The best possible way to get buy-in and ownership of your quality system is to involve everyone in the design, development and implementation phases. This is the key to having a meaningful, effective and efficient system. This also will ensure that the system is relevant and will be maintained in the future. Systems designed without top-down commitment and bottom-up involvement are difficult to implement and maintain and tend to fall quickly into disrepair.

Involvement starts with the management team, which can be briefed in a number of ways. For example, you may brief your management team at a formal meeting with a prepared presentation. Whichever method you choose, the following information should be included:

• What ISO 9000 is;
• What ISO 9000 is NOT;
• Clarification of the role each organization plays (accreditation/registration/ consulting/training, etc.)
• Agreement to use BSI to support you toward registration;
• Agreement on why you are seeking registration and its benefits;
• Agreement on the plan, including timeframe;
• Agreement to review the project's progress periodically; and
• Agreement on the individual who will champion the project.

Team members for implementation and audits should be identified early in the process, but make sure you have people who represent all relevant departments. Some examples of departments or divisions that will be profoundly affected by the quality system include:

• Engineering
• Purchasing
• Quality
• Operations
• Sales and/or marketing
• Administration
• Customer service
• Shipping, receiving and fulfillment

However, the above list should not be considered to be exhaustive, as the process approach may well include other departments not shown above. In a process environment, few departments are excluded.

Additionally, it is a good idea to consider personality traits for the members of the team. For example, because there will likely be a lot of meetings in the beginning for implementation planning, setting objectives and the quality policy, you should consider personnel who work well together in groups. Group decisions can provide a lot of creative feedback, which is often cyclical in providing more employee ownership and buy-in to the project. Other personality traits you should consider could include:

• Action-oriented - The team needs to be ready to act and implement change.
• Experienced - It's a good idea to have team members who know the business of the organization. People who have been around a while and know how things operate can be invaluable to your team.
• Detail-driven - Documentation and implementation means dotting the "i's" and crossing the "t's", and deadlines are often absolute.
• Holistic thinkers - When implementing ISO 9001:2000 for an organization, team members must be able to see the "Big Picture."
• Good communicators - Once the system begins, awareness and understanding is crucial. This is where a strong team becomes essential, because spreading the word about quality can only be a good thing. Just make sure that the information that is communicated is consistent and relevant.