4 Most Common Work Order Types, Explained

Whether your maintenance department is prone to reactive maintenance or has a solid maintenance program in place, a work order is the foundation for any maintenance schedule. A bit different than a work request, a work order acts as an official document requesting for a maintenance task to be performed — and there are lots of different work order types to consider.

Typically, a work order form outlines an assignee, the specific maintenance activities required, the location of where the maintenance is being performed, step-by-step processes or procedures and an expected timeline for completion. Modern maintenance teams set up their work order management system using a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), although some organizations still opt to use spreadsheets or physical documents. 

How Does a Work Order, Well, Work?

Let’s say your business operates using a conveyor belt. Today, the belt snapped unexpectedly, resulting in unplanned downtime. The maintenance manager quickly created a general work order and assigned the task to one of their team members, outlining the specific instructions for repairing the belt, the exact location within the facility where the belt snapped and the completion timeframe.

A maintenance technician received a notification with the assignment and the new work order on their mobile device. Because the team opted to use an effective work order template, the tech can see all the details telling them exactly what needs to be done to get the belt fixed. Once the belt is repaired, they document the work and mark the work order as completed. 

This is just one example of how the work order management process can work. In fact, there are four work order types that tend to be the most common. Let’s dive in to learn more about these different types of work orders and how to incorporate them into your maintenance processes and workflows.

4 Most Common Types of Work Orders

Let’s start with a quick overview of the four most common work order types before going into detail about each one’s use case, the information they require and real-life examples:

• Corrective maintenance work orders: This type of work order is needed when equipment breaks down or is malfunctioning unexpectedly. Technicians should resolve the breakdown or defects quickly to resume operations.
• Daily work orders: Every day, maintenance technicians will have designated assignments to work on — for example, cleaning, safety checks or lubrications. These documents break down each technician’s tasks for the day. 
• Service work orders: Also known as inspection work orders, these involve routine inspections to ensure machinery is up to standards.
• Preventive maintenance work orders: Rather than waiting for a piece of equipment to break down, many businesses opt to be proactive and assign technicians to perform routine repairs on a set schedule. 

Corrective Maintenance Work Orders

Corrective maintenance work orders (also known as repair work orders) are needed when machinery has a complete breakdown, malfunction or shows signs of deterioration. If the breakdown is an emergency — i.e., threatening safety in some way — then this could be considered an emergency work order. They act the same way in that, once a maintenance request is assigned, technicians prioritize repairing the asset quickly and effectively to be fully functional to mitigate further damage, maintain safety and resume operations. 

Use Cases

• Unexpected breakdown maintenance: When equipment breaks down, repairs are needed to fix it and resume operations.
• Minor defects: Address minor malfunctions like defective parts before they turn into major issues. 

What to Include 

• Assignee: Who is performing the repair? Does it need to be assigned to a certain technician with specific technical expertise? 
• Detailed description: Why is the repair needed? What fault or breakdown occurred? 
• Required parts and tools: What spare marts will be needed to repair the machine or system?
• Time estimates: How long will it take to fix the equipment?
• Due date: When does this process need to be completed to increase machine uptime? 
• Processes list: What standard operating procedures or protocols are currently in place to repair the machinery?  

Real-Life Example

Suppose a manufacturing plant comes to a complete halt as a result of an electrical failure. The facility’s backup generator fails to kick in, leaving the building completely powerless. John, a maintenance technician with electrical expertise, receives an immediate corrective maintenance work order to address the emergency. 

John quickly identifies the root cause: a faulty ignition component that prevented the generator from starting. Fortunately, the required parts are on hand at the facility, and John is able to quickly restore it to be fully operational, restoring the facility’s power and mitigating equipment downtime. In his digital work order, he notes that the electrical work may require follow-up.

Daily Work Orders 

A daily work order highlights recurring daily tasks that a maintenance technician needs to perform to ensure operational efficiency. These assignments usually focus on smaller tasks that don’t require comprehensive procedural documents but continue to play an essential role in hitting workplace standards. These scheduled assignments are typically spread out across departments and/or technicians to ensure efficient use of everyone’s time.

Use Cases

• Minor assignments: These include non-emergency but essential daily tasks like cleaning, restocking supplies, performing safety checks, etc.
• Perform quick maintenance checks: Have technicians lubricate joints, tighten loose bolts, etc. 

