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Continuing my series on “quick and dirty” process improvement initiatives that don’t cost anything to implement:

Initiative # 5: Automated Docket Clearance

Well, I might be stretching the definition of “quick and dirty” here, but I really think that one of the most transformational changes an IP practice can make is to leverage their IP Management system to implement a workflow for the automation of the docket clearance process. Docket clearance is fairly routine across all IP practices; the basic is premise goes like this:

1. Attorneys receive their docket reports on a regular basis, say weekly and daily, and each day, they must review and “clear” their due dates for the day by a given daily deadline, usually between noon and 2:00 pm.

2. The docket group begins to make phone calls around noon to all attorneys who have not yet responded to their deadlines for the day.

3. Attorneys clear their due dates by marking up the docket reports (in reality, this is likely the secretary performing this task), and then sending a copy of the filing or correspondence to the docket department for review.

4. The docket department will often need additional information or clarification of responses; several back and forth phone conversations ensue. 5. The docket department then “clears” the due dates by entering the response date in the IPM system and annotating it with the Attorney’s notes.

6. The whole process is generally completed by 5:00 or 6:00 pm. (This is ideal, though. Many IP practices run clearance backlogs in days, weeks, or sometimes even months(!))

All current generation IP Management systems advertise workflow capabilities, yet none actually address this “low-hanging fruit” – is there a more “boots on the ground” process to tackle??