Work Order Management Systems: Best Features and Top Providers

Work orders are a natural part of maintenance operations in manufacturing plants.

When it comes to preventative maintenance, work order requests are assigned to a specific team member, who then carries out the maintenance work on the machine in question.

In the past, work orders were written out by hand. However, today’s technological advancements mean that plant and facility managers can take advantage of systems and software to ease the process while going digital.

As such, a work order system is a type of platform that all assigned team members can access to track, assign and monitor work orders. Meanwhile, strategies are put in place to ensure preventive maintenance is carried out in the most streamlined manner possible.

With this system, data is organised through a single, central dashboard. This makes the entire process more efficient and minimises downtime. As part of a CMMS, it results in great benefits for organisations that are looking for innovative ways to manage their resources better in a timely and automated manner.

All it takes is a few clicks for a work order to be created, approved and dispatched to the right person.

Work order or task management is used across a broad range of industries.

In particular, work order management system software is especially beneficial for organisations whose physical infrastructure, such as machines (even across various facilities at different locations), is integral to operations.

Some examples of these industries include:

• Manufacturing and production plants
• Government and public works
• Restaurants
• Property management
• Transportation
• Power generation/Energy and utilities
• Oil and gas production
• Schools and higher education
• Fleet management
• Food and beverage manufacturing
• Facility management
• Farming and agriculture
• Healthcare
• Hospitality
• Gyms and fitness centres
• Construction 
• And others

Systems that handle work order management and work order tracking are equipped with a wide variety of features. Among the most common ones are the following:

Work order scheduling

Every plant manager in a manufacturing facility knows the importance of preventive maintenance. It prevents and minimises downtime, and it ensures expensive machines do not require frequent and costly repairs.

This type of maintenance is proactive in nature and requires work to be done on a machine before it breaks down. In such cases, an accurate maintenance schedule for work orders is a must.

However, keeping track of multiple machines and their maintenance requirements can be a challenging task. Plant managers can easily schedule preventive maintenance tasks and work orders by assigning them to their teams through this software.

They can do this in an automated way and team members will immediately be notified of the work order. In addition, it can help them stay on schedule and anticipate the next task, whether they are on the floor or in another facility at a different location.

Work order management

Managing maintenance work orders is akin to a juggling act. A plant manager needs to keep an eye on multiple tasks simultaneously, track work and ensure each one is executed properly within the allotted time.

Through such a system, they can create a calendar to indicate what maintenance work needs to be done, when and by whom. In addition, this scheduling contains a single dashboard through which to view all tasks in the pipeline.

Managing work orders therefore becomes easier because managers know who is working on what at any given moment. This gives them a quick bird’s eye view of all work requests as well as an optimal distribution of human resources and teams.

Furthermore, it’s also possible to monitor inventory and spare parts levels to ensure that the task is carried out without interruptions to the process flow.

Work cards

Every team member on your maintenance team needs to know exactly what they will be working on and when.

With a work order system, managers can issue digital work cards to assist them. These work cards specify the machine to be worked on, when maintenance should be done and more.

Once the maintenance task is completed, the team member can fill in the work card and send it back to the manager. Work cards can be signed off as complete and they also provide a history of the work done. This aids in building a knowledge base for other team members who will work on the same machine in the future.

Further to this, work cards can be collected and centralised for analysis and reporting purposes. As such, they play a key role in strategising for the future benefit of the organisation. Specifically, strategising can be done as part of the management process based on the time taken to complete a maintenance task and what parts were used in relation to maintenance costs.

Assigning work tasks

Preventive maintenance teams comprise professionals who can ensure that a machine is maintained properly at the right time. Different machines may require a different set of expertise.

When a plant manager assigns a task through the system, they need to be aware of the team member’s availability and skill set to ensure that no faults arise. A task system facilitates this process because its dashboard enables managers to see who is available and whether they are suited for the task.

Additionally, they can schedule recurring and periodic tasks in advance so that the right team member knows what to work on. This keeps teams organised at maximum efficiency for the ultimate purpose of reducing machine downtime and preventing larger, costlier and more complex breakdowns.

Inventory control

Inventory management is an indispensable part of work order management. But if your organisation is still doing inventory control manually, you may have realised that it’s costing you a lot of time and resources.

When you choose a centralised system, you will have your list of inventory available at a glance through a dashboard. Controlling what stock leaves and enters your storeroom, as well as which of your machines are and aren’t in working order, is an important step to take.

