Work Order
A Work Order (WO) is a document that authorizes, describes, and tracks a maintenance task from creation through completion. Work orders capture essential information including the work to be performed, the asset involved, assigned technicians, required parts, labor hours, and completion details. In CMMS software, work orders are the primary unit of work tracking and provide the data foundation for maintenance analytics.
Key Points
- Authorizes and documents maintenance work to be performed
- Tracks labor, parts, costs, and completion details
- Can originate from work requests, PM schedules, or direct creation
- Progresses through statuses: Open, In Progress, On Hold, Completed
- Provides historical data for asset maintenance records
Types of Work Orders
Preventive Maintenance (PM)
Automatically generated work orders from scheduled maintenance programs. Triggered by time intervals, usage metrics, or condition thresholds.
Corrective Maintenance
Work orders created to address failures or deficiencies. Can be emergency (reactive) or planned corrective work identified during inspections.
Emergency/Breakdown
High-priority work orders for urgent issues requiring immediate attention. Typically created from work requests or direct technician input.
Project/Capital
Work orders for major repairs, renovations, or capital improvements that may span multiple days and involve multiple tasks.
Work Order Lifecycle
A typical work order progresses through these statuses:
- Requested: Initial request submitted (may require approval)
- Open: Approved and ready to be assigned
- Assigned: Technician(s) assigned to the work
- In Progress: Work has started
- On Hold: Waiting for parts, approval, or other dependencies
- Completed: Work finished, details documented
- Closed: Reviewed and archived
Key Work Order Information
- Asset/Location: What equipment or area the work relates to
- Problem/Task: Description of what needs to be done
- Priority: Urgency level (Emergency, High, Medium, Low)
- Assigned To: Technician(s) responsible for the work
- Parts: Materials and spare parts needed
- Labor: Time spent and labor costs
- Due Date: When work should be completed
- Notes: Instructions, findings, and completion details
Work Order Analytics
Work order data provides valuable insights for maintenance management. Key metrics include: work order completion rate, average time to complete, backlog levels, planned vs. unplanned work ratio, and cost per work order. CMMS software aggregates this data to identify trends, optimize resources, and support continuous improvement.
Streamline Work Orders with AssetLab
AssetLab provides the tools you need to put these concepts into practice with Canadian data residency and CAD pricing.