Barbara Bragger remembers one particular New Year’s Eve fondly. It certainly wasn’t for any of the reasons generally connected with the occasion, and at the time it was more than a little inconvenient. In the long run, this particular NYE experience solidified her standing as a consultant who answers the call of duty…and it didn’t even involve champagne.
Bragger and her husband, Eddie, were practically out the door to begin ushering in the New Year when the phone rang. It was a client in full panic mode who was having trouble running her month-end/year-end reports through the OMD enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. This was during a period before the advent of remote access, but Bragger patiently walked the client through the issue and helped generate the reports.
“I always try to be there for my clients, and help them through any issues they may have,” said Bragger, the president of B&B Consulting and a 2021 ENX Magazine Difference Maker. “While my husband may not have been so thrilled about being late to our New Year’s Eve party, I have a client and a friend for life!”
Providing ERP consulting services for more than 20 years has been a rewarding experience for Bragger, although her path to the industry was not by design. She’d worked for 11 years as a controller for Imperial Copy Products, and during that time someone told her she’d be in the copier industry for life. Bragger laughed at the thought, but now 30-plus years later (including a seven-year stint as an accountant for Merit Distribution Centers), she couldn’t imagine another, or better, journey.
Bragger had always wanted to be a teacher, but during her days at Kean University, she noticed that teaching jobs were difficult to find. Still, the role of consultant fills those instructional instincts nicely.
“I started my career in accounting, but really liked figuring out computer systems and translating them for users,” she observed. “E-automate is much more user-friendly than OMD was. I find that I do more auditing than training these days.”
Professional Pivot
Leaving Imperial Copy Products and the comfort of working for a dealership was intended to be a temporary move. One of her sons was ill and Bragger needed the flexibility to spend more time with him and less time at the office. Since she knew a number of area dealers needed help with navigating through OMD, she began working with them on a consultative basis.
The challenges ushered in by the pandemic during the past year-plus have provided Bragger with the opportunity to help clients navigate through various aspects of remote work. She’s actively seeking out partnerships to broaden her scope and offer clients a greater variety of consultative services. Bragger welcomes any engagement inquiries.
Barbara and Eddie have enjoyed more than their share of uninterrupted New Year’s Eve celebrations during the course of their 42-year marriage. They have two sons, Ed and Bob, along with two grandchildren, Piper and Amy. Golf is a shared passion for the couple; on their 40th anniversary, they attended the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in California, followed by a two-week Hawaiian vacation and another week in Las Vegas with the boys.
“It was really awesome—a real dream come true, as I had talked about wanting to do it for years,” she said.
