Anika has served as General Counsel at BCforward since mid-2011. She is an alumna of Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia and Tulane University School of Law. Ms. Calloway was admitted to practice law in the State of Indiana in 2002 and has worked in the technology and legal industries since 1997.

Prior to joining BCforward, she was a Staff Attorney at Simon Property Group, L.P. and has served as an Attorney at Barnes & Thornburg LLP and as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Patricia A. Riley, Indiana Court of Appeals.

From the IJB:

Since she became general counsel for Bucher & Christian Consulting (also known as BCforward) a year ago, Anika (ah-NEE-ka) Calloway has taken control of the firm’s legal matters while learning the ins and outs of the Indianapolis-based IT and staffing company.

“I do anything from reviewing a contract to dealing with HR to trying to figure out if we’re going to get a new water cooler,” she laughed, clearly relishing her duties, which include advising the company on issues such as equal opportunity, diversity and immigration matters.

You can read the rest of the article and watch a video interview with Anika here.

Your company is launching a new project and your boss asks you if you think the new project would be a good candidate to work as an Agile project. Your company is rather traditional, branching out occasionally to try new things, but you are not sure if this project is appropriate for an Agile approach. You definitely want the project to be successful. What do you need to consider when making a decision of this type for your new project?

Here are some major factors to look at when considering an agile project approach.

• Is this project similar to other projects that your company has done, or is it a completely new type of project? Projects that are pioneering efforts are typically better candidates for Agile projects primarily because there is a great deal of uncertainty about the end product, and the Agile model is designed to address these shifting priorities.
• Is this project a large, medium or small project? Does it have an extensive number of elements that interact with other systems? Medium to small system projects that are relatively independent of other systems are easier to leverage with an Agile approach.
• Are your project requirements completely nailed down, or are they just defined at a high level? Agile typically is better at leveraging high level requirements.
• Is the management team at your company willing to let this project launch without imposing a project completion date immediately? One of the keys to an Agile project is that the first couple of sprints help to identify how much work is getting done during each sprint; this also helps to plan out the remaining backlog of work, and feeds an estimate for a completion date built upon a foundation of performance, not guesswork.
• Access to the right personnel is also critical. A product owner is a keystone element for an Agile project; as are the ability to put together a small co-located team of folks (8-12) that are experienced, self-reliant, and cross-trained.
• Can the product roll-out in increments to show progress, or must it all launch at one time? Likewise is continuous improvement feasible? If it can roll out incrementally, and continuous improvement is feasible, then it is absolutely a good candidate. If not, but all of the other elements meet the Agile criteria, then this can be worked out.

If you can answer “Yes” to all of these questions then by all means your project is a candidate to use an Agile Project Methodology. If you can answer “Yes” to half, or less of these questions then I would advise you to stay with your current project management methodology. Staying true to the process, at least initially, will give you a much better idea if it can really add value to your organization.

Contact us to learn how PMforward Project Management Solutions can assist your organization.

PM Technical Knowledge:

You must be able to demonstrate that you know a little about most PM methods of management, and a lot about a couple. The ability to articulate project management methodology and the classic structured approach to managing a project instill confidence. That is, a good contract project manager MUST be able to articulate and demonstrate that they understand the mechanics of a structured approach to managing a project. This is important to any client who is purchasing PM expertise to supplement their workforce. The understanding of the mechanics instills the confidence that you can pull them through this project and have many methods to choose from in your toolbox. A PM who cannot debate the pros and cons of Critical Path, Critical Chain, Waterfall, Agile/Scrum is not ready to be put in a contract PM position. Secondly, the PM must be highly skilled in the software tools required to manage a project (MSProject, SharePoint, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)

Confidence:

Contract project managers are not for the faint of heart and to do this well you have to have confidence in yourself. You have to have the ability to be thrust in a situation and say I can do anything given enough time and information.

Honesty:

Demonstrating consistent personal integrity is your golden ticket. Clients need to trust that you will provide what they are paying for. Respect their time and money by giving 110% during your work day. As well, the ability to provide honest information and feedback in a constructive way demonstrates your intention of integrity.

Personable:

As a contractor you are often looked upon as an outsider in the beginning. You require the ability to win the confidence of your team who might be initially threatened by your presence.  Personality and humor work wonders and are a necessary tool of all contractors.

Passion:

Having a passion for what you do and doing it well is another attribute that is key for contract PM’s.  As a contractor a genuine concern for serving the client and the project and making them successful is key.

