When tough personal circumstances led to the sad exit of a wonderful Baytown team member, the Accounts Payable team was left with a large void to fill — and quickly. Fortunately, a small team of Monument all-stars were ready for an unrelenting test to climb a steep learning curve and “hit the ground running.”

“In the beginning, we were hopeful that we only needed to backfill for a temporary leave of absence,” Caryn Barnett, Controller, explained. “But things changed rather suddenly. So our original plans to train and transition were thrown off the rails. But in the face of adversity, our team really came together to get us all through.”

So while the team was working to prepare Administrative Assistant, Samantha Mata, for a steady transition from HR to AP, she was instead abruptly tasked with not only learning a new role on the fly, but also doing it on top of all her current responsibilities.

“Samantha was essentially dropped in the fire,” Caryn shared. “But she never complained, and she never gave up. Samantha reached out when she needed help, and she asked all the right questions. But in the end, it was just too difficult to manage with little guidance and another full-time role.”  

With the lack of a dedicated liaison between all vendors and the AP teams across both Houston and Baytown, there were crucial steps in the processing system that were being missed. As a result, invoices were being backlogged, and vendors were expressing their displeasure daily.  

That’s when two other all-stars stepped up to help: Patty Miller, Inventory Clerk & A/P Specialist, and Alicia Penny, Purchasing Manager.

“Patty and Alicia jumped right in to not only offer guidance, but also work side-by-side in receiving to help us get caught up,” Caryn explained, “They taught Sam our accounting system and the processes we follow for invoices, approvals, etc. The three of them worked together tirelessly to get us back to a good place until I could arrange to get a temp in place.”

As a result of their efforts, the vendor emails have dwindled drastically, and our key partners are now completely caught up. Inboxes are staying low, and there aren’t any major backlogs hindering invoice workflows.

“Patty, Alicia, and Samantha came up with a plan of attack and worked as a unit to get us through such a challenging time,” Caryn concluded. “We are grateful that they took incredible initiative and have allowed us to focus now on what’s next for Samantha and this role. She’s really shown us what she’s capable of, and we’re so glad she’s decided to join A/P. These three all-stars make one incredible team!”