Requirements: draft/sync, review, versioning
Question: I want to manage my quality management documents, which need review, versioning, and before the version is fixed, we need to use a draft and sync our editing in the draft, what are the best practices?
It's the document lifecycle for a Quality Management System (QMS).
The requirements (review, versioning, draft/sync) are perfectly met by using SharePoint Document Libraries within Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
The single most important feature that directly solves your problem is "Major and Minor Versioning."
Quickstart: The Core Solution
Use a SharePoint Document Library, which is the backend for the "Files" tab in Microsoft Teams. Do not just use a basic folder in OneDrive.
Go to your Team's SharePoint Site: In Teams, click the "Files" tab, then "Open in SharePoint."
Library Settings: In SharePoint, find the document library. Go to Settings > Library Settings > Versioning settings.
Enable Key Features:
Content Approval: Set "Require content approval for submitted items?" to Yes. This creates the "Review" step.
Versioning: Select "Create major and minor (draft) versions." This is the solution for your "draft vs. fixed" requirement.
Draft Item Security: Set who can see drafts. For QMS, you should select "Only users who can approve items (and the author of the item)." This ensures that regular staff only see the final, published, "fixed" version.
Best Practices for Your QMS Workflow
Here is how these settings translate into a practical, best-in-class workflow.
1. Understand "Major vs. Minor" Versioning (The "Draft" vs. "Fixed" Solution)
This is the central concept you need to implement.
Minor Versions (Drafts): These are your "drafts." They look like v1.1, v1.2, v1.3. When your team is co-authoring and syncing edits, they are creating new minor versions. These are not visible to general users.
Major Versions (Fixed/Published): These are your "fixed," official versions. They look like v1.0, v2.0, v3.0. This is the only version a general employee (a "reader") can see.
This system perfectly separates the "work-in-progress" draft from the officially approved document.
2. Leverage Co-Authoring for the Draft (The "Sync Editing" Solution)
Your team's "sync editing" happens exclusively on the draft (minor) version.
Workflow: An authorized user opens the last major version (e.g., v2.0). The moment they start editing, SharePoint automatically creates a new draft (e.g., v2.1).
Real-time Sync: Other authors can now open v2.1 and co-author in real-time using the desktop or online apps. Every time the document auto-saves, it might create v2.2, v2.3, etc.
Single Source of Truth: This prevents the chaos of creating "SOP_v2_draft_Johns-edits.docx" or "SOP_v2_draft_FINAL_use-this-one.docx". All edits happen in one place on the same file.
3. Use Content Approval Workflows (The "Review" Solution)
When the draft is ready, you don't just send an email. You use the formal approval process.
Submitting for Review: The document author finishes editing v2.7 (the draft) and formally "submits" it for approval.
Automated Notification: The designated approver (e.g., the Quality Manager or Department Head) receives an automated notification.
Review Process: The approver opens the draft, reviews it, and can either "Approve" or "Reject."
If Rejected: The document stays a draft, and the author is notified. The team works on it more (creating v2.8, v2.9).
If Approved: SharePoint automatically does two things:
Publishes: It converts the draft (e.g., v2.9) into the new "fixed" major version (e.g., v3.0).
Archives: It archives the old major version (v2.0) in the version history.
This process provides a full, timestamped audit trail for compliance, showing who approved the document and when.
4. Manage Permissions (The "Control" Solution)
A QMS library has three distinct roles. You must configure your permissions accordingly.
Readers (General Staff):
Permissions: Read-only.
What They See: Only the latest, "fixed" major versions (e.g., v1.0, v2.0). They cannot see drafts, rejected items, or older major versions.
Authors (Document Owners):
Permissions: Edit.
What They See: The latest major version and their own drafts.
Approvers (Quality Managers, Department Heads):
Permissions: Approve.
What They See: Everything. All major versions, all drafts (even from other authors), and all pending or rejected items.
Summary: Your Step-by-Step Document Lifecycle
Initiation: An authorized Author checks out the "fixed" v1.0 document for editing. SharePoint creates draft v1.1.
Collaboration: The Author and their team co-author the v1.1 draft. The document syncs in real-time, creating versions v1.2, v1.3, etc. During this entire time, general Readers can only see the old v1.0.
Review: The Author finishes the draft and submits it for approval.
Approval: The Approver receives a notification, reviews the final draft, and clicks "Approve."
Publishing: SharePoint automatically publishes the document as the new "fixed" v2.0.
Distribution: All Readers now automatically see v2.0 as the current, official document. The old v1.0 is kept in the version history for audits but is hidden from view.
Alternative Professional Tools
If your company has strict compliance needs (e.g., FDA 21 CFR Part 11 for medical devices) or you find SharePoint too manual, you would look at dedicated eQMS platforms.
Confluence: Since your company may use Jira, Confluence is a natural fit. It has strong built-in versioning, draft/publish states, and can be enhanced with apps for formal approvals and e-signatures.
Dedicated eQMS Software: (e.g., Veeva QualityDocs, MasterControl, Qualio). These are enterprise-grade, pre-validated systems built specifically for industries like pharma and medical devices. They are much more complex and expensive but enforce compliance automatically.
For 90% of businesses, the SharePoint "Major/Minor Versioning + Content Approval" workflow is the industry best practice.
References
Atlassian. "Document Management Process [Tools & Tips]." Confluence. Accessed October 24, 2025. https://www.atlassian.com/work-management/knowledge-sharing/document-management-process.
DocuWare. "The Ultimate Guide to Document Version Control." DocuWare Blog. Accessed October 24, 2025. https://start.docuware.com/blog/document-management/what-is-version-control-why-is-it-important.
Microsoft. "How versioning works in lists and libraries." Microsoft Support. Accessed October 24, 2025. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/how-versioning-works-in-lists-and-libraries-0f6cd105-974f-44a4-a5c2-1b122c2da9e4.
SharePoint Maven. "SharePoint Document Management Best Practices." SharePoint Maven. Accessed October 24, 2025. https://sharepointmaven.com/sharepoint-document-management-best-practices/.
Valto. "How an ISO 9001 QMS in SharePoint Benefits Your Business." Valto. Accessed October 24, 2025. https://valto.co.uk/blog/iso-9001-qms-in-sharepoint-2/.