CFProfile commits to patent monitoring through software modernisation with AI – a new platform built around collaborative working and structured patent evaluation. A user-centred interface and AI-powered features support the analysis and classification of relevant patent information.
The starting point
CFProfile GmbH & Co. KG is a spin-off of Cohausz & Florack, one of Germany’s leading intellectual property and law firms. CFProfile manages professional patent monitoring for organisations with extensive and complex patent portfolios. The platform serves as the central working environment for user groups across multiple sectors – law, engineering, and industry – all of whom work daily with large volumes of highly relevant patent information.
As demands for transparency, structured analysis, and collaborative workflows grew, the existing patent management software began to show its limits. CFProfile decided to work with Inspired Consulting to develop a new patent monitoring platform – one that makes working with patent information more transparent, supports collaboration, and enables more informed professional evaluation.
Why CFProfile needed a new solution – and where the legacy system fell short
The existing patent management software had served the firm reliably for many years. But it no longer reflected the current state of the art. True software modernisation with AI had become impossible – further development was severely constrained, creating growing challenges for the firm:
Technical limitations of the existing software
- The underlying technology was no longer fit for purpose.
- The legacy system could only be extended to a limited degree with new or innovative features.
- Outdated libraries and frameworks introduced security risks.
- Only a small number of developers still had the knowledge needed to maintain it.
High operational and financial overhead
- Day-to-day operation and maintenance generated significant ongoing costs.
- The database in use incurred substantial licensing fees.
Business risk
Without continued development, the firm faced a real risk of losing clients.
»Working with Inspired has allowed us to combine our expertise in intellectual property law with modern technology. The application supports not only our firm, but also our clients – helping them evaluate patent information together and make better-informed decisions.«
Arnd Ziebell, Managing Director, CFProfile GmbH & Co. KG
Our approach: collaborative, iterative, and grounded in practice
We developed the platform in close collaboration with CFProfile, working iteratively throughout. Weekly alignment sessions were used to prioritise issues, plan new features, and shape the product’s development together. The functional core of the existing software was preserved – but enhanced with modern capabilities and a significantly improved user experience.
At the outset, both sides defined a clear set of requirements. The new platform needed to:
- avoid disrupting the ongoing operation of the legacy system during development,
- enable a complete and largely uninterrupted migration of all data,
- ensure a phased and controlled transfer of all client records,
- offer a modern, intuitive user experience without alienating existing users,
- create space for new technical capabilities, including AI-powered features.
We deliberately chose Elixir, Phoenix, and LiveView as the technical foundation. This allowed us to build a UI that reflects changes in real time – without requiring users to reload the page. That real-time capability supports seamless collaboration between clients, lawyers, and specialist departments.
For the migration itself, the project team chose a deliberate multi-stage approach. Both systems ran in parallel initially, so users could start working with the new platform while the legacy system remained available. New patents were routed through the new system from day one; historical data was then migrated in full. The result was a stable transition with no disruption – even during large-scale data migrations.
What the new platform makes possible
CFProfile now has a solution that supports modern ways of working and makes patent information more accessible, faster to process, and genuinely collaborative.
Improved user experience and usability
The interface was redesigned from the ground up – modern, intuitive, and clearly structured. Information is better visualised, content is easier to absorb, and workflows are noticeably more efficient. This is particularly valuable for researching, evaluating, and contextualising patent information.
Automated pre-classification of patents using AI
As part of the platform’s ongoing development, an AI-powered pre-classification feature was introduced. Drawing on patent data – including titles, abstracts, claims, and IPC codes – as well as specific departmental information, the AI assesses patents by relevance and generates automatic classification suggestions. These are based on patterns from patents already classified by human reviewers, significantly reducing what had previously been a manual and time-consuming step for patent attorneys.
Collaborative working in real time
The platform supports simultaneous collaboration between multiple users. Changes are immediately visible to everyone – no manual refresh required – enabling efficient coordination between internal specialist departments, lawyers, and clients.
Reliable, scalable, and future-ready operations
The technical overhaul produced a robust and dependable system architecture. It provides a solid foundation for secure operations, high scalability, and long-term extensibility – both technically and functionally.
Flexible and continuous development
A core requirement from the outset was the platform’s ability to evolve. It was built so that new features can be integrated at any time – without fixed release cycles, without operational downtime, and without data loss. This flexibility underpins the platform’s ongoing development – and makes it well positioned for future innovation, above all through continued software modernisation with AI.
Core features of the solution
- Web-based platform for the centralised management, research, and evaluation of patents
- API integration with external patent databases, including the European Patent Office (EPO)
- General Search and Advanced Search with filtering by IPC/CPC classes, technology fields, industry sectors, and geographic markets
- LiveView for real-time functionality, including immediate visibility of changes without page refresh
- AI-powered automatic patent classification to reduce manual processing steps
- Collaborative working environment with structured evaluation and shared decision-making
- Modular system architecture, scalable and technically extensible
- Stable operational foundation through a flexible deployment strategy with no fixed release cycles
Facts & technology
Elixir, Phoenix, Google Cloud, Cloud Run, PostgreSQL, Tailwind
About the client
- Founded in 2004 as a partner of intellectual property and law firm Cohausz & Florack
- CFProfile GmbH & Co. KG is a specialist company for software-supported patent monitoring
- CFProfile serves organisations across multiple industries, helping them monitor the intellectual property rights of current and potential competitors
Ariadne Engelbrecht
Ari joined Inspired in 2022 and currently works as a Software Engineer. She loves the software industry – whether it's theory, coding or volunteering in a congress.
