As long term Patricia users, we thought it would be interesting to interview Donald Schnyder of Wild Schnyder AG, Switzerland about how he started his business and how it has since grown with the ongoing help of Patricia and the collaboration between our two companies…

What first interested you and how did you get involved in the IP world?

Business law and commercial law always fascinated me. The main attraction to get involved with IP was the international touch - the everyday contact with colleagues all over the world.

What motivated you to start your own business and how did you meet your business partner?

The firm we have been working before did not offer litigation services. It was a pure trademark prosecution firm and we wanted to extend our services into litigation, as we are fully-fledged attorneys.

I met my business partner Dr. Peter Wild at the earlier firm. We have been working together about 15 years now.

What is your main focus for your business, e.g., Patents, Trade Marks, Domestic, International Incoming/Outgoing etc?

Our main focus is the whole IP field except patents. We support our clients mainly in cases revolving around trademarks, unfair competition, copyrights, domain name, design, company names, etc.

How long have you been in business?

Wild Schnyder has been in business for 8 years. My business partner and I each have more than 15 years experience.

How long have you been using Patricia?

We have been using Patricia from the start, i.e. when we started our own firm in 2001.

When did you realize that you may require specialized IP software instead of perhaps relying upon spreadsheets or similar methods of data storage (as many start up firms do)?

We have never used spread sheets, excel, etc. but always specialized software. When we started our own firm we were of the opinion that specialized IP software off the shelf is much more cost efficient than building and programming your own.

When and how did you first hear about Patrix and Patricia?

I got in touch with the Patrix people at their booth at an INTA conference when we were evaluating which specialized IP software we would like to buy.

What concerns did you have about procuring and implementing a system and, if so, were they proven to be warranted with Patricia?

I never had concerns implementing the Patricia system as we started from scratch, could build our firm around the software and there were no really big problems apart from the usual considerations when you start with any new software. Patrix has always been very helpful and quickly on site when required.

What led you to the realization that the investment in Patricia and Patrix services would be prudent at an early stage?

As we planned to start out with a certain size, we knew from the beginning that we needed specialized IP software and that the investment in Patricia and Patrix services would soon pay out.

How did you find the implementation process and the level of assistance and input from Patrix?

Patrix was very helpful. They sent people to Switzerland to show how Patricia worked. Furthermore, as we had to start earlier than we thought and quite unexpectedly it was a challenge for us and Patrix, which was managed to our full satisfaction.

Did you find the configuration flexibility allowed you to instill your best practice and procedures from the outset?

Patricia offers much flexibility and as we were starting new we could build our firm around the software.

Has your business success been assisted by your use of Patricia and Patrix services?

Our business success has been assisted a lot by our use of Patricia, especially as back in 2001 Patrix was one of the first software suppliers to offer online access for clients. We gained many clients with this functionality.

Have you found your use of Patricia to be easily scalable with the growth of your business?

Patricia grows with the business. It does not matter how much data you put in, it is never a question of the capacity of Patricia.

Do you think you may have required more staff to accommodate your growth in terms of turnover if you did not have Patricia in Place?

Of course - after about two years when the heat of the first build up was over, I did refine all the workflows and started to use more and more parts of Patricia. We therefore could grow without hiring more staff to a certain extent.

Do you feel that you have received an adequate return on your investment and has Patricia perhaps assisted with bottom line profits?

There are no exact figures but it is only a gut feeling, which tells me that we received plenty of return on our investment in Patricia and that our profits are much bigger than without Patricia.

Did you find Patricia logical and intuitive, hence easy to learn?

Patricia is a flexible system - once you know how it works, it is logical and easy to program, it makes you think about your setup, which is very positive because you find out quite easily where you can enhance your business procedures.

Which aspects of the product do you find the most beneficial?

Patricia combines three main parts, namely the financial part, the case part and the contact part in one software solution. You never have any problems as you would have with other programs where, for example, contact data is imported from another program.

Are you satisfied with Patrix Support and other services provided?

Yes, very much.

Do you feel you have built a trusted relationship with Patrix and our staff both on a professional and personal level?

Patrix is kind of a family, although it has become quite big. All contact by phone and the personal meetings are very friendly and family business like.

Would you currently swap Patricia and Patrix for any other product/supplier you know of?

Of course not.