In a small company, each employee most likely wears a number of hats, thus limiting the amount of responsibility that can be placed on each person. When implementing a quality system, this obviously causes overlapping of responsibilities. The challenge for the company becomes in finding ways not to overburden its employees. An ISO 9000 quality system may be the answer for many companies by allowing the company to focus on problem areas and helping to streamline those processes as well as eliminate duplication of tasks. Belsito and Ed Downs, one of the members of the original implementation team and now the production manager, observed that they are just now realizing that the quality system is intended to help production rather than the other way around.
Time can become a severe limitation for a small business.
Implementation of a quality system and, ultimately, registration of that system, may take anywhere from six to 18 months, depending on a variety of factors, including resources, management commitment and employee buy-in. The company may be pressured by customers to implement ISO 9000 within a certain time frame or potentially lose their business. It behooves small companies to become aware of external pressures within their industry and become proactive rather than end up behind the eight ball. 9000-registered began more than a year before any documentation was actually written. Many small companies hire and rely on these external consultants.