| Unfortunately, a number of patent docketing | | | | than the application purchase price. |
| software vendors do not always reveal the | | | | Understanding the cost of patent docketing |
| overall cost of ownership required to deploy their | | | | software means tracking all related expenditures |
| systems and it is only after the product is | | | | across its life cycle: purchase/lease, |
| purchased that complications related to | | | | implementation, training, support, maintenance and |
| configuration, data migration, integration and | | | | all subsequent upgrades. It is simpler said than |
| training become clear. So begins the spiral into the | | | | done. |
| hidden-cost trap. | | | | For many patent departments, the patent |
| The patent department needs to have an | | | | docketing software implementation is the first |
| analytical, result-oriented thought process when | | | | time they have been involved in a software |
| evaluating patent docketing services and software | | | | project, and therefore are sometimes not aware |
| to support intellectual property (IP) management | | | | of these challenges. |
| functions. However, even the savviest | | | | Patent Docketing Software implementation |
| professionals are often misguided by the low-cost | | | | projects tend to have many hidden costs that |
| appeal of software packages and too frequently | | | | you need to ensure are captured as part of you |
| fall victim to the high upkeep and maintenance | | | | business case, and managed during the project. |
| costs of these types of tools. | | | | Example hidden costs are: |
| Before you know it, the "lowest cost" docketing | | | | * Lost of productivity during implementation, such |
| vendor that promised the world to you, is now | | | | as re-training |
| costing hundreds of thousands more in | | | | * Lost of productivity through poor user support |
| deployment. Now, you will be told that your data | | | | * Opportunity cost of management |
| migration did not work, because you have bad | | | | * Pilot costs |
| data and you need to get your team attend their | | | | * Internal resources working on the project |
| 5 day training program, adding huge "opportunity | | | | * Internal marketing costs |
| costs" and losing hundreds of hours of | | | | * Change management |
| productivity. | | | | * Data conversion/Data cleansing costs |
| What's more, these docketing tools are not | | | | * Tech-savvyness |
| flexible, and hard to configure causing frustration | | | | * User support both technical and business issues |
| among your users and aggravate the already bad | | | | * Ongoing software and hardware maintenance |
| situation of excessive costs and wasted time. | | | | Nailing down all of these costs will be difficult and |
| The U.S. Department of Commerce study shows | | | | sometimes impossible prior to procurement. |
| that software purchase expenditures account for | | | | However, making the effort to identify and |
| only approximately 30 percent of the total. The | | | | estimate as many other hidden costs will be well |
| biggest hidden cost is represented by labor | | | | worth the exercise. Besides, no one likes iceberg |
| expenditures ranging from 37 percent for support | | | | surprises or hidden supplier hooks after the |
| and 33 percent related to software getting the | | | | purchasing decision. |
| software up and running. The numbers translate | | | | Lecorpio has an excellent track record of |
| to a ratio of 1:2, software license to management | | | | successful patent docketing software project |
| labor costs; and 1:1 license fee to implementation. | | | | implementations. Lecorpio's professional services |
| IDC recently reported that "Many companies | | | | use a powerful combination of strategic insight |
| underestimate the cost of managing applications. | | | | and superior execution to optimize the cost and |
| When you consider the annual costs of | | | | efficiency of our client's IP operations. Feel free to |
| administering the applications and the cost of | | | | contact us to get more information on best |
| managing issues around performance, changes | | | | practices for Intellectual asset management |
| and availability, it is most likely significantly greater | | | | project implementation. |