The dashboard presents key performance indicators (KPIs) in quality and aims to enhance transparency by providing quarterly updates on quality and user satisfaction
The KPIs cover search, examination, opposition, Boards of Appeal outcomes and digitalisation. The dashboard will eventually provide charts indicating the evolution of performance or achievements against set goals.
For example, for 2024, the EPO has set KPIs to track incorrect assessment of novelty or inventive step in searches and written opinions. There is also a KPI for audited searches and written opinions where more relevant prior art was found by an auditor. Results are reported as a percentage of audited files with findings – audits carried out by the Directorate Quality Audit (DQA) on a random sample of search products delivered by the operational teams.
The EPO will also track the satisfaction of users with search products through the User Satisfaction Survey (USS), which is carried out every two years by an independent contractor. The 2022/2023 survey involved 7 000 users, and the next USS results will be made available in 2025.
According to the EPO, by focusing on these KPIs, it will be able to provide more comprehensive written opinions that strike the right balance between ensuring the fulfilment of legal requirements and accurately identifying the full potential of the application.
The dashboard, launched March 8, 2024, comes in addition to the annually published quality reports.
The quality dashboard may be accessed under https://www.epo.org/en/about-us/services-and-activities/quality/quality-dashboard.