Work orders are essential tools in various industries, providing a structured method to assign, track, and complete tasks efficiently. Whether in manufacturing, maintenance, or service-oriented sectors, work orders help ensure that operations run smoothly, and resources are utilized effectively. This comprehensive guide will explore everything you need to know about work orders, from their types and lifecycle to best practices and the right mobile maintenance solution that works best for your organization.
Overview:
What is a Work Order?
A work order is a comprehensive document that encompasses all the necessary details pertaining to maintenance tasks. It serves as a vital tool in planning and managing maintenance activities, ensuring that each task is meticulously outlined and assigned. This document not only specifies the nature and scope of the work to be done but also includes critical information such as the required materials, tools, labor, and safety precautions. By providing a structured process for completing these tasks, a work order helps streamline operations, improve efficiency, and ensure that maintenance activities are carried out systematically and effectively.
Components of a Work Order
A typical work order contains several key components to ensure tasks are carried out efficiently and effectively. These components include:
- Work Order Number: A unique identifier for tracking and reference.
- Description of Work: Detailed outline of the tasks to be performed.
- Materials Required: List of necessary materials and parts.
- Labor Requirements: Information on the personnel needed, including skills and hours.
- Tools and Equipment: Specifications of tools and machinery required.
- Priority Level: Indication of the urgency or importance of the task.
- Scheduled Dates: Start and completion dates for the task.
- Location: Where the work will be performed.
- Safety Instructions: Any safety protocols or precautions to be observed.
- Approval and Sign-off: Sections for authorization and completion verification.
These components ensure that work orders provide clear and comprehensive instructions for maintenance, production, or service tasks, facilitating smooth operations and compliance with standards.
Five Types of Work Orders
Having understood what a work order is, let’s now briefly discuss about the type of work orders that are most commonly used in maintenance and other operations. Work orders can be categorized into several types based on their specific purposes:
1. Maintenance Work Orders
These are used for routine maintenance tasks to ensure equipment and facilities remain in optimal working condition. They can be preventive (scheduled maintenance to prevent failures), predictive (based on data-driven insights), or corrective (fixing issues as they arise).
2. Repair Work Orders
As the name indicates, these work orders are Initiated when equipment or infrastructure requires fixing due to a malfunction or damage. These orders detail the issue, necessary repairs, and resources needed to minimize downtime.
3. Service Work Orders
Common in customer service industries, these orders outline tasks needed to provide services to customers, such as installations, troubleshooting, and support. Work orders in these contexts ensure that all necessary steps are documented and followed to maintain service quality and efficiency. They help coordinate resources, track job progress, and ensure that customer requests are addressed promptly and accurately. This systematic approach not only enhances customer satisfaction but also allows businesses to monitor performance metrics and identify areas for improvement in service delivery.
4. Inspection Work Orders
As the name indicates, these orders schedule regular inspections of equipment, facilities, or processes to ensure they meet safety standards and regulatory requirements. Such inspections are crucial for maintaining operational integrity and preventing potential hazards. These orders are essential for safety and compliance, as they help identify and rectify issues before they escalate into major problems. Regular inspections also ensure that the equipment and facilities are functioning optimally, which can reduce downtime, improve efficiency, and extend the lifespan of assets. Moreover, adhering to regulatory requirements through these scheduled inspections helps organizations avoid legal penalties and maintain a safe working environment for employees.
5. Production Work Orders
In manufacturing, these orders play a crucial role in initiating and tracking the production process. They detail the specific materials, labor, and equipment necessary to produce a product, ensuring that each step is clearly outlined and followed. This comprehensive approach helps streamline production, optimize resource use, and maintain consistent quality throughout the manufacturing process. By clearly defining the requirements and steps, these orders facilitate efficient and organized production operations, contributing to overall productivity and effectiveness.
Why Use Work Orders?
Work orders provide several benefits, including:
- Organization: They help organize tasks and resources efficiently.
- Tracking: They enable tracking of progress and performance.
- Accountability: They assign responsibility to specific individuals or teams.
- Documentation: They provide a detailed record of work performed, useful for audits and future reference.
- Efficiency: They streamline workflows, reducing downtime and improving productivity.
Lifecycle of a Work Order
The lifecycle of a work order involves several stages such as:
- Identifying the task
- Submitting a work request
- Evaluating a work request
- Creating a work order
- Approving a work order
- Scheduling a work order
- Executing a work order
- Completing and reviewing a work order
- Closing a work order
1. Identifying the Task
In the initial stage of the work order lifecycle, an individual or organization identifies the tasks that need to be completed by the maintenance team. They also determine if these tasks fall under planned maintenance, which involves jobs that can be anticipated and scheduled in advance, or unplanned maintenance, which requires an initial evaluation to define the scope and specifics of the work. This assessment helps in organizing and prioritizing the necessary maintenance activities accordingly.