When your inventory list is imported into a CMMS, it can be managed much more efficiently. With this system, you can also help your team speed up maintenance activities as opposed to waiting for spare parts to arrive, leaving everyone involved idle.

Through a centralised system, your tasks are automatically aligned with your inventory which means you can introduce greater efficiencies in your processes.

Work order notifications

Another advantage is that every relevant party is connected through a mobile work order. Every time there is an update on the system, these individuals receive a notification in real time for better work order processing and tracking.

When this is the case, task management becomes much faster and more efficient because everyone knows what to do at any given moment through clear maintenance requests. Facility and plant managers can track maintenance as well as receive up-to-date data about the completion of tasks. They will also know who is responsible for the latter and what spare parts are needed and will be taken out of inventory. Additionally, they will get instant information about which machine is going to be worked on, how long the maintenance process took to complete and so much more.

Also available through this system are work history, invoices and other information related to the particular work order to streamline maintenance and maintenance programs.

You need to make a careful choice when looking at different systems to handle your work order management. Your decision-making process should be determined by various factors so that you choose the best for your organisation. Below is our selection of top performers offering such systems.

Fabrico

With Fabrico’s CMMS software system, preventive maintenance becomes a breeze through streamlined schedule work. The platform’s task management and work cards system enables organisations to minimise downtime and prolong asset lifespan.

What’s more, the migration and integration of data from your old manual system to the new digital system takes place in as little as one day. You will receive all the software help you need. Moreover, the platform is extremely intuitive, meaning that your managers and team members will use it with ease.

Just a few of the benefits of Fabrico’s system include:

• Generating recurring tasks
• Smart scheduling of task frequency
• Ability to view all periodic tasks
• Analysing data via dedicated reports
• Checking your annual preventive maintenance plan
• And much more

When you are ready to make your decision, choosing Fabrico is your best bet. Getting in touch with our helpful and experienced team is straightforward. Simply leave your details by filling out this form.

Fiix

Fiix’s CMMS enables users to track their work orders through a single dashboard. Through it, managers can observe who is working on what task at any given time. Importing work order information can be done in a few clicks, and work orders can be designed in a way that streamlines your audit processes.

In addition, Fiix’s system can help you automatically create work order triggers based on an asset’s condition. The mobile app is making the process even smoother. It enables push notifications about when a task should be completed. This way, your team will always be at the right place at the right time.

Finally, searching for work orders is possible through the dashboard’s history functionality. Meanwhile, you can also generate analytics and reports for better insights and strategic decision-making.

UpKeep

UpKeep is another CMMS provider offering a system for task management. Work orders can be managed on the go through a mobile app. Additionally, you’ll be able to take advantage of real-time reporting and analytics and get immediate access to work order information.

This work order software enables users to filter by a technician, location, due date, status and priority level. It is also possible to create automatic tasks with PDFs attached to make the technician’s job easier. Other documents you can attach for greater accuracy include photos or videos.

The system can help you assign digital work orders based on priority level and location, either from a desktop or mobile device. Furthermore, you can add notes to completed tasks and have a transparent record of inspections and procedures.

MaintainX

Ad hoc or recurring maintenance tasks can be created instantly with MaintainX’s system as part of its CMMS.

The tracking of these tasks is seamless and searching for historical records is much simpler.

Their simple work order management system also enables you to use templates for faster task allocation and the number of work orders is unlimited.

Work order management software is essential for efficient operations. It’s a modern and effective way to reduce downtime, prolong asset lifespan and decrease unnecessary costs.

When exploring different solutions for your preventive maintenance needs, we encourage you to consider your industry and the type of CMMS that is ideal for your organisation.

If you need any help or have questions, Fabrico’s team is here to help. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us when you need a helping hand.

What is an example of a work order system?

One example of a work order system is Fabrico’s CMMS. It comes with multiple functionalities and can be integrated into your organisation’s processes in just one day.

How do I set up a work order system?

Setting up a work order system should be done by your chosen CMMS provider. Usually, the process involves transferring data from a paper-based, manual system to a digitalised system through data migration and cleansing for errors. After this, the data is fully integrated and can be used by your personnel to carry out maintenance tasks and to help you make strategic decisions.

What should a work order contain?

There are several important aspects that a work order should contain. These include:

• An identification number or code
• A description of the maintenance issue, scope of work and any attached documentation
• Priority of the task and deadlines
• Identifying the right asset
• Assigning the right maintenance department and team member
• Required tools, materials, equipment and resources 
• Special instructions, such as safety measures
• Status of the work order
• Associated costs
• Signature upon the task’s completion