The Making of an Impact: Meet Paperless Parts’ First-Ever Impact Award Winner

At Paperless Parts, we believe people are at the core of our success. We’re fortunate to have a team of exceptionally talented individuals who are also deeply passionate about making a real impact with their work.

That’s why we created the Impact Award: a new annual recognition for the teammate who has made the biggest impact across our entire organization. The award is given to someone who embodies Paperless Parts’ core values every single day: “We are persistent,” “We are intentional,” and “We are a team.”

Our first-ever recipient is Meg van Deventer, one of our incredible Product Managers. Over the past year, Meg has helped push our company forward in countless ways while maintaining an unwavering commitment to her teammates and our customers.

We sat down with Meg to talk about her journey at Paperless Parts and learn what making an impact means to her.

Paperless Parts CEO & Founder Jason Ray presenting Meg with the Impact Award at the weekly all-hands.

Q: Meg, congratulations on being the first-ever recipient of the Paperless Parts Impact Award! How does it feel to be recognized in this way?

Meg: Thank you! It feels amazing, honestly. It’s an honor to be the first person to receive this award, and I’m incredibly grateful to be part of a company that truly values individual team members and celebrates our wins. It makes everything we do here even more fulfilling.

Q: Paperless Parts was your first job out of college, and a lot has changed over the past few years. How has your career evolved here?

Meg: I started as an Implementation Project Manager (IPM) when I joined Paperless. Back then, we were a smaller company, and that meant wearing a lot of hats, being adaptable, and figuring things out as we went. My job was all about solving unique problems and building deep relationships with our customers. Our work had to be anchored in those relationships, because as a newer company, our customers were taking a chance on us. It was up to us to understand exactly what they needed to be successful with Paperless Parts, and then go make it happen. I loved that challenge.

The more time I spent with our users, the more I wanted to shape the product in ways that truly helped them. That’s what led me to transition to the Product team. Now, I get to focus on shaping our product in ways that make a real difference in our customers’ daily lives.

Q: What is it you love so much about working with customers?

Meg: Our customers—job shops, contract manufacturers, precision manufacturers—face a unique combination of demands: tight deadlines and highly custom, intricate work. They’re constantly striking a balance of speed and precision.

Our software is something they rely on to do that complex work every day. They need it to work for them; to save them time, eliminate frustration, flag risks, communicate, help their businesses grow.

The best way to make sure that happens is by spending time with them, listening, and understanding what really matters. I’ve met so many amazing customers over the years—people who are incredibly passionate about what they do and are genuinely kind, funny, and generous with their time. They care deeply about their companies, their employees, and the quality of their work. At the end of the day, manufacturing is about people, and I see my role as making people’s lives easier however I can.

Q: What’s something you’re working on right now that excites you?

Meg: My team has been working on the BOM (Bill of Materials) Builder for a long time, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. From the moment I started in onboarding, I heard customers express extreme frustration with working with PDF assemblies. It’s been one of the most complex, painful areas of the quoting process—not just for our users but for the entire manufacturing industry. There’s never been a solution for building a BOM that’s easy to train on, intuitive to use, and actually meets all the needs of a job shop or contract manufacturer.

We knew this was a massive challenge, and our team has put in a ton of hard work to get it right. We’ve been running the beta program for the past few months and have found that it’s not just functional, but enjoyable to use. That’s the most rewarding part.

I can’t wait to roll it out at our user conference this April. Come see me and ask me all about it!

Meg leading a product training session for customers at Paperless Parts’ 2024 user conference.

Q: It’s so important to enjoy the work that you do. What do you enjoy most about working at Paperless Parts?

Meg: Work is such a big part of our lives. Whether we’re at Paperless, running a shop, or elsewhere, we’re putting in at least 40 hours a week—sometimes more when you feel that the work you do is important. If you’re going to spend that much time doing anything, you should enjoy it! What I love about my team and the way we work is that we always keep that in mind.

The BOM Builder, for example, takes away a frustrating problem but it’s also fun to use. When our customers tell us it’s making their lives easier, that makes our jobs fun, too.

Q: What are some important pillars of the Paperless Parts culture?

Meg: I love that we have such a strong team mentality, and everyone here takes responsibility for their part in making our customers’ experience better. We get to work on something that genuinely changes how people operate and helps them spend more time doing things they love.

Our culture is built on collaboration, communication, and a shared sense of purpose. Everyone here is so invested in each other’s success. Whether it’s sharing insights across departments or providing support to someone who needs it, we’re all working towards the same goal: making our product and company the best it can be for our customers so we can drive meaningful change in the manufacturing industry.

Q: What advice would you give to someone looking to make a real impact with their work?

Meg: To me, making an impact is about making people’s lives better. I’ve always believed that the best way to do that is by listening. When I was in onboarding, I saw firsthand how frustrating certain processes were for our customers. Those conversations continue to shape the way I think about our work.

Real impact happens when you take the time to understand what people are struggling with and deliver solutions that don’t just check a box, but actually make a difference in their day-to-day. It’s why I care so much about projects like the BOM Builder; I know how painful working with PDF assemblies has been for so many people, and I want them to feel that relief of finally having a tool that just works.

Receiving this Impact Award is huge, but driving impact isn’t about the big moments. It’s about showing up every day with passion, purpose, and the right people by your side to make things happen.

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Congratulations, Meg! We can’t wait to see what you accomplish next.