Canadian Lawyer InHouse

SEPTEMBER 2015 22 INHOUSE The new system incorporates all elements in one place and enhances the speed of completion as well as the ease of use for clients. "The new IA system has been very well received and is so intuitive that no training was re- quired," says Tiffany Koch, legal counsel at 3M Canada in London, Ont. "In addition, the new system incorporates enhanced tracking and reporting functionality for im- proved record keeping and auditing." The new IA system is available on mobile devic- es such as smartphones and iPads. This allows marketers and sales reps to complete the IA anywhere. It also allows those required to approve the IA to do so more quickly. The end result is increased compliance and a quicker pace of business. "Our clients are required to complete an IA prior to entering into any relationship with a third party," says Blair Fantillo, director of legal affairs and government markets & public af- fairs with 3M Canada. "An ineffi cient or diffi cult process slows down the pace of business and can potentially reduce compliance levels. The new system allows for amendments to be completed, and required approvals to be obtained, in a much more expedient manner." "The new IA system has improved compli- ance levels and saved the legal team, as well as the clients we serve, a considerable amount of time that would have otherwise been spent working through the various forms and pro- cesses that the new system replaced," says Ali Haidar legal counsel & chief privacy offi cer with 3M Canada. 3M is hopeful the system will be rolled out by the other 75 subsidiaries of 3M across the globe. C ompliance is one of those things more easily achieved on a broad scale when you make it easier for people to do. Working with its information technology group, the 3M Canada legal affairs team developed an online auto- mated system for the completion of what are referred to as integrity assessments. The IA is essentially a compli- ance review of any third party 3M proposes to engage to ensure its business partners display the same commitment to ethics and compliance as 3M. The process is an integral part of the company's cor- porate compliance program, as it allows 3M to assess the suitability of third parties and enables it to comply with obligations under anti-corruption statutes, such as the For- eign Corrupt Practices Act. An IA must be completed by business clients prior to any contract being drafted and executed. Prior to the new system, there were parts of the process that were completed electronically and parts completed in hard copy. The new system incorporates all elements in one place and enhances the speed of completion as well as the ease of use for clients. "The new IA system has been very well received and is so intuitive that no training was re- quired," says Tiffany Koch, legal counsel at 3M Canada in London, Ont. "In addition, the new system incorporates enhanced tracking ROB NELSON Innovating for the client STANDING (L TO R): Blair Fantillo, general counsel, Canada Christina Hewitt, law clerk Carol Ernest, law clerk Ali Haidar, legal counsel & chief privacy offi cer. On leave: Tiffany Koch, legal counsel. CATEGORY: Compliance DEPARTMENT SIZE: Small department COMPANY: 3M Canada The new system incorporates all elements in one place and enhances the speed of completion as well as the ease of use for clients.

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