Work order software (opens in new tab) uses cloud and mobile features to help you create, organize, track, complete, and analyze maintenance requests. It lets you easily access, control, and integrate work order processes and data. It’s a more powerful way to manage work orders and future-proof your business than pen and paper, Excel spreadsheets, and whiteboards.
There are two types of software that manage work orders (opens in new tab). The first is software that only handles work orders. These systems are usually very basic and only allow you to do simple tasks.
The other choice is CMMS software (opens in new tab). A CMMS is a well-rounded maintenance management system that includes work order management as one of its tools. You can use a CMMS to:
See everything a CMMS can do
Work orders can cause a lot of headaches (you know the ones we’re talking about). Free CMMS software can help you eliminate a lot of these nightmare situations and start your journey to a more organized, preventive, data-driven program.
It’s a hassle to write out requests for hours or get asked to do a task while walking down the hallway. Paper work orders are also easy to lose, ruin, or duplicate.
You have to contend with vague descriptions (or no descriptions) while searching high and low for manuals, BOMs, and more to help.
The lag between writing out a PM, notifying a technician, and doing the job makes preventive maintenance tougher than it should be.
Chasing down a technician to find out the status of a job is nowhere near efficient. Multiply that situation by hundreds of work orders and it can get out of hand fast.
It can take hours to collect data from paper work orders without any guarantee that the information is accurate or useful.
A mobile app and mandatory fields simplify and standardize the process. Having a central platform makes it’s super easy to filter, prioritize, and assign tasks.
Attach manuals, pictures, and checklists to work orders. Access these resources from your phone (even with no internet).
Create scheduled maintenance triggers that automatically generate work orders and notify technicians so work is done ASAP.
Track tons of information about your work orders on a dashboard, including what’s planned, what’s overdue, and metrics like mean time to repair.
Build reports that tell you everything about your work orders (like costs and completion rates) and deliver these insights to your inbox.
There’s definitely software that fits the way your team works. If you’re hunting for a system, focus on options that allow customized fields on work request forms. Most systems allow you to plan and schedule in your own unique way. But configuring request forms to capture custom data can be a differentiator.
The cost can range from free to hundreds of thousands of dollars, and everything in between. There’s also a lot that goes into that price tag. Check out this in-depth post on the cost of a CMMS and how to determine the ROI for your organization.
Yes, depending on which vendor you work with. Some software providers hand-pick the systems they connect to. Other providers roll out the red carpet and allow you to connect to any system. There are pros and cons to both approaches, but Fiix favors the red carpet approach. It allows you to work with any system (seriously) that you know and love from day one so you can expand the value of your software. You can learn more about integrations by checking out our starter’s guide to CMMS integrations (opens in new tab).
The best work order software for your organization depends on a lot of different factors. That includes everything from high-level business goals to cost, mobile capabilities, ease of use, and the level of customer support you get. We put together a handy guide to evaluating all your options so you can find the best option for your team without feeling overwhelmed.
Any data you put into cloud-based work order software will be stored on servers set up by the software provider. Providers use super-secure partners, like Amazon, to keep data from being stolen or lost. Providers also save a copy of all your information so if anything ever crashes, your data can be restored. As far as who sees all the stuff you put into the software, most providers follow strict privacy guidelines so your data isn’t sold or given away.
Free work order software can be a great way to manage your business. There are a lot of benefits to using free work order software, including:
Leverage the cloud to work together, better in the new connected age of maintenance and asset management.