When Justin Chavarria stepped into his role as Vice President of IT at CSSI, he joined a company with a strong reputation and big ambitions. Known as a national leader in engineering-based tax consulting solutions, CSSI had already completed over 55,000 cost segregation studies and earned trust across industries by focusing on accuracy, audit resilience, and customer service.

But behind the scenes, CSSI was preparing for a digital shift. One designed to scale operations, streamline service, and build a more tech-enabled future. After years of high-growth success built on grit and relationship-driven sales, the company was ready to invest in the tools and systems that would carry it further.

“Previously, there wasn’t a lot of investment in technology… the main focus of the business was more growing the business and sales,” Justin shared. “But there comes a point where you also need the tools to support that growth.”

From Military Precision to Tech Vision

Justin’s journey to CSSI is anything but typical. His career began in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, where he learned the value of leadership, communication systems, and operational discipline. From there, he built his IT expertise in manufacturing, application support at Experian, and even helped a startup go public. Each role added to his belief that technology should serve people, not the other way around.

“It was really eye-opening because it allowed me to see how the software we were deploying was affecting people in manufacturing plants—either positively or negatively,” he recalled.

That early focus on the human impact of software now informs how he’s approaching change at CSSI: by building smart systems that work not just for the business, but for the employees and customers alike.

Setting the Stage for a Digital Shift

Justin and his team have spent the past year laying critical groundwork:

• Replacing a homegrown system with a flexible, modern platform
• Introducing reporting capabilities to identify operational bottlenecks
• Integrating best-in-class tools across the business
• Prioritizing accurate, auditable data every step of the way

It’s not always glamorous work, but it’s transformational.

“Laying the foundation is kind of the big accomplishment. It’s not flashy.” Justin admitted. “It’s not something we can point to and say, ‘that’s cutting edge’ yet, but we laid the foundation so we can get there.”

That foundation is already unlocking early wins: from improved internal efficiency to a clearer line of sight into where AI and automation can drive the most value.

Smart, Strategic AI Implementation

One of Justin’s top initiatives for 2025 and beyond is the responsible, targeted use of AI—not for hype’s sake, but to solve real problems.

“AI has become a big hot topic… but the important thing is, you really have to know a specific problem to solve first,” he shared.

With better reporting now in place across CSSI’s operations, his team can pinpoint inefficiencies and apply AI exactly where it counts. Future plans also include a new client portal, allowing customers to view study history, request new services, and stay connected without needing a phone call or email thread.

Salesforce as a Strategic Engine

A key part of CSSI’s modernization has been Salesforce. With guidance from WhiteRock, the CSSI team implemented Salesforce as its sales and relationship management platform and has spent the past year refining it to match their workflows.

“Every company has customizations… it’s just finding the right ones to implement in something like Salesforce,” Justin explained. “The WhiteRock team has helped guide us on that and build some of those custom processes that really help make our operations efficient from the sales side.”

Rather than simply turning on features, the partnership has focused on building what’s useful and skipping what’s not. That’s helped drive adoption and made the system something the sales team actively engages with and contributes to.

“Our sales users have jumped in and adopted the system, and always have feedback. The fact that they’re happy to use it and engaged with what we’re doing really speaks for the solution that was put in place.”

Leading Through Change: A Collaborative Approach

Throughout our conversation, Justin made it clear that successful transformation isn’t just about choosing the right technology. It’s about working well with people. His leadership style emphasizes team input, thoughtful prioritization, and a willingness to test and adapt.

At CSSI, that looks like:

• Organizing team strategy around clear business goals
• Encouraging feedback early and often
• Staying flexible enough to change direction when something isn’t working

“No one person can know everything,” Justin said. “We have to rely on each other as a community and as a group to accomplish the goals we want to in a company.”

That mindset extends to how his team works with partners like WhiteRock: bringing ideas forward, weighing them together, and acting quickly on the ones that fit. For a company moving fast toward a tech-enabled future, this collaborative, grounded approach may be its biggest strength.

To learn more about CSSI, visit cssiservices.com. Be sure to tune into this full episode of Trailside Talk for more details on what it takes to evolve a high-performing organization into a tech-enabled one, without losing sight of the people behind the process.