The Business Challenge

Our client, a global leader in the packaging industry with operations across 40+ countries, faced a critical situation. Years of underinvestment had left their intellectual property function severely compromised:

Strategic Gaps

• No coherent IP strategy aligned with business objectives
• Outdated asset management systems hindering operations
• Patent filing practices disconnected from commercial needs

Operational Inefficiencies

• Inadequate IP risk management capabilities
• Zero oversight of IP expenditures (~$3M annually)
• Misalignment between regional operations and headquarters

Our Proven Methodology

Phase 1: Strategic Assessment We aligned leadership on IP function goals and conducted stakeholder interviews across global operations to understand diverse regional requirements.

Phase 2: Comprehensive Analysis Our team performed detailed gap analysis against industry best practices and conducted forensic spending reviews to identify optimization opportunities.

Phase 3: Solution Design We developed specifications for modern intellectual asset management (IAM) systems and created implementation roadmaps tailored to business priorities.

Phase 4: Implementation & Integration Full deployment of new systems, processes, and governance frameworks with comprehensive data migration and stakeholder training.

Transformational Results

Financial Performance:

• $300,000 annual cost reduction achieved
• $3M annual IP budget brought under control
• $6,000 per case reduction in EPO costs
• First time in 7 years spending aligned with forecasts

Strategic Achievements:

• Multi-million dollar infringement threat successfully neutralised
• 3-year budget forecasting process implemented
• Business-aligned IP strategy developed and deployed
• Modern IAM system with full data integration

Operational Excellence:

• Enhanced visibility across global operations
• Portfolio management optimised for business needs
• Quality-focused filing strategy replacing volume-based approach
• Robust risk management framework established

The Business Challenge

Our client, a global food and beverage manufacturer with $10B+ in annual revenue, was entering a transformative growth phase that demanded superior competitive intelligence capabilities:

Market Pressures

• Creation of entirely new product categories
• Aggressive global expansion into emerging markets
• Intensifying “IP arms race” with major competitors

Internal Challenges

• No systematic competitive intelligence function
• Persistent R&D and Commercial team knowledge gaps
• Reactive rather than proactive competitive responses
• Limited visibility into competitor strategic moves

The organization needed to shift from information gathering to strategic intelligence that could anticipate and counter competitive threats.

Our Strategic Approach

Discovery & Alignment Deep-dive analysis of business strategy, competitive landscape, and category dynamics combined with comprehensive stakeholder interviews to understand intelligence requirements.

Human-Centered Design Applied design thinking principles to create processes and outputs that maximize stakeholder engagement and utility across diverse business functions.

Knowledge Ecosystem Audit Systematic evaluation of existing internal capabilities and information sources to identify optimisation opportunities and integration points.

Intelligence Infrastructure Established comprehensive IP monitoring systems with automated alerts for key competitors, technologies, and market developments.

Game-Changing Results

• Competitor A: Predicted major system launch 6 months in advance
• Competitor B: Anticipated geographic expansion strategy
• Competitor C: Forecasted competing feature introduction
• Response Options: Developed strategic countermeasures for each scenario

Operational Excellence

• “Anticipate the Competitor” Solution: Proprietary framework delivering “So what? Now what?” insights
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Eliminated historical R&D-Commercial friction points
• Expert Integration: Monthly SME reviews for IP significance assessment
• Streamlined Framework: Barrier-free third-party IP evaluation process

Technology Innovation

• Automated Monitoring: Real-time competitor tracking and alertsTransformational Results
• Custom Dataverse: Built using existing client ecosystem
• Cost Optimization: Reduced overall operational expenses
• Enhanced Visibility: Clear sight lines across global operations

Enhanced Visibility: Clear sight lines across global operations