Driving Operational Efficiency at pSemi with the AQX IP Management Platform
Business Management
février 18, 2025
In this client interview, Silvia Corona, Manager of IP Operations and Systems & Technology at pSemi Corp, shares her journey of building efficient and empowering IP teams in corporations and law firms. She highlights how Anaqua’s IP management platform - AQX® - has helped her simplify the processes of her IP operations teams and increase efficiency.
Can you share how your career in IP started and what your career journey has looked like?
My IP journey began before college, at an international general practice law firm in Chicago, focusing on trademarks and copyrights. During college, I joined Brinks, Hofer, Gilson & Leone, a boutique IP firm that allowed me to work while I studied.
I stayed there for about seven years, gaining experience in all aspects of IP—from prosecution to litigation. Very importantly, they had very strong workflows and processes, which structured my way into all the mechanisms of Operations. In those paper-heavy days, I was trained on how to copy in a specific order for submission to the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). It was about how to present your application to the patent office, which appealed to my structured personality. From there, I just fell in love with IP.
Even after spending nearly 30 years in the IP industry, I’ve remained curious and always find opportunities to learn and grow. Each stage of my career brings new challenges and opportunities for growth.
You have been a client of Anaqua for many years. Can you share your experience of working with Anaqua and implementing AQX?
I started working with the Anaqua team eight years ago, and since then, I have been an Anaqua advocate. There are many IP systems and programs out there, but there is still an opportunity to create a more unified IP-specific centralized workspace that addresses all IP activities and needs. The Anaqua platform is the most comprehensive I’ve seen.
You have been part of multiple IP management software (IPMS) implementations. What are the key factors in any successful implementation of IP management software?
I have been involved in three Anaqua implementations in different organizations. In my experience, these key factors can ensure successful implementation of IP management software:
- Appoint a central project manager: Appointing a central point person with a clear vision for the implementation project can help manage the diverse and often conflicting opinions of different stakeholders. A central person needs to navigate the business versus individual needs. It is imperative to also have someone who masters IP. This helps create a system that is realistic and will be used.
- Secure leadership support: Successful implementation of a software system depends heavily on the support of senior management, so gaining their buy-in is essential. Communication with senior managers needs to be open to navigate the business needs versus what the users will need. For instance, a complex customized build may not be user-friendly.
- Prioritize user adoption: Software is a tool to help you do your job efficiently. Spend time configuring your system to make it simple and easy to use, which will lead to higher user adoption. A good software tool frees time, not create delays.
- Empower the project manager to adapt the system to changing needs: The project manager also needs to have the freedom to develop the system to meet the unique needs of their team.
- Take the time to build a strong relationship with your software vendor: It is important to invest the time in the relationship with the software vendor and service teams you select. Trusting your vendor is essential to the success of any project. They are an extension of your team.
- Appoint a post-implementation system manager: It is important to select a person who can observe system use, listen to users and build enhancements that create further workflows and efficiencies for the users. This person should also be your central point of contact for all support tickets. They will attend to the majority of tickets, while also escalate to Anaqua Support if needed.
At pSemi, the implementation process and the AQX platform have transformed the way our team works. We are using many of its capabilities to increase our team’s efficiency. Key to this successful implementation was the buy-in I had from leadership and a clearly defined budget. Additionally, our IP team is always looking to optimize the use of AQX. A unique approach I’ve taken in this implementation process was extensive training sessions with our inventors, IP team members and senior managers, which has holistically contributed to the overall adoption of the platform.
What were the key functionalities you implemented with AQX? How did they help you gain efficiency?
Three key functionalities of AQX that I really like are its intuitive interface, streamlined workflows, and patent classification capabilities.
Using AQX, I have streamlined our Invention Disclosure Form (IDF) submission processes. The intuitive AQX interface helps our inventors with submitting forms more efficiently. The workflows in AQX help us to redirect IDF submissions to appropriate individuals within our team.
