1) Read this basic ISO 9000 Implementation Overview

The ISO 9000 standard is a set of requirements on how to do business. The requirements affect virtually all aspects of a company (not only the quality control function, as some people wrongly believe).

In order to implement ISO 9000, a company must do all of the following:

a)  Create numerous documents: you need to write an ISO 9000 quality manual, ISO 9000 procedures, a quality policy, quality objectives, and company-specific work instructions. This can be much easier if you use good templates (as available in our Products section) and modify them to meet your company's circumstances.

b)  Implement the procedures and instructions. Unless your company has been following other quality management systems, it is very likely that your ISO 9000 procedures and work instructions require you to do some things differently. You will need to adjust business processes and train employees so that your new procedures and instructions are being followed.

c)  Keep records. ISO 9000 requires you to keep many records. Well-designed forms (as available in our Products section) can be of tremendous help; they not only help you meet the record keeping requirement, but they can also serve as a step-by-step guide on how to perform a certain process (for example, the selection of your vendors).

d)  Get audited. After your ISO 9000 system has been implemented for at least 2 months, it is ready for an evaluation by an independent auditor. If you pass (or if you correct all shortcomings), you will receive ISO 9001 certification.

2) Study the ISO 9001:2008 Standard

Purchase and carefully read the ISO 9001:2008 standard. The standard is available from your country's national standards body (in the USA: http://webstore.ansi.org/).  The complete directory is available on the ISO website.

3) Get a better understanding of ISO 9001:2008

Most likely you will initially be quite confused after studying the ISO 9001:2008 standard but don't worry, there are some good resources available that can help you understand:

ISO 9000 Books
We think that the following books, available on Amazon, are excellent and in-depth explanations of ISO 9001:

- Cracking the Case of ISO 9001:2000 for Service

- Cracking the Case of ISO 9001:2000 for Manufacturing

Training Courses
If you like to learn more, there are numerous training classes available (search the internet). We recommend an auditor course as it will provide a detailed understanding of the ISO 9000 standard, as well as give many examples on how it could be implemented.

4) Review good samples

One of the best ways to learn quickly is to review good sample documentation. That's why it is a good idea to obtain the templates for quality manuals, procedures as well as forms already in the beginning of the implementation process.  Excellent templates are available in our Products section.

Following these four steps you will quickly get a good understanding of the ISO 9001:2008 standard, and you will be ready to start implementing it at your company!

Good luck with this exciting and rewarding project!