1. Purchase the Standard from ASQ. The website is: http://www.asq.org

2. Make an implementation schedule by element and department. The dates on this schedule will change as you progress through the process, but they will give you some rough guidelines and help you to keep motivated.

3. Take an ISO 9001:2000 Lead Assessor Course, an ISO Implementation Course, or hire a consultant to perform in-house training. In other words, get additional knowledge from an outside source. You will reduce your implementation time dramatically by getting training.

4. Determine what your available resources are. If you have sufficient internal resources and you feel comfortable with your understanding of the ISO Standard, start writing your manual and procedures.

5. If you do not have sufficient resources, consider hiring a consultant to do a gap analysis of your current quality system. This will give you an idea of how much work has to be done. You can then contract with the consultant to either:

a. Write your procedures in accordance with how your company performs the specified tasks.

b. Review your procedures and let you know if you are in compliance with the requirements of the Standard, or

c. Train and coach your staff on the ISO requirements. This will allow you to write your own documentation or review your existing system, giving you a jump-start on the process. 

6. Conduct Internal Auditor training while you are working on the procedures. Perform internal audits of the procedures as you go along to assure they meet the requirements of the Standard. If everyone is doing what is written, you have successfully implemented the system.

7. Hold ISO awareness meetings so everyone knows that what you are doing is not just another "Quality flavor of the month".

8. Get quotes from at least three registrars. Make sure they have auditors that have been in the business for at least two years. Invite their representatives to visit your site to give a presentation. Meet their staff and assure yourself that you and your employees will be comfortable working with them. Choose a registrar and set a date for your document review. They will review your manual to assure that it covers all of the requirements of the Standard. For a list current registrars, visit the ASQ site on the Internet: http://www.asq.org.

9. Set a Pre-Assessment date. This will help you maintain your focus on the implementation process. Perform one complete internal audit to verify that everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing. If you are confused about interpretation call your consultant or the registrar. You may also wait until after the pre-assessment to finalize some procedures if you are not sure that they meet the requirements of the Standard. The pre-assessment does not count against you in respect to your registration. It is used to assess your state of readiness with respect to the certification audit. 

10. Set your audit date. Fine tune your procedures and prepare for the certification audit. 

11. Congratulations you have just achieved your certification and you know you have done something monumental!

12. Now the fun begins, you will be learning how to use your ISO system to improve your processes and improve the bottom line. It will take you one to two years to fully comprehend how to effectively use your ISO 9001 Quality Management System.
Remember, the name of the game is to provide a good quality product that meets the customer's needs and to make money. Concentrate on improving your system to take the waste out. The final result is to be a profitable company with effective systems and happy employees. Good Luck!