At Voxel we commemorate International Women’s Day with a week filled with activities to promote a more egalitarian society.

Last week, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, we organized Women’s Week at Voxel. For this, we held a series of thought-provoking activities about how to build a more egalitarian society. These activities included protest videos, participative workshops, thoughtful discussions and symbolic films. During the week, more than 100 Voxelians participated in these activities.

Launch of the I am a feminist video

Part of the Voxel team played a role in the I am a feminist video, where they explained the reasons why they were celebrating International Women’s Day.

Micro-chauvinism workshop

A workshop imparted by Voxelian Sara Alite was organized, which main topic was micro-chauvinism or set of preconceived ideas, prejudices and behaviors in society with respect to gender roles. The session was attended by more than 30 people and was 100% participative.

At the beginning of the workshop, the discussion focused on the idea that the first step in making a change is being able to name it. The second step is to talk about it in order to find solutions. Thus, one of the activities encouraged several Voxelian teams to name examples of sexist behavior.

“Assume decision making by gender” or “tell sexist jokes” explained a group. “When a woman is successful in her career, then she has not been a good mother” or “unequal salaries by gender”, were mentioned by other groups. Also “mansplaining” and “attributing colors to gender” are behaviors that promote gender inequality. “Advertising pressure”, “physical assault” and “on occasions, murder”, were mentioned by other participants.

But, ¿what can we do? Here are some of the conclusions that were drawn:

• Raising awareness about sexist behaviors committed by ourselves or others. Men play a key role here.
• We must be willing to correct others as well as be corrected ourselves.
• It is normal for adults to be careful about what is taught to children or what they hear.
• We must invest in education, education and more education.

Inclusive language discussion

Voxelian Mónica Jurado prepared a discussion about inclusive language. The session, using photographs and videos, presented a decalogue of non-sexist language.

“Adventurous woman” and “adventurous man” do not have the same connotation. “Every man present” is a generic structure formulated in masculine. “The motorcycle for the father and the washing machine for the mother” reference gender stereotypes or roles.

These as well as other reflections were mentioned at the discussion and were commented by the more than 30 participants. In conclusion, there are many alternatives for expressing ourselves and using consensus driven and inclusive language.

Projection and videoforum of the film Suffragette

By Voxelian Daniela Ramos, the film Suffragette was played. This film is about the suffrage movement originated in England and driven by working class women. Based on a true story, it shows how between 1910 and 1919, many women fought, risking everything, to achieve equality in the voting system.

When the film was over, a videoforum was organized where different reflections were made such as the strength and determination displayed by those women by never giving up, as well as the fact that even today, there is still a lot of work to do.

Thanks to Sara, Mónica, Daniela, Andrea, Neus, and everyone else that participated in the activities. For raising awareness about the gender inequality that still exists today. And also for taking sides, each from their position and with respect.

We continue doing our part in the fight for equality, remembering other initiatives such as Charla Grow 8M: “El cambio hacia la igualdad es un juego de equipo” (Grow 8M Talk: “Change towards equality is a team effort”).

Happy International Women’s Day!

La entrada 8M: We are celebrating International Women’s Day se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

This past Friday, 11 February, we held a round table for International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Participating in this round table were 8 female employees from Voxel who wanted to share their experience after pursuing a career in science. Thanks to these women, dozens of Voxelians had the chance to think about the role of women in this sector. We also had a chance to reflect on the challenges ahead of us.

The first challenge: entering the world of science and technology

School perhaps represents the first opportunity for girls to experience science. Sometimes, school marks the beginning of a beautiful story as explained by Maribel: “As a little girl I enjoyed subjects related with physics, chemistry, etc. Strangely, my parents signed me up for a programming course when I was 10 and I enjoyed it very much”.

However, it isn’t always like this. Many women don’t get started in science until much later in life. “I did not choose my path in the world of science and technology, it chose me. Until I began working at Voxel, I had only worked in ERPs”, said Sandra.

On the other hand, Marta took advantage of a sabbatical year to decide what she wanted to do; what made her happy. “Some coworkers from my last job encouraged me to transfer over to the technology sector”.

Difficulties and obstacles along the way

Once in the sector, our female coworkers described the difficulties and obstacles they encountered along the way.

“I had to deal with insecurities because I felt different. When I was young, I was the only girl that liked technology, gaming, etc.”, remembered Daniela.

“I have encountered many barriers to enter the sector. The worst thing was having to continuously prove my worth”, admitted Maribel.

Female role models in science

Another subject we discussed during the round table was the lack of women role models in science. Or in other words, the lack of visibility being placed on these women.

“Female role models exist, this is true. But between distance and time, they feel very far away. For me it was encouraging to know that there were real women working in science and technology. The Twitter community helped me a lot”, said Sara.

Along the same lines, Carol said: “I didn’t come into the sector because I had a role model. I felt inspired by the same female coworkers I have met at Voxel”. 

