Bribery Risks I: Why Consider the ISO 37001 Certification

Some corporations might wonder whether the ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System (ABMS) is a silver bullet to mitigate bribery risks. There is no regulation that can make corporations immune from bribery. However, corporations should take all possible measures to prevent it from occurring.

Having an ABMS in place is a great move for mitigating this issue. However, having the system is not the same as implementing it. To ensure the mitigation efforts work effectively, a corporation should consistently adhere to the system during their day-to-day operations. Implementing the system also means that a corporation has the integrity to conduct good corporate governance (GCG).

What’s so important about being ABMS-certified?

Let’s say your corporation has implemented ABMS without being certified. Implementing ABMS is good to protect your business and its assets – employees, shareholders, brands, etc – as well as to maximize productivity. However, no one knows that you have implemented the system. While in business partnerships, it is critical to know and ensure that your prospective partners have the same integrity. How will you ensure and prove to your prospective partners that your corporation has the same integrity? This is where the certification comes in handy.
ISO 37001 certification serves as proof and assurance to prospective partners that your corporation has been taking standard measures to prevent bribery from occurring. The certification also shows how your corporation is in compliance with bribery laws, and therefore would help convince your prospective partners of your company’s is reliability in terms of conducting impactful business.

Also Read:

Bribery Risks II: Identifying Risks and Vulnerable Activities

Bribery Reaches USD 1 Trillion per Year, This is The Importance of ISO 37001 for Corporations

A Way to Eradicate Corruption in Indonesia’s Private Sector

The certification process is not a list of ‘checkboxes’

ISO 37001 comprises of ten clauses to help your corporation’s build robust ABMS. The certification process itself is not a type of ‘checkbox’ review by auditors. There are a few stages that ensure that the applicants have put the system into action.

Not only will the auditors check the written policies, but they will also ask for documentation as evidence that the policies are put into action. In addition, they will also validate the evidence by conducting interviews with the people who are responsible for implementing the policies, such as Directors, managers, employees. Once corporations receive the certificates, the certification body will conduct annual reviews to ensure that the corporations remain in compliance with ISO 37001 standards.

How ABMS training and consulting help your business

Integrity Asia will follow the four stages of Plan / Do / Check / Act methodologies for setting up and implementing the system. The Plan stage identifies the current condition of the company and its objectives. The second step is Do, which sets up and improves the company’s ABMS. The Check stage maintains and ensures that ABMS mechanism complies with the set standards. The last step is Act, which shows that the company is ready to be certified by ISO 37001:2016 and implement ABMS thoroughly. The details are provided below.

For further information on ABMS, contact us here or at info@integrity-asia.com

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