Quality management is overseeing all the activities that should be carried out to uphold a desired level of excellence. This may include the determination of policies for quality, the creation and implementation of quality plans, quality control, and improvement. Quality management is considered crucial for the performance and progression of any organization. Therefore, quality should be upheld at all levels for the organization to flourish. Organizations may introduce quality management systems, that will guarantee that the quality standards of their products are maintained, with the aim to boost customer satisfaction and increase growth. How to implement quality standards for IP management, was the topic of a training by Prof. Wurzer at Hofer AG on 28.03.2023.

A word about IP Management

Effectively managing an enterprise’s IP portfolio helps to protect that company’s data, decreases risk, and enhances compliance with global legislation. It is not enough to simply obtain formal IP rights. Patents and trademark rights need to be exploited adequately. If an enterprise wishes to obtain maximum value from their IP, it should take effective steps to come up with an IP strategy for their business.

About Hofer Powertrain

As an established and independent partner of the mobility industry, hofer powertrain has been providing pioneering technologies and products to companies worldwide for over 40 years. The experienced teams of experts are specialized in the development, industrialisation, and production of powertrain systems. Hofer Powertrain also places great emphasis on quality certifications, like ISO 9001 and DIN 77006, which help to provide the highest standard of quality, innovative solutions and process efficiency.

About DIN 77006

The following rough procedure can provide a solid starting point for implementing the DIN 77006 in the company over a period of approximately two years:

1 . Record the ACTUAL state

Only errors that are known can be corrected and avoided in the future. What is good and established, does not have to be restarted, but if necessary better documented. Here, the company must honestly look itself in the mirror and take stock of how IP management (IPM) and its processes are currently handled and documented. What challenges does IPM currently face on a day-to-day basis? A complete and clean “inventory” of your IPM forms the basis for introducing the DIN 77006 into the company in a target-oriented manner.

2 . Derivation of an action/project plan from the current status analysis

The recorded ACTUAL state is “challenged” against the relevant requirements of the DIN 77006. Where there is room for maneuver, it is weighed up to what extent certain requirements should be addressed and what type of documentation seems suitable. Based on this, it is advisable to draw up a plan of action or project plan that specifies how the implementation is to proceed.

3 . Define the TARGET state and achieve it over a suitable period of time – bring the existing management systems into line with the DIN 77006

The action plan or project plan is put into practice and the newly established IP processes are internally checked for conformity with the DIN 77006. In case of deviations, the error is analyzed and eradicated in order to achieve a predefined TARGET state. In the process, all existing management systems can be transferred in the direction of DIN 77006 where possible.

4 . Supplementary submission of a declaration of conformity

Provided that the newly integrated IPM seems to have reached the predefined TARGET state, a review of it can be commissioned externally to request a declaration of conformity of your IPM with the DIN 77006.

Even if the above points initially mean additional work in the company, the time will be well invested to operate IPM in a more legally compliant, holistic and efficient manner. This in turn creates capacity to face the intellectual property challenges of tomorrow.

The effort is worth it

Involving all relevant levels of an organization in IPM, implementing PDCA cycles in daily, monthly and annual operations, and improving IPM documentation will yield dividends for your organization in terms of automation, time and money in the foreseeable future. This increases the efficiency of the IPM and thus of the entire company.

Furthermore, the legal security of the work increases due to the more complete fulfillment of the organizational and due diligence obligations.

Learn more about quality in IP management in the University Diploma Course: Diplôme Universitaire IP Business Administration (DU IPBA) – IP Business Academy