Patri added: “In my case, my role models were some of the women closest to me. My sisters have taught me to get to know who I am and work hard to reach my goals”. 

Affirmative action: yes or no?

We also had time to discuss affirmative action and quotas in company leadership positions. Is affirmative action necessary? Do quotas solve anything?

“It is very important for women to be in top leadership positions. Not only to be there, but to reach the top positions. Quotas have proven to be a very effective tool. I am in favor of quotas but not as the only tool”, said Maribel.

Patricia had a similar opinion: “Affirmative action must disappear naturally. For me the key is for there to be visibility in all stages of education”.

Micro-chauvinism, salary gap and gender-neutral language

During the last part of the round table, we discussed micro-chauvinism, the salary gap between genders, and the usefulness or not of using gender-neutral language.

“Regarding micro-chauvinism, we have come a long way but it still happens. Even during interviews, it is common to be asked personal questions”, said Sandra.

Daniela talked about the salary gap: “The salary gap exists because historically, the best paid positions in the sector have been reserved for men. Women are more insecure and it is hard for us to believe we can be successful”. And Meri added, “women should be invited to participate in leadership circles. If these spaces open up for us, women will participate”. 

“Gender-neutral language is more than simply replacing one word with another. Gender-neutral language means changing the way we think”, emphasized Carol.

Finally, all participants wanted to leave a very special message for all girls.

Thanks to Marta, Sandra, Meri, Patricia, Carolina, Sara, Daniela and Maribel. For participating in this round table and sharing your experiences. For shining a light on women and for being role models in science. And also, for being part of Voxel and making us think as we listened to your words.

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science!

La entrada We are celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

The most popular topics have been legislative news and the evolution of B2B payments in the travel sector, among others.

2021 is coming to an end. And that’s why we want to review the most read posts throughout the year. Although still in the midst of the pandemic, 2021 has been the year in which travel and hospitality activity has started to pick up. It was also a year in which innovation in these sectors gained momentum. Finally, 2021 has been characterised by many legislative changes in relation to electronic invoicing.

And all this has been reflected in our blog.

Legislative changes to e-invoicing around the world

2020 was already a year of legislative changes due to the pandemic. And these have continued in 2021. For this reason, the articles in which we explained these new developments have been among the most read. From Portugal, through Italy, Saudi Arabia, France, Spain, the United States… Every country in the world is making progress in the implementation of electronic invoicing. And regulations change frequently. In this article, you can find out what’s new in legislation for 2022.

B2B payments in the travel sector

The distribution channel in the travel sector is fully digitised and works frictionlessly with multiple actors. Until now, payments in the sector travelled through this channel and did so in a very manual and unoptimised way.

2021 has been a key year for innovation in B2B payments in the travel sector. In January, we were already talking about digitalisation and automation trends. And in September, Voxel made a very strong commitment to innovation in B2B payments in the sector by acquiring the startup Troovo.

The digitisation of the value chain

“2021: Where are the hotel, catering and retail sectors heading?” was another of the most read articles on the blog. Among the sectors that are suffering the most from the consequences of the crisis, digitalisation is here to stay.

Dominican Republic digital agenda

The Dominican Republic’s commitment to electronic invoicing has been in the news throughout 2021 and will continue to be so next year. The DGII wants to make electronic invoicing mandatory in 2023 for large taxpayers. Dominican Republic is preparing for digitalisation. And, as a trusted partner, at Voxel we have resolved the most frequently asked questions about this project.

2021 has been the starting point of a new era in our industries. Let’s make 2022 a revolution in B2B payments and process automation!

La entrada The most read posts of 2021 se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

The Diversity Charter means to make inclusion and diversity visible in all parts of the business world.

At Voxel, corporate values guide how we do things. Concepts such as happiness, respect, empathy, honesty, solidarity, fun… These are all part of our DNA. Our organization model is based on respect and true equal opportunities for everyone regardless of differences that might lead to any kind of segregation.

We are thus taking another step today in our commitment to diversity and inclusion by joining the Diversity Charter.

What is the Diversity Charter?

The Diversity Charter is a European covenant of principles signed by businesses to show their commitment to diversity and inclusion at the workplace. Once you are part of the Charter, you agree to spread its message within and outside the company, involving workers, suppliers, clients… and to assume its principles:

• Raising awareness.
• Progressing in the building of a diverse workforce.
• Promoting inclusion.
  Considering diversity throughout personnel management policies.
• Promote conciliation.
• Recognize the diversity of customers.
• Extending and communicating the commitment to employees, suppliers and other stakeholders.
• Reflecting activities supporting non-discrimination in the company’s annual report.

