Is an electronic signature legally valid?

Yes. Electronic signatures are legally binding under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. §7001) and UETA in most states when intent, consent, attribution, and retention are satisfied.

Do QMPs require notarization or witnesses?

Typically no; QMPs are contract or process documents. Notarization or witnesses are only needed if a contract or governing law specifically demands it.

How should I store signed QMPs for audits?

Retain signed copies in a secure, access-controlled repository with an immutable audit trail. Follow retention schedules noted earlier and produce records for audits on request.

What happens if signatory names don't match IDs?

Mismatched names can raise attribution problems. Use exact legal names, document authentication method, and store signer identity evidence to reduce disputes.

Can I update a QMP after approval?

Yes. Issue a controlled amendment or new revision with a revision history and require the same approval process and signatures as the original.

Which industries need extra controls?

Regulated sectors—healthcare, finance, and certain government contracts—require added privacy, auditability, or 21 CFR Part 11 controls; document these requirements in the QMP.

Electronic Signature
Templates
Miscellaneous
Quality Management Plan

Quality Management Plan

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN

This Quality Management Plan ("Plan") is entered into between Client Name: and Service Provider Name: effective as of (the "Effective Date").

WHEREAS

WHEREAS, Client requires certain goods and/or services described herein and seeks assurance that such goods and/or services will conform to defined quality standards and acceptance criteria; and

WHEREAS, Service Provider warrants that it maintains a quality management system consistent with industry practice and shall perform work in accordance with the Scope of Work, quality objectives, and procedures set forth in this Plan; and

WHEREAS, the parties desire to set forth their mutual commitments and procedures to manage quality, nonconformance, corrective action, document control, and acceptance of deliverables.

PROJECT IDENTIFICATION

Project / Contract Title Contract Number (if applicable)

SCOPE OF WORK

The Scope of Work specifies the deliverables, activities, and acceptance criteria to which the Service Provider must adhere. The Scope below shall be the primary reference for quality planning and verification.

QUALITY OBJECTIVES AND STANDARDS

The Service Provider shall meet the following quality objectives and standards. Objectives shall be measurable and auditable against the acceptance criteria referenced in the Scope of Work.

Applicable Quality Standards

ORGANIZATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The following roles are responsible for implementing and maintaining the Plan. Each named representative shall have authority to enforce quality activities described herein.

Client Authorized Representative Service Provider Quality Manager

QUALITY ASSURANCE ACTIVITIES

The Service Provider shall perform the following assurance activities to verify conformity and continual compliance with the Plan.

INSPECTION, TESTING AND ACCEPTANCE

Inspection and testing procedures, acceptance criteria, sampling methods, and reporting requirements are defined as follows. Nonconforming items shall be handled in accordance with the Corrective Action procedure below.

MONITORING, MEASUREMENT AND METRICS

NONCONFORMANCE AND CORRECTIVE ACTION

Nonconformances shall be documented, investigated, and resolved in a timely manner. Corrective actions shall include root cause analysis, containment, correction, and verification of effectiveness.

DOCUMENT CONTROL AND RECORDS

All quality records, drawings, procedures, and change notices shall be controlled, archived, and retained per the retention schedule below.

Record Retention Period Document Control Procedure Reference

CHANGE MANAGEMENT

PAYMENT TERMS

Compensation for work performed under this Plan shall be as follows.

Total Contract Amount Payment Schedule and Milestones Late Payment Fee

TERM AND TERMINATION

This Plan commences on Start Date: and continues until End Date: unless earlier terminated in accordance with this section.

Notice Period for Termination

Either party may terminate for material breach if the breaching party fails to cure within the notice period specified above after receipt of written notice describing the breach in reasonable detail. Termination does not relieve either party of obligations accrued prior to termination, including payment for conforming work performed.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Each party shall maintain in confidence any Confidential Information disclosed by the other party and shall not disclose such information to third parties except as required to perform its obligations under this Plan or as required by law. Confidential Information excludes information that is or becomes publicly available through no fault of the receiving party, independently developed by the receiving party without use of the disclosing party's Confidential Information, or lawfully received from a third party without confidentiality obligations.

