Time for an Upgrade? Choose an IP Management System Built on Salesforce

With an estimated 50% of legal work expected to be automated, now is the time to ensure your chosen IP management system is truly positioning your business for success. 

As legal departments move toward automating up to half of their workload, the choice of technology will be critical in unlocking the expected efficiency gains, according to research by Gartner. 

To meet both short- and long-term business objectives, Gartner recommends that legal departments invest in solutions capable of seamless integration with enterprise-wide platforms, such as Office 365, while also leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, process automation, blockchain, and other emerging technologies. Companies that continue to rely on niche tools from small providers or on systems lacking ongoing innovation and investment face a very real risk of being left significantly behind. 

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Despite significant technological advancements, many IP departments still rely on outdated systems for docketing and deadline management. Some of these were developed 15–20 years ago or are homegrown solutions, making them difficult to scale, non-compliant with modern security requirements, and lacking even basic automation and efficiency tools such as APIs, web access, or cloud storage. 

Our webinar attendees shared, for example, a lack of automation in their processes, including the absence of even basic features like the ability to send notifications when changes are made in the system. Reporting was another major pain point, with many corporate IP leaders frustrated that their systems could not be effectively integrated with financial, contractual, or other data. Customization and collaboration were also highlighted as challenges, as many legacy systems are either too rigid to customize or not secure enough (or not online) to enable access for external users. 

Despite these limitations, it can be challenging for IP departments to implement the much-needed transition to a new IP management system (IPMS). Often, it is not the migration process itself that creates hesitation, but rather the pressure to select the right technology or vendor, ensuring that the effort only needs to be undertaken once.

This challenge has intensified in recent years due to increased pressure from top management to consolidate corporate investments. When organizations adopt large-scale document management systems, such as SharePoint, they expect company-wide adoption. The same dynamic applies to other collaboration and efficiency tools, including those powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

Move to the Cloud with a Salesforce IP Management Solution 

Complex IP portfolios require advanced IP management solutions, but these solutions no longer need to operate in isolation from the rest of your corporate technology ecosystem. 

Equinox Corporate+ is a Salesforce-powered solution that enables corporate IP departments to navigate complexity by enhancing automation, efficiency, and interoperability. Built on the cloud, it is designed to be scalable, accessible, and secure. Available through the Salesforce AppExchange, it allows for seamless integration with third-party applications via open APIs. 

Powered by the world-leading Salesforce platform, it ensures the highest standards of compliance and security, while providing access to cutting-edge technologies tested and validated by users across more than 150,000 organizations worldwide. Importantly, no Salesforce license is required to use the solution. 

Examples of third-party integrations:

Just as importantly, the system has been designed to support the full lifecycle of IP rights, including filing, translation, renewals, document management, and collaboration with external counsel, all within a single, unified environment. It can also be fully customized to meet your company’s specific needs and workflows.

5 Benefits of Building Equinox Corporate+ on Salesforce 

• 1. A drain on time and resources. With Equinox Corporate+, you can automate the entire approval process. Pre-set workflows define and notify stakeholders, highlight deadlines, and provide the context needed for informed decision-making.
• 2. Validate: Manual data entry often leads to a surprising number of errors. With Equinox Corporate+, there is no longer a need to double-check data or deadlines. The system validates IP data against records from national IP offices, identifying inaccuracies or discrepancies for automatic or manual correction.
• 3. Integrate: If your company has made significant investments in tools such as Office 365, then efficiency, collaboration, and information management are key priorities. Through open APIs, Equinox Corporate+ can integrate directly with these systems, ensuring all records are centralized. For example, email handlers can automatically link correspondence to the relevant case, including pending tasks.
• 4. Collaborate: Managing external suppliers can be time-consuming, especially when working with law firms or agents worldwide. Ensuring data consistency across platforms is critical. With Equinox Corporate+, external counsel can input data directly via an external agent portal, send instructions, and manage tasks. If your partners use Equinox Law Firm, Equinox Law Firm+, or other compatible third-party applications, you can eliminate duplicate records entirely.
• 5. Report: Many legacy IPMS platforms offer limited or overly complex reporting. Combined with poor integration with financial and document management systems, this results in an incomplete view. Equinox Corporate+ delivers a comprehensive overview by consolidating IP reporting with financial, contractual, and other corporate data. 

For more information on Equinox Corporate+, contact us for a demo.  

Unlocking the Power of Customization with Salesforce IP Management 

 Another key benefit of building Equinox Corporate+ on Salesforce is the ease of customization. As a platform widely used across functions from R&D to sales and marketing it offers far more flexibility than simply adjusting layouts, enabling deep, business-wide configuration. 

The right IP management system (IPMS) should not only improve workflow efficiency, but also provide access to actionable data insights that support informed decision-making. By choosing an integrated system, you can reduce administrative workload related to document sharing and invoice processing, customize and automate workflows, enhance collaboration with external counsel, and validate data and deadlines directly with global IP offices. 

Prepare to succeed by switching to Salesforce-based IP management

We understand that every IP department has unique processes, needs, and preferences, which is why we follow a three-phase implementation approach: Focus, Sprint, and Go-live. This methodology ensures the system is fully tailored to each organization, with a strong emphasis on operational efficiency, compliance, and a seamless transition.

Our process in a nutshell:

Focus: Define the scope and objectives of the project—from the IP assets under management to workflows, dashboards, and both internal and external collaborators.

Sprint: Upload and map data into the system to test configurations, demonstrate layouts, secure user acceptance, and develop custom solutions to address any specific requirements.

Go-live: Before reaching this phase, we ensure alignment with our three core project pillars: have we maximized operational efficiency? Is the solution scalable and adaptable as your business evolves? Can we guarantee a smooth and seamless transition?
 

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. 

Eric Moran is Global SME SaaS Director at Questel.