Working with Business - University of Huddersfield

What is Customer Relationship Management (CRM)?

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are commonplace in companies and are becoming more commonly used in universities to help manage business relationships with external organisations and partners in a more professional and consistent manner.

CRM systems are designed to compile all types of interactions with external people across different points of contact, which could be anything from meetings and phone calls to networking events. The CRM system aims to provide users with a full picture of relationships with external organisations and provide a constant flow of reliable and quality information for staff, particularly those in business facing roles.

Why do we need it?

Individual departments and staff within the University are managing their own relationships with externals which could potentially lead to situations where we end up with multiple relationships with the same partner but no linkage between them.

By having a centralised CRM system, it enables us to share key information across the University to help us make the most out of our relationships with external partners and avoid situations which jeopardise the University’s reputation.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 at the University of Huddersfield

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is the CRM system adopted by the University of Huddersfield. It has been customised specifically to meet the needs of our users and enable us to increase the effectiveness in how the University engages with the external world.

For more information on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and how it can work for you, please contact the CRM team.

Accessing Microsoft Dynamics 365

Licenses are limited and access is on a permissions basis. If you think you would benefit from holding a licence, contact the Business Development Team

We will provide you with an initial training session and access to the test environment, before setting you up with a licence once your training has taken place. Each user is provided with their own unique URL, enabling them to access the live system.

Information for academic/researcher enterprise

A key mission for RIKE is to provide support and work with academics and staff from across the University to identify innovative opportunities that have potential to create social, environmental, community and economic impact through commercialisation and adding value to the innovation ecosystem.

Our objective is to drive intellectual property awareness, where appropriate put in protection registrations (such as patents, trademarks, design registrations) and to support the idea evaluation to determine market needs and best exploitation route. We manage the commercial transactions (joint venture creation, spinouts, licences, sales) from The University intellectual property that can result in revenues and value creation for both the University, School, the inventors and inventor contributors too.

But the benefits are more than financial. It provides case study for teaching, new partnerships which may lead to other research openings, helps the academic to become a trusted and recognised expert to stakeholders and peers. This also provides a real-world insight into the evolution of the journey from research to development, the steps necessary to do so, and attracts and encourages research funders, grant funders, government or sector funding agencies who look positively upon proposals that involve industry (public or private) interaction such as Innovate UK, Wellcome Trust, NIHR. Ultimately engagement and concept to commercialisation increases the reputation of The University.

How does it work?

The academic initially has a conversation with their BDM and/or Impact Manager to determine suitability, then submits an ‘Invention Disclosure Form’ (IDF) to the Business Partnerships Manager (IP) in RIKE.

A pathway is discussed and agreed relating to the academics needs, interests, availability. For examples see IUK programmes https://www.icureprogramme.com/ , https://aspect.ac.uk/communities-of-practice/research-commercialisation/ and the Commercialisation Reactor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdglvtXvgJU . These help determine market desirability (real customer needs), viability, feasibility for a workable business model to succeed .. or indeed fail fast which is a good innovation trait where indicated there is limited potential.

The Innovation Committee has the final decision on a go/no go for the project to commercialisation.

What else should I know?

IPEquip:

Well it’s always a good idea to gain some understanding around IPR, and perhaps complete the IP Office IPEquip module: https://www.ipo.gov.uk/ip-support

This e-learning tool helps you to understand intellectual property rights i.e. trade marks, patents, copyright and designs. It takes around 40 minutes (maybe also add it to your curriculums?)

IP Equip contains 4 short modules and uses case studies to show why intellectual property is important.

Benefits are free access to checklists, guides and a document library providing tutoring notes for academics in their research/course interests:

CPD credit on completion (1 point)
IPO certification via a certificate
you can use your smart phone, tablet or PC to take the training.

Ownership:

The intellectual property of an employee, belongs in the first instance to their employer. There are of course exceptions, and the moral rights of authors and performers associated with intellectual property lie outside these economic rights. The University has an IP Policy, which outlines the University’s current approach to IP ownership and the sharing of any revenue generated from the exploitation of IP. The IP Policy.

Ownership in Collaborative and Consortium Research:

The situation becomes more complex when other academic and industrial parties are involved (either doing and/or funding) in the research collaboration or consortium. In an effort to shorten and simplify the negotiation processes associated with collaborative and consortium research agreements, model agreements have been developed. These “Lambert Agreements” are an excellent reference and starting point for these negotiations.

Background and foreground IPR:

You may see and hear IP described as either background or foreground. Background IPR is the IPR you are bringing to the project - both soft and hard which you and potentially your research partners will need to perform the research. Foreground IP refers to new IP created by the research.

Publication:

In general, as a fundamental minimum we must always ensure academic freedom to publish (subject to any reasonable delay to allow patenting etc.), and unfettered freedom to pursue academic research in the area.

For more information, contact Simon Clarke

Click here to download a copy of the IDF Form

Working with Businesses

Knowledge Transfer Partnership

Commercial Services

Dynamics - Customer Relationship Management System

Intellectual Property (IP)

Impact Acceleration Account (IAA)

Enterprise Team