2. Submitting a Work Request
After identifying maintenance issues, a manager documents the specifics in a work order request form and submits it to the maintenance department for review and approval. These work requests can stem from various sources, including tenant complaints or findings from preventive maintenance audits. By clearly detailing the issues and required actions, the manager ensures that the maintenance team can efficiently address and prioritize the tasks at hand, thereby maintaining optimal operational functionality and safety.
3. Evaluating a Work Request
The maintenance department, or maintenance team, is tasked with assessing work requests upon submission. They meticulously review the specifics of each request to determine the feasibility of completing the work. Following this evaluation, they identify the necessary personnel and resources required for the job. Once the request is approved, it is formally transformed into a work order. This process ensures that all maintenance tasks are carefully planned and resourced, facilitating efficient and effective execution.
4. Creating a Work Order
After the maintenance team or supervisor approves the service request and assigns the required materials, equipment, and personnel, a work order is generated. This work order encompasses all the essential job details, including company contact information and the completion deadline. Additionally, the maintenance team must determine the priority of the new work order within the existing workflow.
5. Approving a Work Order
Once the work order has been generated, it must undergo an approval process to ensure the task is justified and resources are appropriate. This involves reviewing the scope of the job, verifying the availability and allocation of materials and equipment, and confirming that the assigned staff have the necessary skills and availability. The approval process may include input from multiple stakeholders, such as department heads or senior management, to validate the necessity and priority of the task. Only after obtaining these necessary approvals can the work order proceed to the execution stage.
6. Scheduling a Work Order
Once the work order has been approved, the next step is to assign the task to specific personnel and set a timeframe for completion. This process involves selecting the appropriate team members based on their skills, experience, and current workload. The assigned personnel are provided with detailed instructions, including the job scope, required materials, and any safety protocols to follow. Additionally, a clear timeframe is established to ensure the task is completed efficiently and aligns with overall project timelines. Effective communication and coordination are essential during this stage to ensure everyone involved understands their responsibilities and the expected completion date.
7. Executing a Work Order
Once the work order has been scheduled, the next step is carrying out the tasks as outlined in the work order. This begins with the assigned personnel gathering all necessary materials, tools, and equipment required for the job. The team then follows the detailed instructions provided in the work order, ensuring that each task is performed according to the specified standards and procedures. Throughout the execution process, team members must adhere to all safety protocols to prevent accidents and ensure a safe working environment.
Regular progress checks and communication among team members help to identify and address any issues or adjustments needed in real-time. Documentation of the work performed, including any deviations or unforeseen challenges, is essential for maintaining accurate records. Upon completion, a thorough review and inspection are conducted to ensure the work meets all quality and performance criteria, concluding the execution phase.
8. Completing and Reviewing a Work Order
Once the work order has been executed, the next step is verifying that all tasks are completed correctly and meet the required standards. This involves a thorough inspection and review of the work performed to ensure every aspect aligns with the specifications outlined in the work order.
The responsible personnel must check for quality, accuracy, and compliance with safety and regulatory standards. Any discrepancies or issues identified during this verification process should be addressed promptly, ensuring the final output meets the desired criteria. Detailed documentation of the inspection findings and any corrective actions taken is essential for maintaining comprehensive records. Finally, a formal sign-off from the supervisor or maintenance manager confirms that the work order has been successfully completed, and the job is officially closed.
9. Closing a Work Order
This is the final stage in the work order lifecycle process. A work order that is completed need to pass through the final stage of closure. This process includes updating records to reflect the completion status and logging all relevant information for future reference. The closure process involves verifying that all tasks have been finished to the required standards and ensuring that any discrepancies noted during the verification process have been resolved.
Detailed documentation should be maintained, including notes on the work performed, materials used, time taken, and any issues encountered. This information is essential for future audits, maintenance planning, and performance evaluations. Additionally, feedback from the personnel involved can be recorded to identify potential improvements in processes and practices. Once all data has been accurately logged and reviewed, the work order is officially closed in the system, and any necessary notifications are sent to relevant stakeholders, signaling the successful completion of the job.
The above stages of a work order lifecycle are quite comprehensive that may involve a lot of manual work and paper-based records. However, to make the lives of the maintenance personnel easier, an organization can opt for a mobile work order management solution (WMS) that can mitigate and reduce most of the paperwork, while ensuring transparency and accuracy at every stage of the work order lifecycle. Before we delve into detail the role of a mobile WMS in optimizing the work order management process, let’s understand some of the best practices that can be adopted to effectively manage work orders for any organization.
