What Is a Work Order and How Does It Benefit an Organization?

A work order is the heart of maintenance operations. It is a note containing all the information and instructions required to carry out a maintenance task(preventive) or a clear description of the problem statement(corrective).With the advancement in operations paper-based work orders are now being replaced with powerful digital work orders.This article delves into the key aspects of work orders, their types, and the advantages of crafting digital work orders using a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS).

Who creates work orders?

• Any staff member, customer, service engineer, anonymous visitor, or facility manager can submit a service request. 
• This can be done by filling out the fields in the work order form or just scanning the QR code pasted on the asset.
• Using CMMS software to submit service requests is mutually beneficial as the user can portray the issue easily, clearly, and completely. 
• The technicians can also provide meaningful and well-informed fixes and prove their contention with multimedia illustrations.
• The service request gets converted to a work order once the maintenance supervisor or facility manager approves it!

What does a work order contain?

A digital work order formalizes tasks by detailing all the information needed for workflow and understanding the task on hand. It holds the following information:

• Equipment name and id(Usually with a link to asset profile)
• Nature of the job
• Assignee(s)
• Digital checklists with manuals
• Expected outcomes

What is the use of a work order?

A work order serves to:

Organize tasks and set the momentum for execution.

Set clear expectations on time frames and sequence of execution

Provide work instructions and allocate resources.

Stores data on task priority, assets, labor, and costs for improved expense management.

What are the various stages of Work Order?

A digital work order created in a CMMS platform involves these steps:

1. Task Identification: Decide on the task sequence under the PPM schedule.
2. Build checklists: If the CMMS supports GenAI, auto-generate digital checklists based on the task.
3. Annex files: Include manuals, flowcharts, and circuit diagrams wherever necessary to illustrate work instructions.
4. Approval: Submit the work request for approval of facility managers.
5. Task Assignment: Auto-assign the tasks or manually assign technicians based on real-time visibility of technician availability and workload.
6. Real-time notification: The concerned technician is notified via mobile app and SMS on task assignments.
7. Task Execution: Techs carry out the tasks in line with the SLAs and record the results.
8. Closure: Mark the job as completed or as “fixed on trial” or hand it over to a different department.
9. Analysis: Post-completion, analyze the work order for planning training and continuous improvement.

What are the different types of work orders?

1. Standard Work Order: Includes non-critical tasks such as painting walls, equipment setup, or electrical replacements.
2. Preventive Work Order: Focuses on routine inspection, lubrication, and other scheduled maintenance tasks.

It intends to decrease the instances of major repairs and restrain maintenance expenses.

3. Reactive/Emergency Work Order: Addresses urgent repairs for assets or hazards that pose serious safety concerns.

An emergency work order records, tracks, and logs any unscheduled work.

4. Corrective Work Order: Arises from inspections or breakdowns, addressing issues that require planned repairs that are not of high priority.
5. Custom Work Orders: Tailored for unique organizational needs for the flexibility element in addressing specialized tasks.

What are the benefits of using work orders?

Implementing work orders through an organized CMMS system has several benefits:

• Centralized task requests, ensuring every work order is given due attention.
• Ensures on-time task scheduling and execution.
• Helps tame labor and material expenses with accurate work estimates.
• Leans toward asset longevity, reduced downtime, and improved equipment performance.
• Inclines toward a higher degree of regulatory compliance and employee safety
• Track technician’s travel via Geo Location Tracking and Attendance.
• Streamline workflows and accelerate tasks via remote & centralized tracking
• Improve customer service and capture customer feedback & ratings.
• Minimizes paperwork & reduces the maintenance backlog.

How do I use work orders?

Digital work orders are used to streamline and organize tasks effectively in the following ways:

Task Definition: The task definition states the scope, nature, and details of a maintenance task.

Authorization: While converting service requests to work orders, authorize specific user groups to perform the tasks.

Assignment: Assign responsibilities to specific technicians based on skill set, experience, current workload insights, and proximity to the work site.

Checklists: Auto-generate or draft clear, complete, and simple step-by-step instructions accessible via mobile app.

Resources: Mention the required spares, tools, and resources(manuals or troubleshooting guides).

Timeline: Define service level agreements(SLA) and link each task in the work order to an SLA for driving work.

Real-time notification: Digital work orders are associated with real-time notifications so that every comment is in tune with current progress.

Analysis: Evaluate performance on work orders using the archive records on centralized cloud servers and optimize maintenance processes.

Digital transformation of maintenance is a significant milestone in ensuring smooth day-to-day operations and seamless production. Start automating maintenance scheduling and work order assignment to execute thousands of work orders without any financial or mental strain.Get on-the-go updates for the flexibility to oversee the big picture of maintenance, manage and minimize expenses, and remain compliant.

Conclusion:

A structured work order system enhances efficiency, accountability, and performance across departments. With Keepwisely, organizations can simplify and automate their work order process ensuring real-time tracking, timely execution, and improved maintenance workflows. Choose Keepwisely to optimize operations, reduce downtime, and drive smarter facility management decisions.