Of course, there are other attributes that make up a great contract project managers but these are the top five in my, not so humble, opinion.

We got started in January with the creation of Stafforward, a wholly owned subsidiary that serves the existing BCforward presence in the administrative, accounting, clerical, warehousing, healthcare, manufacturing and industrial fields by providing staffing, outsourcing, managed service programs and payroll services. Stafforward was created in order to respond to the growing customer demand for talent acquisition in these fields.

In April, our President and CEO Justin Christian was named to the 500 Festival Board of Directors.

Later that month, we joined the IMSDC at their Indiana Business Opportunity Job Fair. BCforward is proud to be a certified minority-owned business. In fact, we’re the largest headquartered in Indianapolis.

In September, we launched PMforward: our project management solution offering. BCforward has always had a quite sizable project management office, with over 300 resources spread nationwide. We decided to create PMforward because it helps current and potential clients truly understand what our capability is. While BCforward will continue to deliver IT outsourcing, staffing and system solutions to our clients, we can now solely focus on project management as a discipline to better serve our customers.

In October, the Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee chose BCforward as an Official Emerging Business Participant, and a preferred partner for staffing services. In cooperation with Knowledge Services, Stafforward launched TouchdownJobs.com, a portal where interested individuals can apply directly to over 700 positions surrounding the Super Bowl.

BCforward has been providing full-service IT solutions for years. It’s what we do best. Clients choose BCforward as a proven staffing provider because of our track record in talent acquisition as well as our expertise in the IT industry. This year, not only did our company experience record growth, but we placed hundreds of IT professionals into a variety of job openings across multiple industries in 48 states.

Finally, giving back to the community is a major tenet of our philosophy at BCforward. This year, our employees participated in the 2011 Lilly Day of Service, provided holiday gifts to the United Way, mentored a Providence Cristo Ray student and competed in the ISC Corporate Challenge.

We can’t wait to see what 2012 will bring!

Giving back to the community is something we like to do at this time of year. Just like we did last year, we’re providing holiday gifts for two United Way families:

Everyone at BCforward wishes you and your family a fun and safe holiday season!

If you want to encourage communication, practice it yourself.

Lay out realistic channels, with your audience in mind . How well have you communicated with your team today/this week/month? Right-size your communications: don’t use the communications structure required for a shuttle mission for your migration to SharePoint 2010. Keep your stakeholders’ risk tolerance levels in mind. Lack of communication almost always aggravates risk.

Focus on available tools.

There’s a reason that Microsoft Excel is the world’s most popular software for documenting and managing project plans: it’s everywhere, and most everyone knows how to use it. Check your organization first for communication standards, and then broaden your search for communication formats and procedures that make sense for your project. Why reinvent the wheel? And, PMBOK provides a complete (at times excruciatingly so) roadmap for effective communications.

Find an appropriate cadence for communicating project information.

When do the c-level offices prefer their briefings? How much hand-tooling, and how much broadcasting, does your corporate culture want in its messaging? Build team consensus on how much documentation of communication is required.

Establish who communicates which information, and to whom.

Better internal communication propagates beyond your project, first to sponsors and external stakeholders, and then throughout your organization. A Role Report Matrix is a handy way to define responsibilities for communication to project stakeholders and media outlets.

Imposed solutions are often ignored/rebelled against.

Be willing to change communication methods midstream as your team gains traction, and management articulates or changes preferences. You could try inferring the right amount of touch for each audience. Better yet, ask.

Adherence to PMBOK principles adds to project clarity.

Staples like the project Org Chart, Risk Register, and Gantt should be public touchstones. And, don’t forget Lessons Learned as a function of effective communication. Both you and your organization will be smarter for future projects.

In January, we launched Stafforward - a wholly owned subsidiary focused on non-technical staffing for clients across all industries, including manufacturing and healthcare.

With all of our staffing expertise, it’s no surprise that the Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee chose BCforward as an Official Emerging Business Participant, and a preferred partner for staffing services.

In cooperation with Knowledge Services, we launched TouchdownJobs.com, a portal where interested individuals can apply directly to over 700 positions surrounding the Super Bowl.