Additionally, AQX helps us easily classify the inventions according to our internal classifications. For instance, an invention related to our RF technology or power technology automatically gets transferred to the appropriate team focused on that technology. Our classifications have helped us report statistics to the business at the micro and macro levels.
What are the other Anaqua solutions that you have used and found helpful?
Companies are always trying to find ways to be as efficient as possible. IP operations teams are under a lot of pressure to do more with less, and since Covid, I’ve found myself taking on more roles and responsibilities in my position. I realized I needed to build partners that I could trust and could take some of the work off my shoulders.
Since I am passionate about data quality and integrity, I’ve worked on several projects with the Anaqua Data Validation team to review our data and clean up our records. Data validation is essential for new system implementations prior to migrating legacy data, but are also recommended every few years, especially if you allow multiple users to input data. In seeing the successes of the Data Validation Services, I convinced the business that we should bring the Anaqua Docketing Services and Annuities teams on board. This engagement has been a great success, and as a result, we are still using the Anaqua Docketing team as a service and Anaqua’s Annuities Payment Services, which has helped us simplify our patent renewal process.
I’ve heard other IP professionals talk about trying to take everything on themselves. I have struggled with this myself, I get very concerned for our industry, where there’s still a certain pride out there that you can take everything on and manage the portfolio yourself. It is unrealistic. It’s not about managing a portfolio yourself. It’s about figuring out how to optimize the resources – the technology and services - you have around you to manage your portfolio as efficiently as possible. That is my goal at pSemi and in partnering with the team at Anaqua.
How excited are you about what you saw at the 2024 Anaqua Experience Conference in terms of where the AQX roadmap is heading?
One of the goals of attending The Anaqua Experience Conference was to learn how to better use the different functionalities of AQX and get the maximum value out of them. In-person training sessions helped by receiving answers to targeted case studies. A platform with a wide IP audience facilitated conversations about how others use the software or what configurations have worked for them.
The automation features in AQX 11, such as AI Patent Auto-Classifier and Workspaces, will be very helpful in making our processes more efficient. I also discovered how we can take advantage of AQX HyperView™ reports and move away from manual reporting using spreadsheets. I learned at the conference that you can directly pull in over 60 of the standard reports directly from HyperView without the need to create reports from scratch, saving us time and effort.
How has your experience of working with the Anaqua team been for all these years?
I am continually impressed by the kind of support we receive from the Anaqua team. Jasmine Cruz brings incredible energy and shares my passion for the AQX platform. Her ability to quickly grasp issues and provide immediate, creative, solutions is remarkable. My Account Manager, Keefer Brumbach, has been extremely helpful in providing support to our team, as has Vanessa Stephan in expediting estimates or working with us on Scopes of Work (SOWs). Jennifer Archer has an in-depth understanding of patent prosecution and takes great care in keeping the integrity of our data and docketing needs. I deeply appreciate how the Anaqua team comes together to solve any challenges we face. Anaqua is always receptive to my suggestions for improving the platform.
About Silvia Corona
Silvia Corona is the Manager, IP Operations and Systems & Technology at pSemi. She has worked in law firms and corporations in her 30 years of experience in IP management. Silvia Corona is passionate about building and empowering teams as well as driving efficiency within the organization’s IP processes. Her focus on improving efficiency enabled her to experiment with new technologies and implement them successfully across organizations.
About pSemi Corporation
pSemi Corporation is a Murata company that drives semiconductor integration with a 30-year legacy of technology advancements and a strong IP portfolio. With a strong foundation in RF integration, pSemi’s product portfolio now spans power management, connected sensors, optical transceivers, antenna tuning, and RF frontends. These intelligent and efficient semiconductors enable advanced modules for smartphones, base stations, personal computers, electric vehicles, data centers, IoT devices, and healthcare. From headquarters in San Diego and offices around the world, pSemi’s team explores new ways to make electronics for the connected world smaller, thinner, faster, and better.
Learn more about the Anaqua services and tools that supported the pSemi journey:
Lecture complémentaire
