64 Companies Honoured at MSC Malaysia Achievement Event 2009

(L-R) Paradigm Systems Executive Director Goh Keng Yew, Pentasoft Malaysia CEO K. Kuppusamy, MDeC Head of Capability Development Department Dr. Karl Ng, Macrokiosk CEO Kenny Goh and ISM Insurance Services Malaysia CEO Carl Rajendram participating in a Client Sharing Session during cocktails before MSC Malaysia Capability Development Achievement Event 2009.

Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), the driver of MSC Malaysia’s National ICT Initiative, honoured the achievements of 64 MSC Malaysia Status companies that achieved global standards certifications in 2009 at the MSC Malaysia Achievement Event 2009 (AE09) gala ceremony and dinner here today.

Guest of honour, Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation YB Tuan Haji Fadillah Haji Yusof and MDeC Chief Executive Officer Datuk Badlisham Ghazali presented the 64 companies with letters of recognition.

Among the achievements of the 64 companies are certifications in the CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration), the ISO 20000 (Information Technology Service Management), the ISO 27001 (Information Security Management System), Software Testing, Six Sigma and Professional Development.

The certifications were earned through participation in the MSC Malaysia Capability Development Programme (CDP). “2009 has been a tough year for business. Despite intense pressure to control costs, MSC Malaysia Status companies have continued to invest in raising their competitiveness through adopting global best practices. Today, at the MSC Malaysia Achievement Event 2009 we are honouring a record setting 64 companies for achieving global standards certification,” said Badlisham.

MDeC CEO Datuk Badlisham Ghazali delivering the welcoming address during MSC Malaysia Capability Development Achievement Event 2009 “A key factor behind this large number of companies’ participation is the MSC Malaysia CDP’s ‘Innovate My Process’ initiative. Early in the year, the MSC Malaysia CDP realized that it needed to help companies find ‘quick win’ steps that would deliver near-term ROI through cost-effective investment,” added Badlisham.

250 MSC Malaysia Status companies participated in 20 programmes conducted by the MSC Malaysia CDP as part of “Innovate My Process” initiative. These programmes addressed the key areas of customer service, systematic innovation, cost optimization, process improvement, product performance enhancement, and brand management among others.

The MSC Malaysia CDP Six Sigma was a programme that evolved significantly under “Innovate My Process” initiative. The benefits derived from the programme has led to 12 of the participating companies to project that they will collectively save RM3.13 million annually.

The MSC Malaysia CDP was established to raise the level of competitiveness of MSC Malaysia Status companies by increasing the adoption of international best practices and policies through global standards certifications, and to furnish assistance and provide initiatives to MSC Malaysia Status companies to enhance their capability and global competitiveness. This is achieved through 13 organisational development programmes and the MSC Malaysia CDP Professional Development that together addressed the 4 focus areas of process, people, product and management.

MDeC CEO Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, COO Ng Wan Peng and Head of Capability Development Department Dr. Karl Ng during the MSC Malaysia Capability Development Achievement Event 2009 press conference.

The benefits of participation in MSC Malaysia CDP has led companies that have completed the programmes to return in pursuit of further certification. One such company is Pentasoft Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., who in 2009 successfully won 8 out of 20 of the international contracts it pursued against competition from U.S., U.K. and Indian companies. These contracts generated revenues of more than RM14 million. Pentasoft was honoured at AE09 for achieving the ISO 20000 this year. In previous years, Pentasoft has worked with MSC Malaysia CDP to achieve certification in Software Testing and is one of only a few Malaysian companies to have achieved the CMMI Maturity Level 5.

“In 2008, companies that had participated in MSC Malaysia CDP programmes achieved a 93 percent growth in export sales. This is an increase from the 2007 figure of 79.18 percent,” said Badlisham.

MSC Malaysia CDP helps MSC Malaysia Status companies achieve process improvement, professional development, product assessment and business management through knowledge sharing, a structured development programme, competency enhancement and financial reimbursement of part of the expense of achieving certification.

The MSC Malaysia CDP also works with several partners, such as the International Association of Software Architects (IASA), the IT Service Management (ITSM) Society of Malaysia, Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), Software Engineering Institute (SEI), Project Management Institute (PMI), consulting firms, relevant government agencies and other parties to provide MSC Malaysia Status companies with the latest opportunities to enhance their competencies.

Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation YB Tuan Hj. Fadillah bin Yusof delivering a speech during MSC Malaysia Capability Development Achievement Event 2009.

To date over 180 companies have been granted global standard certifications since the MSC Malaysia CDP was launched in 2004. In 2009, the MSC Malaysia CDP delivered over 80 capability development activities benefitting about 1,600 companies.

“In 2010, MSC Malaysia CDP will increase its focus on innovation. New programmes that will be introduced will focus on Intellectual Property as well as expand the current MSC Malaysia CDP Marketing programme to look into aspects of product and service commercialization,” said Badlisham. “MSC Malaysia CDP will also introduce the Product Assessment Framework and MSC Malaysia Product Rating Standard. Together these initiatives seek to promote the development of quality products among MSC Malaysia Status companies,” he added.

At the AE09, Michael Kum, the President of the ITSM Forum Malaysia Chapter presented a letter of appreciation to Badlisham in recognition of the efforts by MSC Malaysia to raise the standard of IT service management among MSC Malaysia Status companies and in supporting the ITSM society. The ITSM Society of Malaysia, since its inception in 2007, has grown its initial membership of 7 to 200 and Kum has been selected to be one of itSMF International’s directors, the only one from Asia.