Ladies Who Lead in Fine-Tuning Our Technology
Meet four women who help employees understand and utilize our available technologies, helping us work more efficiently.
We’ve come to rely on technology. Most of us wouldn’t know how to get by on any given day without the benefits we reap from being able to accomplish tasks, at home and at work, faster and easier than ever before.
This month, we’d like to introduce four women who help employees understand and utilize our systems. These ladies have taken the lead in Fine-Tuning Our Technology, and we’re so grateful for their support.
Mary Bartkiewicz, Corporate Payroll Administrator, Bedford Heights, OH
Mary started her career at Olympic Steel just over two years ago, but for more than a decade, Mary has been helping people get paid for their work, using our payroll systems. Whether she’s taking care of an employee’s issue or learning how to do something in the upgraded timekeeping system, Dimensions, Mary loves the part of her job that allows her to troubleshoot and solve problems.
“I enjoy the fast-paced environment and the attention to detail this position requires,” she says. Since the Dimensions upgrade and implementation earlier this year, Mary has been extremely helpful in identifying ways to make the program more user-friendly.
“Being able to initiate a change in Dimensions to make things easier for users is very rewarding,” Mary explains. “From streamlining processes to creating shortcuts for supervisors to access the information they need quickly and easily, it’s gratifying to help others get things done.”
In this field, though, challenges often appear. And while Mary enjoys working through those issues, she’s happy to have a strong team that offers their support and advice to help her get through. “Challenges will always arise,” she says. “But as long as you stay positive, work with your team and give 100%, you will always find a solution.”
When Mary is not reviewing time, helping an employee with a payroll question or studying for her Fundamental Payroll Certification exam, she’s probably cheering for her favorite sports team, the Cleveland Cavs.
Cyndi Marshall, Manager of Business Solutions, Bedford Heights, OH
Cyndi began her career at Olympic Steel 26 years ago in the Accounts Payable department. She participated in a few system-related projects within the Accounting department that led to an opportunity in the IT department as a Systems Trainer and, later, Business Analyst.
In the Business Analyst role, Cyndi expanded her experience with many functional areas throughout the Company. “From adding features to our legacy system, StelPlan, to implementing SEMS and Microsoft Dynamics AX at some divisions, I have been able to work with people in nearly every facet of our business,” Cyndi explains.
In her current role, Solution Manager for the Dynamics AX system, Cyndi guides her team’s effort to ensure that the system is operating as effectively as it can to support the divisions’ needs. A good portion of her job involves fixing issues, and she’s okay with that. “I actually enjoy figuring out puzzles and finding solutions to problems,” she says. “I also like the variety. Our business systems support purchasing, sales, production, shipping, accounting and everything in between – each day brings something new to tackle.”
Cyndi says it can sometimes be difficult to “keep the plates spinning”, especially when new plates are added at any moment. She organizes issues by impact and urgency to keep things in perspective when deciding what to tackle first. “This means priorities can shift as new issues are added,” she explains. “Our timing for addressing issues has a direct impact on how well employees can do their job and how well we service our customers.”
When Cyndi started her career at Olympic Steel in 1995, she had no idea she’d eventually work in IT. As she learned more about the business and the systems we use to manage the business, IT drew her in…and, we’re so glad it did.
Judy McShane, Corporate Payroll Manager, Bedford Heights, OH
For more than three decades, in the manufacturing and healthcare industries, Judy’s been working with numbers and systems. From Accounting Clerk to Payroll Manager, she’s focused on accuracy and efficiency.
“There’s more to payroll than paying employees,” Judy explains. “We maintain compliance with payroll tax laws, unemployment, wage and hour regulations, Federal employment guidelines, Olympic Steel policies and union contracts.” Judy enjoys researching all the facets of her job and finding the best way to implement changes when necessary, including ways to increase efficiency in her day-to-day tasks.
Although Judy didn’t seek a career in payroll, she’s glad payroll found her. “Once I understood everything the field has to offer, I was hooked. There is never a boring moment,” she says. “And there is always something new to learn, even after all these years.”
Judy’s excited about the positive changes that have come with the implementation of Dimensions for timekeeping and attendance tracking. “Managers, supervisors and employees benefit from this system,” Judy says. “The Dimensions implementation eliminated multiple steps from the timekeeping approval process and gives supervisors and managers access to their employees’ timecards, accruals and points. Plus, time off requests and approvals happen in real time!”
When you’re involved with processing a weekly payroll, any step you can eliminate while still providing the same service is a huge win. Judy’s request for this system upgrade is a testament to her desire for her team to provide the best payroll services to Olympic Steel employees.
Judy reflects, “Even though I’m the Corporate Payroll Manager and responsible for all the functions of the Payroll department, I couldn’t do this job alone, and I would be totally lost without the great team I have.”
Helen Primbas, Business Analyst Sr., Bedford Heights, OH
Helen came to Olympic Steel 10 years ago with experience as an engineer, software developer, project manager, program manager, business process analyst, management consultant and new software product manager. She has a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree, both in electrical engineering with a specialty in computer architectures, as well as a Master of Business Administration (MBA). For the last 25 years, she’s focused on ERP systems. As a Sr. Business Analyst at Olympic Steel, Helen provides technical and process support for the divisions that have the AX Dynamics business software.
She’s worked for a wide range of companies, from small to large, but mostly enjoys working for smaller companies. “There is a family feel in the culture of a smaller company that makes it both fun and personal to work with its people,” Helen explains. “Each division at Olympic Steel has that ‘small company’ feeling. They work toward the division’s goals, drawing from Corporate services as needed, while serving local/regional markets.”
Helen enjoys working with people and helping them use technology to benefit their daily work. Since many users are challenged by new software, she finds ways to make the use of the available technology as easy as possible. She reminds us that “technology is only a tool to accomplish a job, and it should not be invasive to an employee’s job responsibilities.”
In her effort to help others with their technological issues, Helen says it’s the people she’s working with who help her get through the challenges. She explains, “The positive attitude of the people in the divisions, along with my colleagues, makes all the difference! We know we will get through it, and we make the best of every situation to achieve success.”
When Helen isn’t helping users be successful, she enjoys her passion for cooking and baking. She often finds creative ways to combine ingredients to create unique dishes – especially those that embrace her Greek heritage.
Mary, Cyndi, Judy and Helen are four women with very different experiences who all work hard to help employees be successful by making the best use of Olympic Steel’s technology.
The Leading Ladies feature kicked-off in December 2020 with Ladies Who Lead in Our Industry. That month, and each month since, we’ve featured employees who local leaders have identified as positive examples of the talented team members we have building strong careers at Olympic Steel. In a male-dominated industry, it’s important to share stories that inspire other women to keep striving to reach their goals and bringing fresh perspective to their teams.
Know a leading lady who has an inspiring story to tell?
Send your referral to CompanyCommunications@olysteel.com.
