Robert Blackwell says he started Electronic Knowledge Interchange (EKI) in 1997 because he thought that a company that had right culture and was really focused on delivering value to customers and employees could do really well. He was right. Blackwell, EKI and his 70 employees (team members) are doing very well. Kraft, Bank One, and the City of Chicago are among the many clients who look to EKI for electronic solutions.
Following a competitive bidding process, the City recently awarded a multimillion-dollar contract to EKI in March 2001, to develop the City's online bill payment center and design the City's Web portal. Blackwell is encouraged that this contract will both strengthen his already "extremely profitable" company, as well as create opportunities for other African American-owned companies to be recognized as outstanding performers in the "brain business".
Blackwell encourages buyers to "take some chances and create some prime contractors in professional services, so the real benefits of diversity will trickle down. Being relegated to second tier often suggests you need to be mentored by someone else".
Blackwell pays strong attention to hiring aspect of his business, to solidify EKI's ability to live up to its promises. "We're a customer-intimate company. As such, we tend to be a dominant vendor. We also have a high employee retention rate. We've only lost three people since 1997. We give a lot, but we expect a lot," said Blackwell.
The team-building and customer service approach also seems to have helped EKI to step above even the largest of competitors. Blackwell adds, "there's an advantage to working with small companies. The customer gets much better attention. Small companies are very experienced, and they can't afford to screw up". |