Facilities management work order: keeping everything on time and in line

Are your facility management work orders piling up? Are you being pulled in what feels like a thousand different directions with the types of employee and maintenance requests coming in? If so, it may be time to change your system for managing these requests.

Investing in an automated system will take these burdens off your plate and ensure these requests are processed on time and efficiently. This way, rather than spending your time trying to decide which requests matter most, you can process and complete work orders through a system that supports your efforts as facility manager.

What is an automated facility management system? An automated facility management system is a software system that allows FMs to manage buildings, assets, and occupants via a web-based dashboard. An effective automated system increases efficiency and effectiveness of a facility and its operations.

Are you using an outdated work order system?

According to a Plant Engineering Maintenance Study, 39% of companies still use paper records for maintenance reports, while 52% use static spreadsheets. So, if you don’t have a work order management system (WOMS) set up, or if yours is running inefficiently, you’re not alone. When maintenance and employee requests are piling up, or even being missed because there isn’t a scheduling system, this means it’s time to invest.

Teach your employees to follow protocol

If you’re still using printed work orders, or logging them into spreadsheets by hand, there’s a good chance that at some point, you will miss an important request. Rather than receiving messy, handwritten notes to your office, use a software that does it all for you. When you begin using new work order software, you can also implement protocols for how these work orders are accepted and processed. If the software requires a learning curve, host info sessions so that employees understand how to make a request. Also, clarify the process for prioritizing requests. A comprehensive request manager will organize all your work orders by urgency and can prioritize those related to safety over those related to daily functions.

Find an easy-to-use WOMS

For a WOMS to be effective, it needs to be easy to use for end-users on both the facility management side, as well as the employee side. The best work order software allows for new work orders to be easily created from both mobile and desktop devices with the simple drop of a pin on the location or item that needs maintenance. They then simply fill out a form, upload pictures if applicable and send it into the system. On the facilities management side, you can then update the status of requests as you get to them so that the status is readily accessible.

Turn reactive maintenance into predictive maintenance

The best WOMS track the types of work orders coming in, the amount of time they take, the frequency of the requests and the steps required to complete the order. Over time, the system will gather data about your organization. Advanced systems will include built-in reports that can assess this data and help FMs identify trends in facility issues, which will allow them to tune in to which areas need the most regular maintenance. In 2016, 36% of organizations performed more predictive maintenance than reactive maintenance. In 2018, the number rose to 44%, and by 2020 it’s expected the majority of organizations in the US will be performing predictive maintenance. By moving from reactive work orders to predictive maintenance, facility managers can save both time and money by being proactive. This also means that employees won’t have to spend their time filling out paperwork, and can focus on their jobs, instead of issues that continually occur.