A Work Request is a formal submission from a non-maintenance user - such as a tenant, building occupant, department head, or site manager - to report an issue, request a repair, or ask for a service. Unlike a work order (which is created and managed by maintenance staff), a work request originates from the end user and enters a review/approval workflow before becoming actionable maintenance work. This separation ensures that maintenance teams control their workload while providing a structured intake channel for the entire organization.
Key points
- Submitted by non-maintenance users (tenants, occupants, departments) through a portal or form
- Enters a review workflow: Submitted → Approved → Converted to Work Order (or Rejected)
- Different from a work order - work requests require approval before becoming scheduled work
- Priority levels (Low, Medium, High, Critical) help maintenance teams triage incoming requests
- CMMS automates the conversion from approved work request to work order with pre-populated data
Work Request vs Work Order
The distinction is critical in maintenance management: a work request is a submission asking for something to be done, while a work order is an authorization for work to be performed. Work requests come from anyone in the organization; work orders are created by maintenance staff. A work request may be rejected (duplicate, not warranted, already scheduled) or approved and converted into one or more work orders. This gatekeeping function prevents maintenance teams from being overwhelmed by unfiltered requests and ensures work is properly scoped before resources are committed.
Work Request Workflow
A typical work request workflow has four stages: (1) Submitted - the requester describes the issue, selects a location, and assigns a priority. (2) Under Review - maintenance staff evaluates the request, may ask for clarification, and determines the appropriate response. (3) Approved or Rejected - approved requests are converted into work orders with assigned technicians and target dates; rejected requests include a reason so the requester understands the decision. (4) Converted - the work request links to its resulting work order, providing traceability from initial report through completion.
Benefits of Structured Intake
Organizations that route all maintenance requests through a formal work request system see several benefits: no more lost requests (every submission is tracked), reduced interruptions (technicians receive assigned work orders instead of ad hoc phone calls), data capture (every request records who submitted it, when, where, and why), trend identification (repeated requests for the same asset or location signal systemic issues), and accountability (requesters can track the status of their submissions without calling the maintenance office).
Work Requests in CMMS
Modern CMMS platforms provide a dedicated work request portal that non-maintenance users can access without needing full system access. Requesters submit through a simplified form (location, description, priority, optional photo), and maintenance staff review submissions in a queue. Approved requests auto-populate a new work order with the request details, location, and requester information. The requester receives status notifications as the resulting work order progresses from assignment through completion.
Intake Channels
Different reporters need different ways in. People who report often benefit from an account where they can follow their requests, while the public and occasional reporters are better served by channels that need no login. In AssetLab, every channel lands in the same review queue as Pending Review:
- Requester portal: people with the Requester role sign in with an emailed one-time code, choose what needs attention, then where it is, then describe it. My requests shows each one's progress from submitted to completed, and Messages gathers every conversation with a count of unread replies.
- Request form on your own website: a short snippet pasted into your site, so residents and visitors can report an issue with no account.
- Intake email addresses: dedicated addresses where the subject becomes the title and the body the description, with no account needed.
- Photos in conversations: staff and requesters can attach photos to messages on a request, and the conversation and its photos carry over to the work order once the request is converted.
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