Interview with Liz Alvarez, Project Manager

Let’s start with an easy question! What’s your favorite thing about working here at Syte?

A couple of things immediately come to mind. First, we have similar values. We show up as advocates with our clients, and we take that responsibility very seriously.

We’re also always working on ourselves, and we’re all aware of that in each other. We’re always trying to improve, get better, or be more honest about how we feel about things that come up. And we have a very safe space here for that. So, like, we can talk about how something is bothering us, or if we’re concerned about something, and we are able to have really open and honest conversations. I really appreciate that. The Syte team has been my favorite group to work with because of that.

I do think this translates over to our clients, too. And because we are such advocates, the clients see us as an extension of themselves, as opposed to a separate entity. We really work hard to develop trust and rapport with our clients. And this gives them the freedom to be honest with us. Then we can tackle the problem instead of combating each other. There’s no competitiveness. Our clients don’t keep us at a distance, which can sometimes happen with consultants.

I really credit Erin with a lot of that, because she does so much to build rapport with our clients. And I think that because we all show up similarly to her vision, it translates really well.

The second thing that comes up for me is that how we are organized, and how in-sync we are with each other and with our clients, it allows me to do my best work. That has been really valuable to me. I’m not concerned with titles or anything like that. My concern is, am I doing good work? And I feel like I’m able to do my best work at Syte.

When you were at Apple, some of the work you did supported manufacturing — and now you’re working more directly with manufacturing companies as an ERP project manager. What’s your impression of the manufacturing and distribution space?

I’m fascinated learning how things get made. I think that’s the neatest thing. I had a client that was a steel mill, and I got to go on-site and see how steel got made. It was incredible. I was just blown away by all of the technology that went into it.

I really like learning about new companies, new industries, and how things get made. Working in the manufacturing and distribution space is great, because there’s variability. Right now we’ve got a lumber company, and then we have a wholesale company where they don’t actually manufacture anything. So it’s neat. It keeps me intellectually engaged. I’m not just working with the same type of company over and over again.

There’s a real drive for ERP systems with the small-to-mid-sized companies, because the way they’ve been doing everything — in Excel or on older software platforms — doesn’t allow for the comprehensive view that they need of the organization. Payroll is siloed from finance, finance is siloed from manufacturing, manufacturing is siloed from shipping. They’re manually pulling the information together. And that’s why ERP can be so valuable. But these companies don’t have the subject-matter expertise to implement it. That’s where we come in.

Now that we know what you think of working with the team at Syte, let’s flip the script a bit. What would Syte’s clients say about working with you?

They’d say I’m funny! [Laughs] They’d also say I’m empathetic and diplomatic.

I’ve been on their side of things. I’ve done the consulting, and I’ve also been on the side of the client where they’ve had something being implemented for them. So I understand some of the challenges.

And there are certain skills that come with being a project manager. One of those is knowing how to use project management tools. Most clients don’t have someone who has that. And what that allows me to do is provide them with very fast updates. For example, if we start to see timelines shifting in a way that sub-optimal, we can do if-then analysis. Like, if we move this here, what does that do? I’m able to help them run through scenarios and provide them options. I can provide guidance while also talking through the possible consequences.

Awesome. As we come to the end of our conversation, let’s get a bit more personal. In addition to your stint in culinary school, what are a few interesting things about you?

Yeah, I thought I wanted to be a chef. I love to cook. But 23 years ago, it was still hard for women to be in the kitchen working. So I transitioned more to the hospitality management side of things for a while.

Also, I love to cross-stitch! My mom taught me when I was a kid. It doesn’t require a lot of skill, and it’s easy — but it feeds a little of my OCD.

I’m also a big pet person. I love mammals, not so much reptiles or amphibians. We have two hairless cats and two dogs. We have a little Shih Tzu, and we just got our Bernedoodle puppy. So cute. Our cats are great — hairless cats are the best. They’re like dogs in that they want to be with their people, they’re not aloof. They want to be near you, and they’re extraordinarily affectionate. I think part of it is they want to stay warm. [Laughs]

And I own a little side business called Card My Yard. It’s a franchise. We do those, like, big Happy Birthday signs you see in people’s yards. We donate some of our signs to the local humane societies and rescues. That’s important to me.