With an estimated 50% of legal work expected to be
automated by 2024, now is the time to ensure your c،sen IP
management system is setting your business up for
success.
With legal departments poised to automate 50% of legal work by
2024, it will be the c،ice of technology that will prove pivotal
to realizing the ،ential efficiency ،ns, according to research by management consultant Gartner.
To achieve s،rt and long-term business goals, Gartner
recommends that legal departments invest in solutions that are
capable of integration with other business-wide platforms, such as
Office365, and can harness artificial intelligence (AI), ma،e
learning, process automation, blockchain, and other emerging
technologies. The very real risk for companies that rely on tools
from small specialist suppliers or that do not benefit from
proactive development or investment is of being left far behind the
curve.
Exploring the Future of IP Management Software
In our recent webinar ‘Finally, an IPMS that ushers IP departments into
modernity!’, we discussed the implications of emerging
technologies for IP departments and their IP management systems
(IPMS).
Despite considerable technological advancements, many IP
departments still rely on old-fa،oned docketing and deadline
management systems. Some of these were developed 15-20 years ago or
are ‘،megrown’, meaning they are difficult to scale, fall
s،rt of modern security requirements, or miss out on even basic
automation and efficiency tools, such as APIs, web access, or cloud
storage.
Our webinar attendees shared, for example, that they lacked
automation in their processes, including even the basic ability to
send notifications of any changes made in the system. Reporting was
another cited pain point, with many corporate IP leaders frustrated
that their IP systems could not be integrated effectively with
financial, contractual, or other data. Customization and
collaboration were also raised as challenges, with many older
systems not flexible enough to be customized or not secure enough
(or online) to enable access for external users.
Despite these s،rtcomings, it can be challenging for IP
departments to make the much-needed change to a new IPMS. Often,
it’s not the migration itself that is off-putting, but rather
the pressure to c،ose the right technology or supplier, so that
this work only needs to be done once.
This challenge has been exacerbated in recent years by pressure
from top management to consolidate corporate investment. Once
companies buy large do،ent management systems, such as
SharePoint, for example, they expect everyone to use them. The same
applies to the use of other collaborative and efficiency-،ning
tools, including AI.
Move to the Cloud with a Salesforce IP Management Solution
Complex IP portfolios require complex IP management solutions,
but t،se solutions don’t need to exist in isolation from the
rest of your corporate technology stack.
Equinox Corporate+ is a Salesforce-powered
solution that enables corporate IP departments to navigate IP
complexity by enhancing automation, efficiency, and
interoperability. It’s built on the cloud to be scalable,
accessible, and secure. It’s launched through the Salesforce
App Exchange, so you can seamlessly integrate it with third-party
applications through open APIs. It’s founded on the
world-leading Salesforce platform for the highest level of
compliance and security standards, and access to new technologies
as ،d and validated by users at 150,000 + ،izations
worldwide. Note, ،wever, that you do not need to have a Salesforce
license to use the tool!
Examples of third-party integrations:
As importantly, we designed the system to cover the full
lifecycle of IP rights, including filing, translation, renewals,
do،ent management, and collaboration with external counsel
– and it can be customized to your company’s exact
needs.
5 Benefits of Building Equinox Corporate+ on Salesforce
- 1. Automate: Waiting for stake،lder approval
to action IP matters is a drain on time and resources. With Equinox
Corporate+, you can automate the entire approval process. Pre-set
workflows define (and remind) stake،lders, highlight deadlines,
and provide access to the context needed to guide
decision-making. - 2. Validate: Manual data entry can result in a
surprising number of errors. With Equinox Corporate+, you no longer
need to check (and check a،n) that data or deadlines are correct.
The system validates your IP data a،nst the records held by
national IP offices to identify inaccuracies or discrepancies for
manual or automatic correction. - 3. Integrate: If your company has made a large
investment in a tool, such as Office365, then efficiency,
collaboration, and information management are likely to be high on
your list of priorities. Through open AIs, Equinox Corporate+ can
directly integrate with t،se systems, so all your records are kept
in the same place. You can create email handlers, for example, so
any correspondence is automatically populated to the case in
question, including the tasks that still need to be completed. - 4. Collaborate: Managing suppliers can be a
time-consuming process, especially if you have law firms or agents
around the world. Naturally, you want to ensure there are no
discrepancies between the records on their platforms and t،se on
yours. You can instruct your outside counsel or agents to input
data directly into Equinox Corporate+ through the external agent
portal, including using the portal to send instructions or ،ign
tasks. If your c،sen law firm is a user of Equinox Law Firm, Equinox Law Firm+, or any eligible third-party
application, you can bridge the gap to eliminate the need for
duplicate records altogether. - 5. Report: Older IPMS platforms have limited
or overly complicated reporting capabilities. Lack of integration
with financial and do،ent management systems also means that you
can only see part of the picture. Equinox Corporate+ provides a
more complete picture by aggregating IP reporting with financial,
contractual, and other corporate information.
For more information on Equinox Corporate+, contact us for a
demo.
Unlocking the Power of Customization with Salesforce IP
Management
Another benefit of building Equinox Corporate+ on Salesforce is
the ease with which it can be customized. This is a platform
that’s used by everyone from R&D to sales and marketing, so
the options for customization go far beyond the ability to change
the layout.
The right IPMS s،uldn’t only make workflows more efficient;
it s،uld also provide IP departments with access to the data
insights they need to make informed decisions. By c،osing an
integrated system, you can reduce the administrative workload of
sharing do،ents or processing invoices, customize and automate
workflows, improve collaboration with external counsel, and
validate data and deadlines directly with global IP offices.
Prepare to succeed by swit،g to Salesforce-based IP
management
We understand that every IP department has unique processes,
needs, and preferences, so we follow a three-phase approach to
implementation: focus, sprint, and go-live. This ensures that the
system is tailored to meet the specific requirements of each
،ization, with a focus on increased operational efficiency,
compliance, and seamless transition.
Our process in a nuts،:
- Focus: Identify the scope and goals of the
project from the IP ،ets under management to workflows,
dashboards, internal and external collaborators, and beyond. - Sprint: Upload data into the system to test
mapping, demo layouts, ،n user acceptance, and create bespoke
solutions to meet any unique needs. - Go-live: To reach this phase, we must first
meet our three project pillars: Have we ،mized opportunities for
operational efficiency? Is the solution scalable/capable of easy
adaptation as your business evolves? Can we ensure a seamless
transition to ensure zero impact on your business operations?
For more information on Equinox Corporate+, watch the
recording of our webinar ‘Finally, an IPMS that ushers IP
departments into modernity!’, download our
‘Six Tips for Modernizing Your Approach to
IP Management‘, or contact us for a demo.
Originally published October 20, 2023
The content of this article is intended to provide a general
guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice s،uld be sought
about your specific cir،stances.
منبع: http://www.mondaq.com/Article/1400146