At Nolij, we value our partnerships. As a woman-owned business, strategic business partnerships have enabled Nolij to grow our customer base, improve our business and expand our service offerings. But before entering a partnership, you must ask yourself what the purpose is in forming a business relationship. Besides gaining new customers, there are many reasons why a small business enters a partnership: reach a new market, access to new products, strengthen a vulnerability or brand alignment. In the case of Nolij, we have successful professional relationships with consulting firms to win contracts, solve technology and business problems and expand service capabilities.

There are many types of partnerships, at varying levels, that help organizations grow and succeed. For example, we have relationships with service-based organizations, product providers and other consultancies to form joint ventures. We also partner with business process outsourcing companies (BPOs), like Paylocity, Cigna, and PB Mares, that provide operational support to Nolij. BPOs are invaluable and free up executive management to focus on business operations, strategy and customers. Despite the different types of partnerships, they are united by a similar customer profile.

Nolij has recently formed three new joint ventures to expand service offerings to our customers. Our joint ventures capitalize on synergies and bring together under one roof leading-edge emerging technologies that create economies of scale, efficiency, and security for our customers. Joint ventures and partnerships in general benefit all parties involved in that partners complement each other’s capabilities while saving customers time and expense. For example, through a successful partnership with a parallel IT consultancy, Nolij was able to implement an artificial intelligence contract tool for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to transform its procurement processes and save millions in costs across the enterprise.

For each of our projects across different verticals, program offices and agencies, we form a pool of partners where our combined diverse capabilities best serve the needs of our clients. For the Department of Defense’s large-scale multi-year electronic health record (EHR) modernization project, we partnered with product solutions companies that brought added value. Nolij and our partners worked in tandem to modernize the EHR system, optimize workflows, create innovative ways for the system to communicate, and improve the continuum of patient care. In working with Department of Homeland Security clients, we leveraged our skills, in conjunction with automation products from partners, to enhance the Custom Border Protections systems. Our partner philosophy allowed this agency to dramatically improve and strengthen its automation testing skills.

A very important element in any partnership is the ability to deliver. Nolij works with many subcontractors, whether they are minority, veteran, or women-owned companies, that have the credentials, skills and maturity needed to help win a contract and successfully complete a project. Once a partnership is launched, it is crucial to honor contractual agreements.

Throughout our nine years, we have enjoyed effective partnerships that have been founded on mutual respect, transparency and honesty. Every day we continue to collaborate, be open- minded, flexible and fair with our teaming partners. At the end of a project, it is gratifying to celebrate success jointly with our colleagues and recognize each team’s strengths.