Work Requests vs Work Orders
A work request is a report that something needs attention, such as a faulty device or a building issue, submitted by any authorized user. A work order is the approved, assigned job that tells technicians what to do, on which asset, with what priority and by when. In a maintenance system, requests are reviewed and converted into work orders, which are then completed and closed.
The lifecycle from request to completed job
- Request — the user reports the problem and identifies the asset or location.
- Review — the maintenance team checks the request and sets its priority.
- Work order — the job is created, assigned to a technician or service provider, and given a tolerance period.
- Execution — the technician diagnoses and repairs the fault, recording time and parts.
- Closure — the work order is closed and the result becomes part of the asset’s history.
What makes a good work request?
- The correct asset or equipment and its location.
- A clear description of the fault and when it started.
- The impact on operations or patient care, which helps set the priority.
- Contact details for follow-up.
Accurate requests lead to faster response, because technicians arrive with the right information.
Comparison
| Work request | Work order | |
|---|---|---|
| Created by | Any authorized user | Maintenance team or supervisor |
| Purpose | Report a need | Authorize and track the work |
| Contains | Asset, location, problem description | Priority, assignee, tasks, time, parts, cost |
| Measured by | Number of requests by type | Response time, completion time, cost |
Examples
- Facility management: a tenant reports that an office is too warm. The request names the floor and room, and the supervisor converts it into a work order for an HVAC technician, with a priority based on the impact.
- Hospital: a nurse reports that an infusion pump shows an error. The request identifies the device, and the biomedical engineering team receives a work order with a short tolerance period because the device affects patient care.
- Industrial plant: an operator reports abnormal vibration on a conveyor motor. The work order records the inspection, the parts used and the downtime.
Types of work orders in a maintenance workflow
- Corrective work orders created from work requests after a fault is reported.
- Preventive work orders generated from the maintenance plan, usually without a request.
- Inspection work orders for rounds and checks, which can raise new corrective work when defects are found.
- Project or installation work orders for planned jobs such as commissioning new equipment.
Keeping all of this work on work orders builds a complete maintenance history for each asset and makes KPIs such as MTBF and MTTR reliable. To decide how much work should be planned, read preventive vs corrective maintenance.
What should a work order include?
- The asset and its location.
- The task description and any checklist.
- Priority and tolerance period.
- The assigned technician or service provider.
- Time spent, spare parts used and cost.
- Completion notes, photos and the closing date.
Work order statuses
- Requested — a work request is submitted.
- Approved — the request is reviewed and becomes a work order.
- Assigned and scheduled — a technician and date are set.
- In progress — the work is being carried out.
- Completed — the technician records the result.
- Closed — the work order is verified and added to the asset history.
KPIs for work order management
- Response time from request to start of work.
- Completion time and jobs closed within their tolerance period.
- Overdue work orders and the open backlog.
- Work orders by type: corrective, preventive and inspection.
In Steady OMS
Steady OMS supports service requests and asset-based work orders on the web and in the mobile app, with work order priority (WOP) classes and tolerance periods. Requests are approved into work orders, assigned to technicians and closed with their time, parts and cost, so each asset keeps a complete history. See how this works in facility management and hospital maintenance.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Preventive maintenance and planned jobs are usually created directly as work orders without a request.
Priorities make sure urgent, safety-critical faults are handled first, and tolerance periods show when a job becomes overdue.
A work order is the approved, assigned job that tells technicians what to do, on which asset, with what priority and by when. It records the time, parts and cost of the work.
The backlog is the approved work that has not yet been completed. Tracking it shows whether the team has enough capacity and where jobs are becoming overdue.
Talk to Steady Solutions
Tell us about your sites, assets and processes, and our team will show you how Steady OMS fits your organization. You can also contact us directly or call +966 55 353 3314.