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.
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.
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.
Talk to Steady Solutions
Tell us about your sites, assets and processes, and our team will show you how Steady OMS, ERP or HIS fits your organization. You can also contact us directly or call +966 55 353 3314.