Work orders are the backbone of field service operations. A well-managed work order system ensures the right technician shows up at the right place, with the right tools, at the right time.
What Is a Work Order?
A work order is a formal request for maintenance, repair, or service work. It contains all the information needed to complete a job:
- What needs to be done
- Where the work is located
- Who is assigned to do it
- When it needs to be completed
- What parts or tools are required
The Work Order Lifecycle
1. Creation
Work orders can originate from multiple sources: customer requests, automated maintenance schedules, inspection findings, or IoT sensor alerts. The key is capturing complete information upfront to avoid delays later.
2. Prioritization
Not all work orders are equal. Implement a clear prioritization system:
- Emergency: Safety hazards or complete equipment failure
- High: Significant impact on operations
- Medium: Degraded performance but operational
- Low: Routine maintenance and improvements
3. Assignment
Match work orders to technicians based on:
- Skills and certifications
- Geographic proximity
- Current workload and availability
- Parts and tools on their vehicle
4. Execution
The technician performs the work, documenting:
- Time spent on each task
- Parts used
- Photos of completed work
- Any additional issues discovered
5. Completion and Review
Once completed, work orders should be reviewed for:
- Quality of work performed
- Accuracy of time and parts documentation
- Customer satisfaction
- Opportunities for improvement
Best Practices
Standardize your templates: Create work order templates for common job types. This ensures consistent information capture and speeds up creation.
Set clear SLAs: Define response and resolution timeframes for each priority level. Track compliance and address patterns of missed SLAs.
Enable mobile access: Technicians should be able to view, update, and complete work orders from their mobile device. Paper-based systems create delays and data entry errors.
Automate where possible: Recurring maintenance, follow-up work orders, and status notifications should be automated to reduce administrative burden.