech workshops for 8th grade girls.
I can say that DocuWare truly values our contribution to the company’s success. Women have significant roles in all areas of the business, are empowered to learn, and recognized for our achievements. Let’s go world and make sure we provide our girls with an equal, safe, and happy future.
Happy International Women's Day from the DocuWare Team!
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