What to Include 

This work order should be concise but instructive to ensure consistency and efficiency.

• Assignee: Which technicians are performing which recurring tasks?
• Time estimates: How long should tasks like cleaning or performing safety checks take to complete? 
• Checklists: What specific things need to be inspected in order to ensure safety standards?
• Required parts and tools: What assets are required to complete these tasks?

Real-Life Example

Evan works as a maintenance tech at an office building. Today, his daily work order tasks include checking lighting and HVAC system for continued functionality. 

Within the work order form, he has clear time frames for getting these tasks completed as well as checklists to ensure the lighting and HVAC system are performing up to standard.

When the work is completed, he marks it as such in the organization’s work order software for management’s instant visibility. 

Service Work Order

Service work orders are commonly referred to as inspection work orders. They’re different from preventive maintenance in that they require separate protocols, requiring technicians to perform routine check-ups that ensure that vital machinery remains functional and safe. 

These routine inspections typically follow a set schedule and are performed weekly, monthly or quarterly to maintain the quality of equipment by identifying and addressing minor issues before they lead to costly failures and unexpected downtime. 

Use Cases

• Routine inspections: Regularly check essential equipment to ensure continued operations.
• Quality control checks: Test equipment to ensure it’s operating efficiently and safely.
• Compliance checks and audits: Make sure all equipment meets federal, state and industry regulations.

What to Include 

• Assignee: Which technicians are performing the inspections? Which specific issues should they be looking out for? Does the assignee need specific technical expertise or certifications? 
• Assignments: Which equipment needs to be inspected? What are the step-by-step processes to inspect it effectively?
• References to compliance standards: What regulatory standards do technicians need to ensure the organization is meeting? 

Real-Life Example

Predictive maintenance metrics indicate that equipment with joints has failed in the past due to a lack of lubrication. So, every quarter, Michael is assigned with the task of inspecting facility-wide joints. He systematically checks every joint, ensuring that lubrication standards are met and applies fresh lubrication as needed to meet organizational standards and regulations.

Throughout the inspection, he documents all findings and marks down irregularities such as wear and tear or misalignments into the company’s work order management software, letting leadership know which routine maintenance should be performed to prevent major breakdowns. 

Preventive Maintenance Work Orders 

Preventive maintenance work orders ensure that equipment continually runs at optimal performance by addressing minor issues like wear and tear proactively before breakdowns occur. Technicians follow a set schedule based on usage hours or time intervals to increase asset lifespans, mitigate safety risks and reduce the likelihood of disruptive and costly failures.

Use Cases

• Routine upkeep: Ensure continued functionality of your most essential and high-value machinery by cleaning, lubricating, etc. 
• Part replacement: Worn-out parts can lead to larger equipment failures. Have technicians regularly replace parts showing wear and tear.
• Performance testing: Detect any indications of failure through real-time tracking and analytics.

What to Include 

• Assignee: Who is performing the preventive maintenance? 
• Time estimates: How long does this maintenance task take historically? 
• Due dates: How often should the task be performed, and when is its completion date?
• Required parts and tools: What tools and parts are needed to perform the task effectively?
• Historical documentation: Which issues have occurred in the past that the technician should look out for? 

Real-Life Example

As a part of an effective fleet maintenance strategy, maintenance technician Sarah receives a preventive maintenance work order for whenever a vehicle drives an additional 5,000 miles to inspect the engine, oil, tires and brake pads. 

The form includes steps for performing fluid replacement, belt inspections and parts cleaning. As she performs the tasks, she documents completed work as well as any issues that should require more in-depth inspection into the work order software. 

How a CMMS Can Help Track Work Orders

Using a CMMS software like Coast centralizes your asset management and work order tracking within one location to help streamline maintenance operations. Unlike paper-based documentation, a CMMS makes managing work orders easy to do in real time and from any location.

Once a work order is created and assigned, the relevant technician will receive a notification on their tablet or phone with the task, procedures and due date. As they complete the work, technicians will check off tasks and document their work which is automatically accessible to managers and integrated into your maintenance analytics to help, say, facility management execs decide which maintenance KPIs to track for the next fiscal year.

Don’t wait to upgrade your work order processes. Set up a demo with Coast today.