The Legal Resposibilities

True, specific paperwork is required by the international standard for Quality Management Systems (ISO 9001). The purpose and advantages of the QMS documentation are numerous: it offers a clear framework for an organization’s operations, allows for consistency in procedures and a better knowledge of the QMS, and gives proof for meeting objectives and goals. When creating QMS Template, keep efficiency in mind and establish policies and papers relevant to your company.

Hierarchy of QMS documentation

Different sorts of papers can be included in the QMS documentation. Documents such as the Policy Document, Quality Manual, procedures, work instructions, quality plans, and records are usually included. The documentation for the QMS may be seen as a structure.

Different types of information must be recorded according to ISO 9001; however, not all information must be documented in various papers. It is adaptable, allowing the organization to choose the documentation size and the degree of detail that should be included. Small businesses, for example, might consist of defined processes in their QMS handbook.

How should your QMS documentation be organized?

ISO 10013:2001 Quality Management System Guidelines is international standard paperwork that provides guidelines for successful document proportioning and a description of suggested content and structure for various QMS document types. The ISO 10013 guidelines are used to make the following recommendations.

A successful Quality Management System requires good documentation.

For an effective QMS, dimension the QMS documents based on your organizational needs. Furthermore, well-structured documentation will make your operations a lot easier, but poorly-structured documentation will only cause you problems.

The first charge under Section 17A of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 has been filed against an offshore vessel company[1] after the provision took effect on June 1, 2020. To summarise,  MACC  Section 17(A) Malaysia Act holds commercial organizations liable for acts of corruption committed for their benefit by a person linked with them. A director or any other person in charge of the affairs of a business organization at the time of the offense is assumed to have committed the same crime.

Provided a business organization is charged under Section 17A of the MACC Act, it may be exempt from responsibility if it has proper processes in place to prevent its employees from engaging in corrupt behavior. On the other hand, the director can defend himself by demonstrating that the crime was done without his consent or knowledge and that he did all possible to avoid it.

According to reports, the offshore vessel firm was prosecuted after its former director, an affiliated person, reportedly paid a third party a bribe of RM321,350.00 to gain a subcontract in the company’s favor. 

This case will very certainly lead to debates on what constitutes “adequacy” anti-bribery measures for a commercial organization, as well as an examination of the efforts taken by the commercial organization to prevent the corrupt act after Section 17A of the MACC Act took effect. It’d be fascinating to see whether it could help with the investigation’s insufficiency in this situation when the alleged criminal was a member of top management.

According to Section 17A(1) of the MACC Act:

  • “A commercial company commits a felony if a person linked with the commercial organization corruptly provides, agrees to give, pledges, or offers any satisfaction to any person to benefit that person or another person—
  1. to gain or keep business for a commercial enterprise; 
  2. to gain or keep a competitive edge for the commercial organization in the conduct of business.”