Maintenance work order: what it is, fields and life cycle
- A work order (WO) is the record of an intervention: what is done, where, by whom, when, for how long and with what material.
- A typical life cycle: open → assigned → in progress → completed → closed.
- The easier it is to close from the phone, the better data you will have.
A maintenance work order (WO) is the document, today usually digital, that records an intervention on an asset: what has to be done, where, who does it, when, how much time is spent and what material is consumed. It is the basic unit of maintenance: each machine’s history, the costs and the indicators come from work orders.
Where does a WO come from?
- A request or breakdown reported by a user or detected by a technician (corrective).
- A preventive plan that reaches its date or its meter reading.
- A sensor alarm that exceeds a threshold.
- An inspection that detects a defect.
- A contract or quote accepted by a client.
Essential fields
| Field | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Title and description | Explain the problem or the task clearly. |
| Asset and location | Link the intervention to the machine’s history. |
| Type and priority | Distinguish corrective, preventive and inspection; order the urgency. |
| Assignee | Know who has to do it. |
| Dates | Planned date, actual start and closure. |
| Tasks or checklist | Specific steps to check. |
| Time recorded | Actual hours to calculate costs and workloads. |
| Material consumed | Spare parts deducted from stock and cost of materials. |
| Photos and comments | Evidence and context of what happened. |
Life cycle of a WO
- Open: created, waiting to be assigned.
- Assigned: it has an assignee.
- In progress: the technician has started.
- On hold: stopped for lack of a spare part, access or authorisation.
- Completed: the technician has finished and recorded what was done.
- Closed: reviewed and validated; it is no longer modified.
It can also be cancelled if it is no longer needed. Transitions should be controlled: a closed WO should not be reopenable without leaving a trace.
Good practices
- A title that can be understood without opening it (“Oil leak on pump 2” is better than “Breakdown”).
- Close from the phone, on the spot, not at the end of the day.
- Record the actual time and material, even if approximate: they are the basis of costs.
- A photo before and after when there are claims or warranties.
- Note the cause of the breakdown: it is what lets you prevent the next one.
What if there is no coverage?
In many installations the technician works offline. A good tool should let you check the day’s work orders and record time, comments and consumption offline, and then sync without losing data.
Work orders that work without coverage
In Mantenplan technicians see their work orders for the day and record time, comments, readings and consumption offline; everything syncs when coverage returns.
Try MantenplanFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between a work order and a work request?
The request is the petition for something to be done, usually from a user. The work order is the decision to carry it out, with an assignee, deadlines and resources assigned.
Who should close the work order?
The technician completes it when finished and a manager (supervisor) validates and closes it, so that the review is on record.