ADVERTISING FEATURE: TECH-READY
increasingly important elements of a suitable IP soſtware package. Put this together with the need for a good level of inherent configuration flexibility, in order to avoid long-term consultancy and customisation costs, and you will be somewhere near to what are increasingly becoming the requirements ‘norm’.
Te soſtware should enable the in-house IP department and practice to automate processes wherever possible. For the practice, the increased level of service should lead to improved client satisfaction and retention levels, while at the same time allowing the business to grow in terms of turnover with a significant reduction in the ratio of required support staff. In simple terms, it means the era of basic IP docketing soſtware is at an end, with a common need to move to an IP management solution capable of integrating and coexisting with other systems, in many cases replacing various single incompatible systems.
You might ask why there is such an apparently growing void between the capabilities of the available soſtware offerings. Te answer to this could be quite simple: the sector can be partly divided into those suppliers who are able, willing and actively investing in ongoing market research and product development and those who are, perhaps, not adequately investing in this area or who are, at least, displaying less significant results from doing so.
Te platforms that are employed to deliver the user experience can, of course, also dictate the parameters of what is functionally possible, especially when you compare, for example, the capabilities of locally installed Windows- based applications versus their browser-based counterparts. So while each option has its pros and cons, the astute supplier is able to recognise, program and deliver all of the functional advantages from the various platforms, while minimising any disadvantages by providing the client with the possibility of platform integration and, very importantly, freedom of choice.
With the underlying technologies advancing at such high rates, we can better understand the importance of continued investment into research and development on the supplier side, and can only imagine how far behind the game one could very quickly slip without such investment.
Also important are the levels of maintenance, service and support provided, together with the competitive advantage successful suppliers are able to continue delivering as a result of their well-chosen strategies. With a growing realisation from the market of the measurable
• Will my current tools enable me to increase efficiency across my business, reduce overheads and help me to remain competitive in terms of pricing and service, both now and in the future?
• Do I have faith in the future direction of my supplier and its soſtware?
• Am I adequately able to control and maintain my system without the constant need for external paid consultancy?
advantages to be gained by partnering with a well-matched supplier, there is now also an understanding that the required investment is, thus, more prudent and viable.
Te key to success for the supplier is to ensure that a proportionate amount of its revenue is reinvested into the continued research and development of its products and services, enabling the cycle to continue and maximising the services and functions available to clients.
LaVerne Whetstone, IP director at Birch, Stewart, Kolasch and Birch LLP said: “In an information- based society marked by instant gratification and open-source knowledge, IP firms that fully integrate technology into their operations, functions and communications oſten succeed in providing premier client services. Te ability to provide immediate and direct communication via extranets or client portals is appealing to clients by maximising efficiency and minimising costs. As well, portfolio management systems are appealing to firms by maximising work product output and minimising human error.”
Smart business owners and managers are now taking stock and ensuring that they are well placed for the inevitable upturn in business.
Tere are some simple indicator questions which may help you to determine whether your organisation is well placed to deal with current and future business requirements:
• Do my current business tools enable me to deliver the basic level of service required?
• Is my soſtware supplier visibly reinvesting resource into product and service development, and do I have a voice in the process?
• Can my current supplier facilitate a continued increase to the level of service I need to provide?
78 World Intellectual Property Review Annual 2012
www.worldipreview.com
If you are able to answer ‘yes’ to all of the above then you can, most likely, be as confident as the next organisation of your current and future position. On the other hand, if you answered ‘no’ or ‘don’t know’ to any or all of the above, then setting some time aside for further evaluation and careful consideration may be prudent. Aſter all, it is your future we are talking about. n
Matt Powell is head of marketing and sales at Patrix. He can be contacted at
mpl@patrix.com
Mehrdad Assadi is a principal of Patrix. He can be contacted at:
mai@patrix.com
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