FICPI seeks your help as it builds global business intelligence

FICPI’s Professional Excellence Committee (PEC) seeks to further the knowledge base within FICPI and amongst members by gathering more information on IP practice management, with the goal of establishing FICPI as a global business intelligence unit for the IP profession. 

This year is the inaugural launch of the FICPI IP practice management benchmarking survey and builds on the excellent work started by the FICPI-France: l’Association des Conseils en Propriété Industrielle (ACPI).

The survey should take no more than 15 minutes to complete; enjoy a coffee while you’re thinking! 

Once published, the results will: 

* Allow you to compare your firm with others in the region, country or world
* Start to identify trends in the profession and IP marketplace
* Allow PEC to identify challenges in the profession and to offer targeted advice

The success and weight of the survey information is dependent on the number of responses we receive

Please take 15 minutes today to complete the survey to benefit the entire FICPI membership and to ensure your views are represented. 

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1. Before the COVID-19 pandemic was your firm paperless in terms of client files?

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2. After the COVID-19 pandemic and return to normal activities, will your firm be paperless in terms of client files?

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3. After the COVID-19 pandemic, will your firm allow employees to work from home?

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4. At this point, what is the projected effect of COVID-19 on your firm's 2020 billings ?

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5. Does your firm currently propose an initial free appointment for new clients or prospects?

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6. Does your firm hold training courses for paying customers?

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7. State average yearly number of hours you spend on marketing activities

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8. Is your firm likely to perform unbilled watches to provide clients with information and perhaps acquire business, such as monitoring of competitors, trademarks or case law?

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9. Is your firm likely to conduct industry area watches (pharmacy, aviation, luxury goods) for internal use or publication?

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10. Does your firm have paying customers for IP landscape analysis?

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11. Does your firm subcontract for IP landscape analysis?

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12. Does your firm use Client or Contact Relationship Management (CRM) software?

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13. Do your firm members systematically propose an IP strategy mandate to your clients?

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14. Do your firm members propose IP valuation services to your clients?

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15. Is your firm involved in negotiating licence or IP sales agreements?

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16. Does your firm provide Tax Credit consultancy?

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17. Does your firm represent clients before IP Courts in litigation matters?

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18. Does your firm management fear that new business models will replace your firm's IP filing services?

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19. Does your firm management fear that new business models will replace your firm's IP prosecution services?

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20. Is your firm active in AIPLA?

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21. Is your firm active in AIPPI?

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22. Is your firm active in APAA?

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23. Is membership in FICPI a key consideration when selecting foreign agents?

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24. Rank your primary selection method for foreign correspondants

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25. Does your firm have a double docketing system meaning that two different docketing methods are used as a failsafe?

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26. Does your firm only use cloud back-ups for client and docketing data?

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27. Do your employees sign a confidentiality contract?

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28. Does your firm have ongoing metrics or scoreboards for timeliness of service to clients (apart from due date docketing) ?

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29. Does your firm organize and hold satisfaction surveys for clients?

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30. If so, how often does your firm send out satisfaction surveys?

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31. Is your firm certified ISO 9001?

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32. How much time to you spend in one year for volunteer activities in IP organizations?

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33. Does your website publish volunteer and community activities outside of IP?

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34. What is the ratio of administrative staff to IP attorneys in your firm?

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35. What is your mode of management?

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36. Does your firm only share profits between partners?

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37. Is your firm more active in patents or trademarks in terms of billings?

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38. Would you say your firm is adequately staffed?

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39. Does your firm have difficulty recruiting or retaining employees?

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40. Does your firm propose intermediate positions between salaried employee and partner?

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41. Does your firm run conflict checks prior to filing trademarks or patents for new clients?

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42. Does your firm run subject matter conflict checks for existing clients filing new trademark or patent applications?

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43. Does your firm require signed engagement letters to be signed by new clients?

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44. Does your firm systematically provide estimates before doing work?

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45. Does your firm engage in "Corporate social responsibility" initiatives such as pro bono work, charitable giving or environmental sustainability preservation initiatives?

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46. Does your firm have a published diversity program or policy?

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47. Does your firm have a man-woman pay-equity program?

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48. Does your firm currently employ people with visible disabilities?

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49. How would you rate your firm's current financial risk of losing more than 20 percent of current billings turnover in one year or less?

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50. Does your firm subsidize public transit costs for employees?

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51. How likely is your firm to merge with another firm within the next year?

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52. In your opinion, does your firm consider social media involvement and presence an important part of business development?

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53. Do you post on LInked In?

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54. Do you post on Twitter for business development purposes?

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55. Do you post on Instagram or Facebook or similar social media for business development purposes?

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56. In your opinion, was is the greatest challenge ahead for the IP professional in private practice?

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57. In your opinion, is your firm likely to grow in terms of professional resource headcount over the next 3-5 years?

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58. In your opinion is headcount growth a priority for your firm?

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59. In your opinion is lowering operating costs a priority for your firm?

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60. In your opinion will profit increases for your firm arise more likely from operating costs reductions or from increases in total billings?

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