Companies in various industries rely on work orders to keep up with routine maintenance and repair requests. Surprisingly, though, not all companies have clear work order management systems or procedures in place.

Organizations can overcome the challenges presented by inefficient or disorganized work order practices with the right tools. Learn how to incorporate work order management best practices into your processes by utilizing powerful software solutions like DreamzCMMS offers.

Why Should You Implement Work Order Management Best Practices?

A disorganized or inefficient work order management process can lead to:

• Lost revenue and increased costs
• Inconsistency and confusion
• Missed jobs
• Lack of oversight
• Customer dissatisfaction

Managers, supervisors, and technicians need access to real-time knowledge to plan workflows, monitor job progress, and track assets. Paper systems and software options that don’t address all your needs will only slow you down. Implementing a robust, comprehensive system to manage your work orders efficiently saves time and money, and also provides the data you need to remain compliant with security and audit concerns.

9 Work Order Management Best Practices

If you’re looking at ways to improve your work order management processes, here are a few of the best practices to follow.

1. Give Comprehensive Details

Work orders typically include standard data, such as the requester and approver’s names, the project’s nature, the date, priority, and location. To improve efficiency, you should also:

• Attach diagrams or manuals.
• Provide a project checklist.
• Give directions to the work location.
• Include work history information about the machine or other equipment you will service that specifies previous maintenance, problems, and resolutions.

Technicians may need immediate access to this information, and putting it in the work order means they don’t need to go looking for it.

2. Use a Centralized Database

When you have a central database, you eliminate the need for users to access several different systems. For instance, every authorized user can view the work order schedule with one scheduling calendar. Managers gain the flexibility to react to new issues in real time.

3. Create and Follow Prioritization Rules

Everyone in your company should understand a work order’s priority at a glance. Creating rules allows you to modify workflows when high-priority or emergency requests come in.

Delaying critical maintenance requests may result in further equipment damage and extended downtime, potentially incurring significantly larger expenses.

4. Balance Preventive and Reactive Maintenance

An automated system that facilitates work order management best practices lets your company balance the time and costs related to routine and reactive maintenance requirements. Scheduling preventive maintenance tasks avoids overloading your teams with unnecessary maintenance, allowing them to quickly respond to corrective maintenance requests.

5. Document Every Project

Documenting every step taken in a work order process provides proof of the work performed. Technicians can attach photos and notes to the digital work order file, which may prove helpful for future jobs.

You should also track expenses and time for each job. This provides vital data so managers know what to expect when scheduling similar jobs in the future.

The DreamzCMMS platform allows you to attach these records to individual machines, for example, facilitating informed decision-making.

6. Use Consistent, Real-Time Status Tags

Everyone on your team will benefit from knowing the real-time status of each work order. You can use tags to mark details such as:

• Submitted or approved
• Parts ordered or parts arrived
• Technician on the way or work in progress
• Unexpected problems with delays
• Completed

There’s no need to call individuals to determine the status of particular jobs. With DreamzCMMS’s tagging capabilities, you get up-to-date information at a glance.

7. Provide Technicians With Mobile System Access

Anyone on your team who is in the field may need immediate access to pertinent data. When you include mobile connectivity in your work order management best practices, you’re saving time, money, and frustration.

8. Create Automated Workflows

With DreamzCMMS, you can use the system to automatically create work orders for preventive maintenance, complaints, or if-and-then situations. Users can edit these automated workflows.

9. Fulfill Only Approved Work Orders

A technician often hears, “Since you’re here anyway, can you look at this?” While fulfilling these requests may sound reasonable, there are many reasons not to:

• Performing work that is not on an approved work order takes time and may require unavailable parts or tools.
• Requested additions to approved maintenance jobs may not be your responsibility.
• You can’t track productivity and expenses accurately if your teams do unauthorized work.

Keeping to your scheduled workflow is critical to planning and resource management. You should require that all work requests come through the proper channels.

How Does DreamzCMMS Facilitate These Work Order Management Best Practices?

DreamzCMMS boasts many intensive features to make work order management easier and faster. Using this customizable and scalable system increases employee productivity and lowers costs:

• Customize this system by setting default rules, and modify work orders if needed.
• Use automated workflow generation or easily create work orders with a few simple steps.
• Check the real-time dashboards to view critical data.
• The mobile app allows technicians and other authorized users to access the DreamzCMMS system from anywhere.
• Prioritize and assign work orders to specific employees or third-party resources.

Larger organizations can integrate IoT tags with the work order management system, allowing you to utilize automated condition-based work orders.

DreamzCMMS allows management teams to coordinate their asset and maintenance strategies effectively. Many industries can benefit:

• Energy and resources
• Facility management
• Logistics and transportation
• Manufacturing and production
• Retail

DreamzCMMS offers multiple cutting-edge technological solutions that add value to your organization, including asset, facility, field service, work order, and property management. This platform also provides tools to create and facilitate an effective preventive maintenance strategy. Our unique software products use innovative technology such as blockchain, IoT, and data analytics.

How Can You Learn More About DreamzCMMS and Work Order Management Best Practices?

To see how incorporating these work order management best practices into your processes will benefit your organization, contact DreamzCMMS. We’re happy to answer your questions or schedule a free demo. Submit our online form, email us or call.