Best Practices for Managing Work Orders
Some of the best practices to successfully manage work orders are outlined below:
- Set measurable objectives
- Uniformize the work order procedures
- Track progress
- Communicate clearly
- Review and update regularly
Set Measurable Objectives
Define objectives and determine how to assess achievements. To evaluate whether the work order process is operating effectively for your organization, it’s essential to set departmental objectives. Choose the indicators you will use to track your advancement toward these objectives. Additionally, it is crucial to grasp your key performance indicators (KPIs) so that the department can identify which aspects of the process require measurement.
Uniformize the Work Order Procedures
Uniformize the work order procedure. The method for submitting a work request, creating new work orders, and closing out completed work orders should remain consistent for everyone involved. Create a standardized work order template to maintain uniformity in formatting and content throughout the organization. Additionally, clearly outline roles and responsibilities to ensure that all participants understand their accountability for each stage of the process.
Track progress
Leverage advanced software tools to effectively track the progress of work orders. These tools provide real-time updates on the status of each work order, enabling you to monitor ongoing tasks, identify any delays, and assess completion rates. By utilizing these software solutions, you can streamline the workflow, improve transparency, and make data-driven decisions to enhance overall efficiency.
Regularly reviewing the progress data helps in identifying trends, addressing bottlenecks, and ensuring that resources are allocated effectively to meet deadlines and maintain operational standards. Towards this end, leverage a mobile WMS that seamlessly connects with your in-house ERP system like Oracle or SAP to automate the entire work order management process – right from work order creation, scheduling to final tracking and completion of the work order.
Communicate Clearly
Ensure clear communication among all stakeholders involved in the work order process. This includes providing detailed instructions, setting clear expectations, and maintaining open channels of dialogue throughout the lifecycle of each work order. Effective communication helps prevent misunderstandings, reduces errors, and ensures that everyone is aligned on project goals and timelines. Utilize tools such as collaborative platforms, status update meetings, and regular progress reports to facilitate this exchange of information. By fostering transparent and continuous communication, you enhance coordination, improve response times, and ensure that any issues are addressed promptly and efficiently.
Review and Update Regularly
Regularly review and update work order processes to enhance operational efficiency and adapt to changing needs. Conduct periodic evaluations of the current workflows, procedures, and systems to identify areas for improvement and address any inefficiencies. Gather feedback from team members and stakeholders to understand pain points and incorporate their insights into process adjustments. Updating work order procedures may involve refining templates, adjusting roles and responsibilities, or integrating new technologies. By consistently revisiting and improving these processes, you ensure that they remain relevant, effective, and aligned with organizational goals, ultimately leading to smoother operations and increased productivity.
Implementing the aforementioned best practices within an organization can significantly contribute to the assurance of work order quality and the subsequent timely completion of tasks, adhering to the established quality standards. In this regard, automation can play a vital role in catalyzing the adoption of these practices, while saving a lot of time and resources in performing cumbersome manual tasks.
The next section throws light on the importance of a mobile ERP maintenance (work order) solution in optimizing the work order execution process.
Role of a Mobile ERP Maintenance Solution
A mobile ERP maintenance solution offer several advantages over centralized, desktop-based systems as follows:
- Accessibility: Allows access to work order information from anywhere, improving response times.
- Real-time updates: Provides real-time updates on work order status and progress.
- Improved communication: Facilitates better communication between team members and departments.
- Efficiency: Streamlines workflows and reduces downtime, leading to increased productivity.
In the above context, look for a good mobile WMS that is affordable, customizable and above all closely fits into your unique organizational requirements. One solution that is creating a lot of buzz among the maintenance circles due to its affordability and its cutting-edge features is Propel Apps’ mobile WMS. This solution leverages the power of your in-house Oracle or SAP ERP systems to transform your plant maintenance and asset management operations.
In other words, to maximize Oracle EAM, Fusion Cloud or SAP investments, your business must equip maintenance technicians with digital tools like Propel Apps’ Mobile EAM for seamless work order management and other maintenance tasks. This way, your organization workforce will have instant access to work orders, asset history, and additional information such as notes, pictures, and location. This enables more effective communication and decision-making on the go. To know more about this solution and how it can optimize your maintenance operations, schedule a call with us for a free demo.
Final Thoughts
Work orders are crucial for managing tasks and resources efficiently across various industries. By understanding their types, lifecycle, and best practices, organizations can improve their workflows and achieve better operational outcomes. Embracing modern solutions like mobile ERP maintenance systems can further enhance work order management, paving the way for future advancements and increased productivity.