The Diversity Charter is a European initiative that has already gathered the commitment of over 12,000 companies.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

In addition, by applying the principles of the Diversity Charter, we are also contributing to the fulfilment of four UN Sustainable Development Goals:

• #5 Gender Equality.
• #8 Decent Work and Economic Growth.
• #10 Reduced Inequalities.
• #16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

In a nutshell, we have joined the Diversity Charter to reaffirm our commitment to progress towards a more just, inclusive, diverse society. And we will channel this commitment through internal and external actions framed within the Organa Project we will be telling you about in our blog and through our social channels. Stay tuned!

La entrada Voxel joins the Diversity Charter se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

The event—organized by Voxel—will take place from 2 to 5 March.

The #SDSummit Software Development Summit is an event devoted to the software developer community in Spain, and means to link professionals from different specialities to share know-how and trends through talks and round tables organized by and for developers. The event will be held free, online on 2, 3, 4 and 5 March.

The #SDSummit will feature over 30 speakers, including: Carlos Blé, Director at Lean Mind; Eduardo Ferro, Platform Engineering Manager at Clarity.ai; Vanesa Tejada, Head of Product at LATAM Airlines; Xavier Albaladejo, Agile-Lean Executive Transformation at Voxel; Pedro Santos, founder and CTO at CoKaiDo; Naiara Abaroa, Front-End Designer at TransferWise; Álvaro Salazar, VP of Engineering at Lookiero; and Katia Aresti, Senior Software Engineering at Red Hat EMEA.

An event championed by Voxel’s IT team

The idea of the #SDsummit came about within the micro community of developers at Voxel, the company specializing in the development of digital solutions for the value chain, after a year in which many face-to-face events have had to be cancelled due to health restrictions. As active partners at several developer community events, the Infrastructure, IT and Product teams at Voxel have arranged a series of sessions and round tables that will revolve around Continuous Delivery, Legacy Code, Agile, Technichal Coaching and Software Architecture, among others.

Voxel’s transformation

Voxel has carried out an intense organizational transformation process over the last 3 years, through the adoption of agile methodologies, the Scale Up model, and Sociocracy 3.0 patterns, among others, with the guidance of Adrian Perreau and Xavier Albaladejo. Throughout this process, the teams—especially the technical staff—have transformed their internal processes to enhance productivity, development and delivery times, as well as code/product quality and more.

In 2020, Voxel appointed Vicenç García-Altés as VP of Engineering to consolidate this transformation and to carry on improving customer value delivery. In addition to working for our IT professionals to carry out their activity with the greatest freedom and independence possible, one of García-Altés’s main objectives is to make the teams able to deliver value to the client as swiftly as the market requires. To do this, the team is currently focused on Observability, Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery.

“Organizing the #SDsummit is an opportunity to learn from other developers and also to share our own learning with other professionals. We really want to contribute to the growth of a community from which we have learned a lot and from which we are sure we will continue to do so,” says García-Altés.

Registration for the #SDsummit is now open through the official event website at www.sdsummit.es. The #SDsummit will be broadcast on Zoom and the Voxel YouTube channel.

La entrada Software Development Summit (#SDsummit) takes shape, the online event for Spain’s software developer community se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

Voxel’s growth since it was founded in 1998 has been unbelievable. Just look back at our story…

Catanet was the seedling for Voxel. It was a wine and cava e-Commerce platform that came before the market was ready, but that evolved into an electronic invoicing platform.

Over more than 20 years, the software tools developed by Voxel—baVel and DevoluIVA—have grown, adding new customers and suppliers to a network that today serves over 70,000 companies. Companies connected to exchange electronic documents, such as orders, delivery notes, invoices, payments… Thus streamlining back office processes, eliminating errors, generating cost savings, and ultimately improving the competitiveness of all our clients.

Hand in hand with the growth of the business, there also came a cultural and organizational change that has undoubtedly marked Voxel since about 2017. In the midst of expansion, we realized that beyond our product and technology, there were certain characteristics that made us special as a team, and that differentiated us both in our day-to-day in-house activities, as well as in our relationship with customers and suppliers. And we got down to work!

The definition of our four corporate values—#PeopleFreaks, #ChallengeManiacs, #ChangeLovers and #FUNtasticTeamPlayers—also somehow defined the way we do things at Voxel. Not only in relation to employees, but also in relation to suppliers, clients, partners and any stakeholder sharing the Voxel universe.

Voxel is not the same company now as it was 20 years ago. We have become a company committed to people. We mean to overcome one challenge after another and face change positively. We are a company that values group over individual and we know that together we will go further.

And after more than 20 years, we felt that the Voxel image was not projecting this identity.

Why now?

Without a doubt, 2020 will mark a watershed in the history of the world, our industry and our company. At Voxel we have decided to exchange risk for opportunity, uncertainty for action, and to transform fear into energy. We believe that this is a key moment to evolve and achieve all of our goals. We know that the time has come to improve, rebuild, redesign and rethink our businesses and industries for a better future. And we will do it through technology. And further still, we will do it with a brand image that projects all these values and our identity.

A new image for a new era. Are you with us?

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