We were recently featured on WTHR in two stories:

WTHR stopped by the Knowledge Services office to cover a job fair in progress:

If you’re interested in any of the over 700 positions we have open surrounding the Super Bowl, head on over to TouchdownJobs.com. Approximately 400 of the openings are 1 to 2 day assignments involving parking operations and shuttle bus coordination throughout Indianapolis. The remaining 300 plus opportunities will range from one week to 30 day assignments and involve roles such as Administrative Assistants, City Ambassadors assigned to shuttle busses for well-known companies attending the Super Bowl, Mobility Assistance Aids, and Event Staff for pre-week, pre-game, and celebration activities!

All participants will receive a warm Fleece and Shell Coat emblazoned with the Super Bowl logo, a Baseball Cap with the Super Bowl logo, and will be fed the day of the main event! Some administrative positions will also receive polo shirts with the Super Bowl logo.

Stafforward.com also has many job openings, including executive assistants, receptionists, clerks, paralegals, engineers, project managers, janitors and quality controllers.

Finally, BCforward is always looking for highly-skilled technical works, including Business Consultants, Analysts, System Administrators, Engineers, Developers and Programmers who work with Java, DDRS-OLAP Oracle, .Net, PHP and PL/SQL among many others.

Our dedicated team of in-house recruiters is standing by to match you with the perfect job opening!

“Yes.” “No.” “It is decidedly so.”

If only obtaining answers to our questions were that simple.

In today’s world, it seems that transformation is happening all around us. From the simple changing of the seasons, to the complex world of technology, one thing is for certain: change is constant. Even in corporate work environments, change is occurring in how staffing models are implemented. Considering the economic conditions, many companies are focused on ways to minimize costs without sacrificing quality of services or products they provide. How is this accomplished varies from company to company but considerations may be made to outsource certain resources based upon the specific needs of an organization. One example could be to outsource project management resources.

When is outsourcing project management work appropriate? Instead of shaking the “Magic 8 Ball” for the answer, there are a few signs which may help when considering this option:

1. So many projects, so little time. Many times organizations have prioritized projects which must be completed within a given timeline and to meet the needs for delivering a product or service. In a lean workforce environment, internal resources are easily over-allocated which can impact project delivery dates. Outsourcing the project management component can supplement the shortage of resources while bringing rapid organization and oversight for effectively streamlining resource tasks and activities.
2. Cannot see the forest for the trees. How project expectations are identified, outlined and communicated are key to delivering successful outcomes. Because of competing priorities which may be occurring between stakeholders it is imperative that projects have clearly communicated goals and objectives. On-boarding outside project management resources can bring an unbiased perspective to ensure focus is maintained on understanding the broader vision instead of “getting lost in the details.”
3. Continuously reinventing the wheel. Though organizations may accomplish project success, many may find themselves managing projects with no formal/informal methodology or processes. Without this, projects may find themselves in disarray and resources continuously developing tools to help maintain project stabilization. External project management resources can bring expertise to assist in creating tools and techniques which provide structure and capabilities for reuse on future projects.

Though the “Magic 8 Ball” can give us answers to our questions, the real answer of whether or not to outsource project management work lies within each organization and the importance they place on project management.

Research companies, network with people that might be in the same industry as you. It’s definitely a good idea to review the description of the job you want to interview for. Find out what skills they’re interested in and brush up on those skills.

Review prior assignments that you have had utilizing the requirements of that job. Network as much as possible to get your resume seen by as many people. Just get out there and communicate your skills the best way that you can so that way your resume gets in the right people’s hands and they can help you find a career you’re happy with!

Our team of recruiters is standing by to assist you in your job search. You can check out our job openings at http://www.bcforward.com/careers/search-job-openings.

Lilly’s Global Day of Service in Indianapolis represents powerful community collaboration. It brings together 30 organizations, private companies and government agencies working together to improve our city.

This partnership began in 2008 when Lilly engaged more than 7,500 volunteers in service. Through work at over 50 projects throughout Indianapolis, over 30,000 hours of service was completed in just one day. The results from this day were amazing with almost 2,000 trees planted, 18 school grounds enhanced and a half-mile of public murals created just to name a few.

Check out the beautifcation of East 10th Street and Dorman on the near-eastside:

From East 10th Street to Riverside Park and Massachusetts Avenue to the White River Trail, 46 simultaneous projects will promote healthy outdoor living by improving community spaces. With the help of thousands of volunteers, and more than 30 partner organizations, neighborhoods on the near eastside and near westside, as well as the Lafayette Square area and Massachusetts Avenue will be the focus points of the single-day volunteer event.

To learn more about the Lilly Day of Service, visit: http://www.kibi.org/lilly_day_of_service