Confidential Information Designations (if any)

GOVERNING LAW

This Plan shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction specified below, without regard to conflict of laws principles.

Governing Law (jurisdiction)

ENTIRE AGREEMENT

This Plan, together with any exhibits, attachments, and the referred Scope of Work, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter herein and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, proposals, and communications, whether written or oral. No amendment shall be effective unless in writing and signed by authorized representatives of both parties.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The undersigned representatives certify that they are authorized to execute this Plan on behalf of their respective parties and that the obligations set forth above represent binding commitments of their organizations.

Client — Printed Name:

By:

Date:

Service Provider — Printed Name:

By:

Date:

What a Quality Management Plan Is and when it applies

A Quality Management Plan (QMP) documents how an organization defines, measures, and maintains quality for a specific project, product, or service. It sets roles, responsibilities, quality objectives, acceptance criteria, inspection and test activities, corrective action procedures, and metrics used to confirm compliance. The QMP ties process controls to deliverables, records required evidence of conformance, and establishes review and audit schedules so stakeholders can verify quality over the project lifecycle.

Why a Quality Management Plan matters for predictable outcomes

A QMP reduces variability, documents expectations, and creates a defensible record for audits and regulatory review. It centralizes quality criteria and corrective processes so teams respond consistently to defects, change requests, or compliance checks.

Who typically prepares and relies on a Quality Management Plan

Signatories usually include the responsible quality manager, project sponsor, and any designated approving authority who accepts the plan and its metrics.

Project managers and quality leads who coordinate inspections, corrective actions, and supplier quality activities.
Regulated compliance teams in healthcare, manufacturing, and finance that must document controls for regulators and auditors.
Contract customers and procurement teams requiring documented acceptance criteria and inspection schedules.

Core sections every professional Quality Management Plan should include

A concise QMP groups legal, operational, and measurement items so reviewers can find responsibilities, metrics, and corrective actions quickly.

Scope

Define the plan's boundaries, affected systems or products, start and end dates, and exclusions so reviewers understand what the QMP governs and what it does not cover.

Objectives

List measurable quality objectives and acceptance criteria tied to performance indicators, tolerances, and pass/fail thresholds used during inspections and tests.

Roles

Assign clear responsibilities for quality assurance, inspection, corrective actions, and approval authorities with escalation paths and contact details.

Processes

Describe inspection, testing, sampling, and nonconformance procedures along with document control, versioning, and evidence capture processes.

Metrics

Specify KPIs, data sources, reporting frequency, and acceptable ranges for defect rates, test coverage, and on-time corrective action closure.

Records & Audits

Define required records, retention periods, internal audit cadence, corrective action tracking, and references to applicable standards or regulations.

Step-by-step: drafting and approving a Quality Management Plan

Follow a structured sequence to gather inputs, document controls, and secure necessary approvals before execution.

01

Gather Inputs: Collect contracts, specifications, and regulatory requirements.
02

Draft Plan: Populate scope, objectives, roles, and metrics.
03

Review and Revise: Circulate to stakeholders for technical and legal review.
04

Approve and Record: Obtain signatures, date the plan, and store in document controls.

Digital workflow settings to automate Quality Management Plan routing

Configure an electronic workflow to route drafts, request approvals, and capture signatures while preserving an audit trail.

Field	Configuration
Approval Order	Sequential signer order by role
Authentication	Email with optional SMS code
Reminders	Auto-reminders at 3 and 7 days
Archive Location	Controlled document repository

Typical eSubmission flow for a Quality Management Plan

A clear online signing flow reduces delays and ensures a verifiable audit trail for each approval step.

Upload: Sender uploads the QMP PDF or DOCX.
Prepare: Place signature, initial, and date fields.
Send: Assign signer emails and send for signature.
Complete: Signed copies and audit trail are produced.

