Guide
Work Order Management Guide: From Request to Close
This guide covers how to manage work orders so requests are captured, prioritised, assigned and closed with a clear audit trail.
Work order management is the process of creating, assigning, executing and closing maintenance work orders. It ensures every job is logged, tracked and completed with the right information for history and reporting.
In this guide:
- What a work order is and why it matters
- Request, prioritisation and assignment
- Execution and completion
- Closeout and history
- Frequently asked questions
Table of contents
What is a work order?
- A work order is a formal record of a maintenance task: what to do, where, for which asset, who is responsible and the outcome.
- Work orders can be reactive (from a failure or request) or preventive (from a PM schedule).
- Consistent work orders give you a backlog, history per asset and data for reporting.
Request and prioritisation
- Requests can come from operators, tenants, inspections or automated alerts.
- Capture at least: requester, location or asset, description, priority.
- Prioritise by urgency, impact and SLA so the right work gets done first.
Execution and completion
- Assign work to technicians or teams; give them access to job details and asset history.
- Technicians update status, add notes and record parts and time as they work.
- Completion should include what was done, parts used and any follow-up needed.
Closeout and history
- ('id', 'closeout')
- ('heading', 'Closeout and history')
- ('paragraph', 'When the work order is closed, it becomes part of the asset and site history. Good closeout includes completion notes, labour and parts so you can analyse cost and patterns. Link follow-up work to the original order when needed.')
Practical steps
- Define a single place (form, app or CMMS) where all requests are logged.
- Set clear priorities and statuses so everyone knows what open and overdue mean.
- Assign work regularly; ensure technicians can see their queue and update status.
- Require completion notes and parts before closing; review for accuracy.
- Use work order history for asset decisions and reporting.
Who should read this
Maintenance coordinators, dispatchers and supervisors who want to improve how work is requested, assigned and completed.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a work order and a work request?
A work request is an ask for work (e.g. from a tenant or operator). A work order is the approved, assigned task that gets executed. In many systems, a request becomes a work order once it is approved and scheduled.
How do I reduce work order backlog?
Address backlog by prioritising (tackle critical and overdue first), adding capacity or contractors for peaks, and preventing new backlog by closing completed work and not letting low-priority work pile up without review.
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