The Workflow of a Work Order

This article will walk WORKS users through the life cycle of a work order, from creation to close.

Submitting a Work Order 

While all roles (with the exception of Read Only roles) on Facilitron WORKS can submit work orders, users are most often implemented as Order Approvers. Some users with this role are able to view the optional work order approval screen, known as the Receive screen. This workflow is typically only used when the front office staff at a site should be reviewing the submitted work orders by site staff (Order Originators) before approving them for M&O.

To create a new work order, an Order Approver will first select a list of buildings/locations from a dropdown list, as shown below. 

Order Administrators may reach out to the account manager or Facilitron contact at their district to incorporate this feature if the location dropdown list is not visible.

After inputting all of the information regarding the work being requested, select Create Work Order. This will update the status of the work order to Approved. Once approved, the work order will populate the Receive screen.

Please note that if the property owner opts for the Originator-Approver workflow, there is an added step where the Originator (e.g. a teacher, or custodian) will create a work order in Submitted status, at which point the work order will be sent to the corresponding Order Approver’s (front office staff) inbox for that property. The Order Approver will be the one responsible for updating the status of the work order to Approved. Please see below.

Receiving the Work Order

An Order Processor or Order Administrator will go to the Receive screen and ‘receive’ the work order into M&O. You will see a summary of the work order information in the work order snapshot section.

Priority, Purpose, and Equipment may already be defaulted by system settings and/or have been selected by the user who submitted the work order. If not already selected, any of these can be updated while processing the work order.

In order to receive a work order, select the following in the Action box:

• Work Category
• Worker
• Trade
• Contractor (if applicable)
• Scheduled Date/Time (if applicable)

Click Receive.

During the Receive process, work orders can be assigned to workers with the correct priority, purpose, and work category set. 

Order Processor or Administrator Receives the Work Order

The status of the work order moves to Received once Maintenance has taken possession of the work order.

Manual Distribution of Work Orders

After Receive is clicked, the newly received work order will populate a print queue. At a convenient stopping point, the print command is executed from the print queue and all received work orders are printed for distribution. The print queue then clears for the next day.

Next, a worker does the work and documents the hours, costs and action taken manually onto the paper work order and turns it in for processing. 

The Order Administrator/Order Processor then takes the paper work order and enters the data to the work order and closes it.

Electronic Distribution of Work Orders to Workers

When a work order is assigned to a worker and the Receive button is clicked, the work order populates an incoming open work order menu available to the worker. An email is also generated to the worker informing them of the assignment. 

The worker receives work orders assigned to him or her by first going to their Incoming/Open work order menu. Next, the worker opens the specific work order, enters the action taken, labor, and material costs into the work order. After all of this is done, the worker closes the work order by clicking Closed. 

After closing the work order, the status of the work order moves to Closed Pending Review. This status populates the Review and Close submenu for an Order Administrator or Order Processor to review. From here, the Order Administrator or Processor reviews each worker-closed work order and then fully closes the work order which updates to a final status of Closed/Completed.

Please also see How to Create a Work Order for more detailed information on submitting a work order. For additional assistance, please reach out to Facilitron Support at (800) 272-2962, or email us at support@facilitron.com.