What is a work order
What is a work order? It’s a formal request for a specific job. This document, whether digital or paper, acts as a roadmap for the assigned worker, detailing the task at hand.
When your facility or equipment needs attention, a work order initiates the process. It ensures everyone understands the job, from emergency repairs to routine inspections. This system is key for smooth operations.
Diving Deeper into Work Orders
A well-written work order eliminates confusion. It provides a single source of truth for everyone involved. This keeps maintenance work requests organized and on track. A work order management software can assist with this.
Types of Work Orders
Work orders come in various forms, catering to specific needs:
- Standard Work Orders: These cover routine maintenance tasks, like changing lightbulbs or assembling furniture. Commonplace requests like these are typically handled quickly.
- Preventive Maintenance Work Orders: Scheduled checkups and maintenance fall under this category. The goal is to prevent problems before they arise, maximizing uptime and minimizing downtime for important systems like power supplies or electrical equipment.
- Inspection Work Orders: These verify compliance with standards and regulations. They include safety inspections, quality checks, and audits, helping ensure workplace safety and proper handling of safety issues. Consider using these work orders for maintaining critical assets.
- Emergency Work Orders: For critical situations like equipment failures, emergency work orders take top priority. These work requests require immediate attention to restore normal operations quickly and may even involve contacting the maintenance team after hours for reactive maintenance.
- Corrective Maintenance Work Orders: Non-emergency issues that require fixing are addressed with these work orders. This might include addressing a performance dip or a minor defect before it escalates, often related to the same equipment requiring inspection work orders, like power supplies or electrical equipment. Corrective maintenance work orders are generally for non-emergency maintenance work. This is usually managed by the maintenance manager.
- Special Project Work Orders: Upgrades, renovations, and special installations fall under this category. These go beyond maintenance, focusing on improvements.
- Digital Work Orders: Digital work orders streamline maintenance management by allowing for real-time tracking, assignment, and completion of tasks through a digital platform. They eliminate paperwork, reduce errors, and improve efficiency by providing instant updates and easy access to work order details. This digital approach ensures timely communication and better resource allocation, enhancing overall productivity and maintenance operations.
Utilizing various types of work orders is essential for the maintenance technician. They are a critical piece of any successful maintenance operation. Keeping different work order templates on hand will increase your efficiency.
Key Components of a Work Order
A comprehensive work order includes:
- A clear work request description.
- Requestor and approver information.
- Assigned technician, team, or contractor.
- Work location.
- Priority level.
- Required parts and materials.
- Estimated and actual completion times. This gives you an expected completion date so the maintenance team knows what to expect and plan around.
- Associated costs.
This detailed information makes work orders invaluable for planning, tracking, cost management, and record-keeping. Work order management is vital for successful facilities maintenance.
Managing Work Orders Like a Pro
Optimizing work orders can streamline workflows for facility and maintenance managers. Efficient management allows the maintenance manager and team to be notified quickly of critical systems going down like power supplies and other electrical equipment, allowing for reduced downtime for these vital assets.
Best Practices for Work Order Management
Around 53% of organizations utilize CMMS software for facility maintenance workflows.
- Clear Workflows: Standardized procedures for submitting requests, generating orders, and closing them out ensure smooth operation.
- Templates: Templates save time and guarantee all necessary information is included in every work order. They provide consistency and reduce errors.
- Prioritization: Identify urgent tasks to focus resources effectively and prevent minor issues from becoming major problems. Use a priority level for every work request. Effective work order management begins with a defined process.
- Embrace Software: CMMS (computerized maintenance management systems) and EAM (enterprise asset management) software automate work order management, improving efficiency. They also aid in managing preventive maintenance work.
These tools provide valuable insights, streamlining management and planning within a defined work order process. They can track the priority level of various tasks including things like pest control as well as handle corrective maintenance work orders to keep track of various requests like repairing electrical equipment.
Work Orders vs Purchase Orders: Understanding the Difference
Work orders and purchase orders are two distinct concepts in the realm of maintenance management. While they may seem similar, they serve different purposes and are used in different contexts.
Work Orders: Managing Internal Tasks and Maintenance
Work orders authorize and track internal work, such as tasks and maintenance requests. They are used to manage and organize the work performed by internal teams, including maintenance personnel, technicians, and engineers. Work orders are essential for maintenance teams to ensure that tasks are completed efficiently and effectively.
Key Features of Work Orders
- Authorize and track internal work
- Manage tasks and maintenance requests
- Assign tasks to team members
- Track work progress and status
- Record work history and asset performance
Purchase Orders: Acquiring External Goods and Services
Purchase orders, on the other hand, are used to acquire external goods and services. They are used to procure materials, equipment, and services from external vendors and suppliers. Purchase orders are essential for procurement teams to ensure that goods and services are obtained efficiently and cost-effectively.
Key Features of Purchase Orders
- Acquire external goods and services
- Manage procurement of materials and equipment
- Track orders and deliveries
- Record vendor information and pricing
- Manage budgets and costs
The Importance of CMMS Work Orders
The CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) work orders are crucial for all maintenance teams. They provide a centralized platform for managing and tracking work orders, enabling teams to work more efficiently and effectively. With CMMS work orders, teams can streamline their workflow, reduce downtime, and improve overall productivity.
Case Study: Keeping the Chocolate Flowing
Imagine a chocolate factory where a vital conveyor belt malfunctions, halting production. The maintenance supervisor quickly creates an emergency work order via CMMS, alerting the appropriate technician. The technician promptly arrives, accesses the digital work order, consults diagrams and begins the necessary troubleshooting. They identify any needed equipment and then makes the repairs.
Updating the work order request throughout, the technician ensures clear communication and documentation. The conveyor belt restarts quickly, minimizing downtime, all thanks to a timely and well-coordinated response. This showcases the value of CMMS work order management for all maintenance operations.
Conclusion
What is a work order? It’s the core of efficient maintenance and operations, ensuring schedule compliance and informing crucial maintenance metrics. Work order software is an important function to help companies reduce the cost of unplanned reactive maintenance. Understanding work orders, including the various work order types, enables organizations to handle tasks efficiently, meet standards, and avoid problems, all while improving processes and minimizing downtime and unneeded reactive maintenance. From addressing commonplace requests to tackling major equipment issues like faulty power supplies or other vital electrical equipment, utilizing a detailed work order system with priority levels improves processes for maintenance teams.
