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‘Behind the Screens: The People of OIT’ is a series that features the people working hard behind the scenes to make OIT run.
Position: SAP Software Developer
Time spent with OIT: 26 years
If you attend an OIT event, you are sure to encounter Debbie Taylor. Always dressed in a stylish outfit and bearing a bright smile, she will offer you a warm greeting. Along with her genuine kindness, Debbie has a sharp skillset that she uses day in and day out to help make Human Resources functions at Duke go smoothly.
What she does for OIT:
As an SAP software developer, Debbie spends most of her time analyzing, maintaining, and developing programs for HR/Payroll. This development includes reports, interfaces, and data conversions. Development objects are tested and debugged to verify accuracy and completeness. These projects are coordinated by Administrations System Management (ASM).
“ASM works with all the users, and they give us the development requirements that they need for projects to satisfy Duke customers," Debbie said.
Debbie also creates and supports iForms like Hire, Termination, Transfer, Cost Distribution, and Personal Data Changes—all of which enable human resources personnel to view payroll data and make changes online.
“It eliminates a lot of paperwork for HR/Payroll, because many things require approvals, and the forms are sent to different people to approve electronically,” Debbie said.
Recently, Debbie has also worked on the Daily Pay project and DHIP integration into the SAP framework and provided technical support to assist with production issues.
Advice for those new to OIT:
Debbie is a regular at OIT events. Whether it’s the annual OIT Block Party, the Emergency Preparedness Fair, or the Mardi Gras event—hosted annually by the ASM and SAP teams—Debbie will be in attendance. She takes advantage of opportunities to meet her colleagues and encourages those new to OIT to do the same.
“Make the most of every opportunity as it comes,” Debbie said. “Try to be a good teammate and participate in events around campus and events that OIT offers so that you can branch out, meet other people, and feel more a part of where you work.”
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What she enjoys about working at Duke:
Along with attending OIT events, Debbie seizes opportunities to learn and broaden her horizons through all that Duke offers.
“I like working at Duke because there is so much you can be exposed to on the university side and the health side,” Debbie said. “If you’re curious, there’s never an end to what can satisfy your curiosity, because there are always amazing things going on.”
The impact she hopes to have in OIT:
Because the SAP and ASM teams often work closely together, changes to one team can impact them both. Knowing that changes to the teams are imminent, Debbie hopes to be supportive during any transitions.
“Right now, our OIT SAP team and the ASM team are going through a lot of transition, and we will be for the next couple of years because there are people that have been here the whole time the SAP project started… and people are starting to retire on both teams,” Debbie said. “So, I want to help as much as I can to make the transition as smooth as possible and to be a good teammate so that we can rally together and try to learn and adapt together.”
The impact she’s having within the Duke and Durham community:
Along with supporting her team, Debbie enjoys making an impact in the community. An event she always looks forward to volunteering with is Duke-Durham School Days.
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The goal of the annual program is to get teenagers from Durham Public Schools to aim for college.
“You volunteer, get assigned to a group of eight to ten students, and you and another leader take the students around campus, to go see a dorm, to see the 3D printing, to eat lunch, and more,” Debbie said. “You’re with them all day, answering their questions and trying to get them interested in college, and I enjoy that.”
Duke-Durham School Days is held during the fall semester, and about 300 middle school students are chosen to participate. Having volunteered with the program for the past two years, Debbie knows how impactful the experience can be for students.
“If they don’t have any exposure to college, they don’t know what they are missing and how it can change their life,” Debbie said.
What she’s doing when she’s not at work:
Inside and outside of work, Debbie enjoys staying busy. One of the things that keep her moving is an exercise class she attends twice a week called “Refit”.
“Their basis is that everybody can do this,” Debbie said. “I just come in and have a great time, and I have found a community through the other women in the class.”
Along with attending Refit classes, Debbie loves spending time with her family. She enjoys traveling to beautiful places and fishing with her husband, Michael, attending DPAC shows with her sister, Teresa, and visiting with her two daughters, Lucy and Lily.
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Debbie’s hobbies also include shopping, decorating her house, and revamping thrifted furniture.
A fun fact about Debbie:
Debbie and Michael own a 1971 Triumph TR6 convertible. On a nice day, Debbie and Michael can be found cruising through the country in the British sports car.
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“Some afternoons, he’ll come home, and I’ll say, ‘It’s been a hard day. Can you take me for a ride?’, and we’ll ride through the country,” Debbie said.
The duo also belongs to the Triumph Club of the Carolinas. In April, they joined other club members at Shelton Vineyards in Dobson, N.C. for a big British car gathering. Debbie and Michael spent the weekend visiting Mount Airy, taking a mountain drive scavenger hunt through Virginia, attending an auction for car parts, doing a winery tour and tasting, and seeing over 300 British cars at the show. They even tested their driving skills in a few rounds of autocross racing.
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Know someone in OIT with a story worth sharing? Nominate them (or yourself!) by emailing kaylee.wilkinson@duke.edu.