# Presentation: 243830

## Quality Counts!!

***GOAL***
* *
*“**Provide our customers with the highest levels of quality and service in all aspects of PTO operations”*

## Creating a Quality System for the New Millennium

- Four decades of quality activities
- Vision of an Integrated Quality System
- Where we are today:
- Issues, Enablers, and Barriers
- Strategy for Achieving the Vision

## Historical Perspectives

- 1960’s Commissioner’s study
-  created Patent Academy
- 1970’s Office of Patent Quality review
- 1980’s Deming management influences
- Total Quality Management
- Continuous Quality Improvement
- Trademark Quality Review
- 1990’s - the Reengineering decade
- emphasis on customer service and satisfaction

## Historical Programs and Organizations Concerned with:

- Validity of the patent
- Registrability of mark
- Completeness of the action
- Completeness of the search
- Timeliness of services
- Efficiency of the process
- Quality of the service
- Feedback from customers

## PTO Quality ManagementObjective

- Establish a Quality Management System as a Key Business Focus for the PTO

## Characteristics of a Quality Management System

- Quality is judged by customers
- Customer-driven quality is viewed as a strategic concept
- Customer requirements and service standards are reflected in strategic and operational planning
- Processes are developed to meet customer needs
- Measurement systems are developed to track progress

## Characteristics of a Quality Management System

- Information is collected and used to improve work processes and the products and services delivered to customers
- Employees throughout the PTO understand how their work supports customer satisfaction
- Quality is designed into production and delivery processes to support efficiency and problem prevention (do the right job right every time to eliminate rework, eliminate non value added steps in a process to improve quality and efficiency)

## Quality Management Initiative

- Existing PTO organizations operate in a matrix manner to assist in coordinating and facilitating PTO quality programs
- Quality Council composed of representatives from all organizational components including Unions
- communication across PTO to share information, best practices, lessons learned
- build consistency

## Quality Management Initiative

- Quality Management Office - reports directly to Commissioner
- Full time staff and contract resources to support effort
- Provides expertise and support for quality initiatives
- Coordinates and facilitates PTO quality programs
- Chairs Quality Council
- Works through Quality Council to accomplish PTO-wide quality objectives
- Patent Quality Review, Trademark Quality Review and Center for Quality Services report to Office of Quality Management

## Vision of an Integrated Quality System 

- Guide PTO towards performance excellence
- Commitment
- Coordination
- Communication
- Three-way Focus
- The Customer Focus
- The Employee Focus
- The Organizational Focus

## The Customer Focus

- Supports Patent mission:
_***To Help Our Customers Get Patents***_
- Integrates customer expectations into patent processes, products and services
- Supports Trademark goal:
_***Improve Customer Satisfaction***_

## The Employee Focus

- Promotes commitment to quality
- Encourages dedication, loyalty, and a pride in our jobs and the PTO
- Seeks involvement throughout all levels of the PTO
- Fosters employee empowerment
- Partners with Unions

## The Organizational Focus

- Addresses every step of each important process and service
- Encourages development of the workforce
- Has active support of ***all*** levels of PTO management
- Provides a credible quality program that is perceived as accurate by employees, management, and customers

## Baldrige Criteria as a System

*Baldrige Criteria as a System*

***U.S. Patent and Trademark Office***

**Identify****Customer Needs/****Requirements**

**Establish Mission,****Vision, Values, &****Leadership System**

**Develop Goals****& Strategies**

**Define Measures****of Success &****Collect Data**

**Achieve Excellent Levels &****Trends in All Key Measures**

**Create & Manage****Human Resource****Systems**

**Define, Measure,****Control, & Improve****Key Work Processes**

**PROCESSES/SYSTEMS**

**STRATEGIC PLANNING**

**DATA/****MEASURES**

**CUSTOMER FOCUS**

**LEADERSHIP**

**HUMAN RESOURCE FOCUS**

**BUSINESS RESULTS**

## Office of Patent Quality Review:Functions

- Assessment of quality
- substantive review
- questions on patentability standard
- Allowed review program (end process review)
- in process application review
- Detection of trends
- Quality improvement efforts

## Office of Trademark Quality Review:Functions

- Assessment of quality
- substantive review
- determine quality of examination
- review trademark application in various stages of pendency (pending, abandoned, registered)
- Detection of trends
- Quality improvement efforts

## Center for Quality Services:External Customer Focus

- Customer Surveys
- Customer Service Training
- Customer Focus Sessions
- Measurement and Customer Satisfaction
- Facilitate Change to Improve Customer Satisfaction

## 1999 Results - Patents Key Drivers

- 					_**95**__**	**__**96**__**	**__**98**__**	**__**99**_
- Overall satisfaction		51	50	52	**57**
- Return calls				49	47	48	**57**
- Direct promptly			44	42	52	**64**
- Clear written communication	45	41	56	**63**
- Thorough search			47	45	56	**64**

## 1999 Results - Trademark Key Drivers

- 					_**95**__**	**__**96**__**	**__**98**__**	**__**99**_
- Overall satisfaction		64	65	63	**69**
- Return calls				55	44	50	**59**
- Direct promptly			58	58	63	**69**
- Clear communication		65	68	74	**77**
- Treat with Courtesy		80	80	84	**87**
- 13 Month Registration		39	31	37	**42**
- Filing Notice - 14 Days		54	31	31	**33**

- 					_**95**__**	**__**96**__**	**__**98**__**	**__**99**_
- Overall satisfaction		64	65	63	**69**
- Return calls				55	44	50	**59**
- Direct promptly			58	58	63	**69**
- Clear communication		65	68	74	**77**
- Treat with Courtesy		80	80	84	**87**
- 13 Month Registration		39	31	37	**42**
- Filing Notice - 14 Days		54	31	31	**33**