The implementation and maintenance of ISO 9001:2015 quality management system in a Malaysian legal firm / Nahzatul Ain Mohd Khalid

Various research has been carried out on the implementation of ISO 9001:2015 in multiple services sectors. However, very few has been conducted on the legal service industry. This research investigates how ISO 9001:2015 is implemented and maintained in a legal firm. It also examines the motivation, benefits, critical success factors, and problems of ISO 9001 implementation and maintenance faced by the legal firm. A combination of insider action and a single case qualitative study methodology was employed for this research. Data was collected from interviews, document reviews and observation that were conducted from October until December 2020. It was found that the motivation for ISO 9001 implementation and certification consists of both the internal factors such as to improve work process, systematic and organized work, improve productivity and quality of work; and external factors such as global recognition, panel ship requirement and differentiation. The critical success factors of ISO 9001:2015 for this legal firm are staff awareness, acceptance and involvement, partners and top management commitment and involvement, knowledge on ISO technical requirements and compliance and teamwork. The problems and challenges faced by the legal firm in implementing and maintaining the QMS are ensuring the staff effort, compliance, cooperation and commitment and also partners' commitment. Some of the measures taken to overcome the problems are gradually increasing and integrating technology to all types of legal work processed with partners' pre-approved contents. Ultimately, a framework for the implementation and maintenance of ISO 9001:2015 for legal firms was developed to provide insights and guide the legal firms in Malaysia to implement the ISO 9001 QMS and achieve certification to the standard.