Fortune 50 Technology $13M saved through IPMS selection and vendor consolidation.
Facing a workload surge from a new foreign filing strategy, a Fortune 50 technology company engaged our professionals to rethink its IP operating model and technology. An IP management system (IPMS) selection replaced a fractured, expensive ecosystem with one simplified IP lifecycle system, and vendor consolidation under a negotiated 5-year contract achieved $13M in savings over five years.
At a glance
- Service
- IP operating model, IPMS requirements and selection, and vendor consolidation
- Scope
- A new foreign filing strategy, with workloads expected to rise significantly within 24 months
- Outcome
- Over $13M in tangible savings under a negotiated 5-year IPMS contract
What the problem looked like
With the implementation of a new foreign filing strategy, the client predicted a significant increase in workloads within 24 months.
The existing operating model was not scalable and could not support the organization’s goals for higher-quality patent review and prosecution. Its IP technology ecosystem was fractured, complex and expensive.
What Swiftwater did
Current-state assessment
Our professionals conducted a thorough current-state assessment of the IP operating model and technology ecosystem. Its recommendations included consolidating vendors.
Business case
The team developed a business case to support a 3-year transformation.
IPMS requirements and selection
Once the business case was approved, our professionals led the requirements for a new IP management system and an external vendor selection process, then negotiated a 5-year contract with the selected vendor.
One IP lifecycle system
Our professionals guided the client through the system selection and implementation that replaced its fractured, complex and expensive ecosystem with one simplified IP lifecycle management system.
What changed
- $13M in savings over five years.
- Vendors consolidated under a negotiated 5-year IPMS contract.
- One simplified IP lifecycle management system in place of a fractured, complex and expensive technology ecosystem.
See also IP management software selection.
Best for
- IP departments facing a workload increase their current system cannot support
- Organizations with overlapping IP tools and vendors
- Teams that need a business case for an IPMS replacement
Frequently asked questions
When does IPMS vendor consolidation make sense?
When workloads are about to grow and the current IP technology ecosystem cannot scale. This client expected a significant workload increase within 24 months from a new foreign filing strategy, and consolidating vendors was one of the assessment’s first recommendations.
What should an IPMS selection process include?
A current-state assessment, a business case leadership can approve, IPMS requirements, and a structured external vendor selection that ends in a negotiated contract. Here, the result was a 5-year contract with over $13M in tangible savings.
How do you build the business case for an IPMS replacement?
Tie the recommendations from the current-state assessment to costs and savings over the transformation period. This client’s business case supported a 3-year transformation.
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