Technical considerations for eSigning and storing the QMP

Verify the platform meets compliance needs such as HIPAA or 21 CFR Part 11 when applicable, and document the configuration for audits.

Integrations: CRM and document repositories
File Types: PDF, DOCX, and locked formats
Authentication: Email, SMS, or advanced methods

Key timelines and review deadlines within a Quality Management Plan

Define and record specific dates for plan delivery, periodic reviews, and corrective action deadlines to ensure compliance and traceability.

Initial Plan Delivery:

Due before project start or contract milestone.

Periodic Review:

Quarterly or annually as specified.

Nonconformance Response:

Containment within 72 hours; root cause analysis within 15 days.

Corrective Action Closure:

Verify and close within agreed timeframe.

Audit Window:

Plan and records must be available during audits.

Milestone timeline for Quality Management Plan approval and execution

A sequential milestone view clarifies responsibilities and shows when the plan becomes enforceable.

01

Draft Completion

Complete initial draft and attach supporting documents.

02

Internal Review

Quality and project teams review and propose edits.

03

Formal Approval

Authorized approvers sign and date the plan.

04

Execution & Monitoring

Implement procedures and begin metric collection.

Common preparation errors to avoid

Unclear scope that omits subcontractor obligations, causing disputes during inspection or delivery.
Vague quality objectives lacking measurable thresholds, which prevent objective acceptance testing.
Missing approval signatures or inconsistent signatory names, leading to attribution problems during audits.
Poor record linkage between nonconformance reports and corrective action evidence, delaying closure and trending analysis.

Practical risks and consequences of an inadequate Quality Management Plan

Regulatory Fines: Potential agency penalties

Contractual Liability: Breach claims and damages

Project Delays: Extended timelines and costs

Product Recalls: Remediation and reputational harm

Audit Findings: Corrective actions required

Loss of Certification: ISO or industry credential risk

Suggested technical and compliance controls for QMP records

Encryption: AES-256 at rest

Transport Security: TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit

Audit Trail: Signed event logs retained

Access Controls: Role-based permissions

Regulatory Compliance: HIPAA BAA available

Certifications: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001

Real-world examples illustrating plan benefits and execution

Two concise case summaries show how organizations used a QMP to improve clarity, compliance, and execution.

Martin Properties

A small property management firm standardized inspections across locations to reduce disputes.

Implementation centralized checklists and nonconformance tracking.
The plan allowed the team to execute remote inspections, document acceptance consistently, and resolve tenant issues faster while preserving audit evidence.

Fertility Centers of Illinois

A healthcare provider formalized quality controls for patient-facing processes.

The QMP included privacy controls and versioned consent forms.
Documented procedures and retention schedules supported HIPAA compliance and simplified internal and external audits for clinical programs.

Comparing common eSignature options for executing a Quality Management Plan

Platform pricing and features affect cost and compliance. signNow is listed first for comparison; verify plan details with each vendor prior to procurement.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day free trial	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No

Frequently asked questions about Quality Management Plans and eSigning

Answers to common legal, procedural, and technical questions when creating, signing, and storing a Quality Management Plan.

Need help? Contact support

Is an electronic signature legally valid?
Yes. Electronic signatures are legally binding under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. §7001) and UETA in most states when intent, consent, attribution, and retention are satisfied.
Do QMPs require notarization or witnesses?
Typically no; QMPs are contract or process documents. Notarization or witnesses are only needed if a contract or governing law specifically demands it.
How should I store signed QMPs for audits?
Retain signed copies in a secure, access-controlled repository with an immutable audit trail. Follow retention schedules noted earlier and produce records for audits on request.
What happens if signatory names don't match IDs?
Mismatched names can raise attribution problems. Use exact legal names, document authentication method, and store signer identity evidence to reduce disputes.
Can I update a QMP after approval?
Yes. Issue a controlled amendment or new revision with a revision history and require the same approval process and signatures as the original.
Which industries need extra controls?
Regulated sectors—healthcare, finance, and certain government contracts—require added privacy, auditability, or 21 CFR Part 11 controls; document these requirements in the QMP.

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