IP Data Management in an Integrated Multi-OfficePractice Management System: The Marks & ClerkSolution

21st–22nd October 2009

Dr John CollinsMarks & Clerk90 Long AcreLondon WC2E 9RA

T +44 (0)20 7420 0047E jcollins@marks-clerk.com

System Requirements - Principles

Why choose systems?

Legacy/proven systems vs new/upgraded systems

Meet work flow requirements

User experience and desire to get user behavior to follow work flow

System integration is a good time to look at processes

System Requirements - Practicalities

Size of organization and number of sites

Practice requirements•Documents/files•Records•Accounts•Work flow toolsIntegration issues•Level of integration•Direction of flow of information• Integration capabilities of systems–how much bespoke design

required

Marks & Clerk’s Approach

Defined our requirements based on a complete business process review

The One-Firm Project was a complete redesign of the method of servicedelivery within Marks & Clerk in the UK based on best practices learntover the years

Defined the processes as well as the technology and the roles requiredto deliver the processes

The technology is needed to assist in encouraging behavior to follow theprocesses

9 offices

450 people

4 regions: ScotlandNorth, Midlands, South

Glasgow

CheltenhamCambridge

London

LeedsManchester

Oxford

Birmingham

Edinburgh

Marks & Clerk’s One-Firm Project

Project started in Summer of 2005•125 people involved in workshops over 6 months to define best

practices•Building the technology started Spring/Summer 2006

Pilot delivered in Birmingham Spring 2008

The Midland Region rolled-out Autumn of 2008

The Southern Region rolled-out Spring 2009

The Northern Region rolled-out Summer 2009

The Scottish Region to be rolled-out November 2009

One-Firm Technology

Based on 3 key components:

•Records–CPA Global Inprotech

•Documents - Worksite document management system

•Finance–Coda Dream

One Inprotech server in each of the 4 regional centers and replicated overa fast network –a single Inprotech database

Worksite and Dream hosted in London and Birmingham for redundancy

CPA Global Inprotech

•Docketing and due date calculations

•Reminders

•Automatic letters and forms

•Time recordal

• Invoicing–including ebilling

Coda Dream

•Receives invoice data from Inprotech

•Sends disbursement data for cases to Inprotech eg associatesinvoices, search firm invoices, translation firm invoices

•Manages accounts and payments

One-Firm Technology

Portal

Data Warehouse

Inprotech

Worksite

Workspace updatesand Documents

Finance data

WordMacros

ToolsCoda

Dream

eFilingTool

Inprotech Integration withWorkSite

Auto generation of workspacesAuto generation of workspaces matching case type when a case isopened in Inprotech (Workspace Manager from Docsauto).

Eg when a patent case is created in Inprotech•Case workspace created

Official correspondenceClient correspondencePatent Specification

•Case Family workspace created if first case in familyPrior art when a name is created in Inprotech

•Name workspace createdFinancial correspondenceGeneral correspondence

Inprotech Integration withWorkSite

Letters and forms•Files saved into a file space by Inprotech•An import job is run using a tool (iImport from Phoenix) –monitors

directory, reads metadata and determines which workspace and folderto save document in

Invoices•Files saved into a file space by Inprotech using invoice numbers as

file names•Renaming tool watches for files and uses the invoice number to look

up data in Inprotech. Determines which name workspace and folderusing data from Inprotech

Auto export of documents into Workspaces

Inprotech Integration withWorkSite

Documents can be created in two ways:•Using functionality in Worksite–right click in the chosen workspace

and folder and document inherits meta data• In Word start a new document–macros run to ask user to choose the

type of document and to enter the IRN

The created document will be saved in the correct workspace based onthe data

Word Macros

Inprotech Integration withCoda Dream

The financial interface disbursements from Coda Dream into WIP inInprotech

Data on invoices generated in Inprotech are pushed out to Coda Dream

eBilling

XML engine for translation of billing data to XML

LEDES standard UTBMS codes

It matters how you set up your WIP codes–a consistency of approach isneeded for ease of mapping WIP codes

eFiling

New module

IP offices changing their interface eg EPO’s recent new gateway

Working with CPASS on Inprotech interface to IPO (EPO, UK IPO, OHIM)

The Marks & Clerk Portal

View of information to carry out a rolee.g. fee earner, secretary, formalities

Focused about work flow

Reinforces/encourages desired behavior

Enables majority of Fee Earner tasks to be performed without the need toopen Inprotech, Dream or the DMS

Data for the portal is cached in a data warehouse with regular look-ups toDream, Worksite and Inprotech (every 2 minutes for some data)–warehousing takes the load off the systems

Workplace View

Name View

Case View

Work flow tools

My Portal

Work flow tools

Performance

Summary

Careful planning needed for successful integration

An iterative approach should be avoided

Understand the requirements–don’t overreach

Realistic project planning reduces the pain

Dr John CollinsMarks & Clerk LLP90 Long Acre LondonWC2E 9RA

T +44 (0)20 7420 0047F +44 (0)20 7836 3339E jcollins@marks-clerk.com

Q & A