[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.13.1″ collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.13.1″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>
For facility maintenance and field service businesses, maintenance work represents a reliable revenue stream. However, managing a constant influx of requests, keeping up with technicians in the field, and tracking equipment can overwhelm your staff, especially as business grows. Incorporating best practices in managing maintenance work orders will help you control the chaos and get your team operating smoothly.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> <\/span><\/p> Typically, a work order includes at least the requester, task description, assignee, and scheduled date. But if your team needs other information regularly, develop a process to include it in each request. You may want to add job instructions, equipment specs, supplies lists, customer contact details, travel directions, or access codes. If helpful, you could also include requirements which helps schedulers determine the right tech, such as necessary skills or certifications.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> <\/span><\/p> A work request goes through several stages from submission to billing, and it\u2019s easier for your team to know where each is in the process if you assign statuses. Typical status labels include \u201cnew request,\u201d \u201capproved,\u201d \u201cwork in progress,\u201d and \u201ccomplete.\u201d But you might need others for special situations, such as \u201cparts on order\u201d or \u201cdeclined.\u201d These terms serve as shorthand, so managers quickly know what\u2019s been done and what\u2019s left for each job.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> Status terms have to be meaningful and consistent to work properly. Specify the terms your company will use and stick with them. Also, help employees get in the habit of updating status regularly.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> <\/span><\/p> Inevitably, you\u2019ll have weeks when maintenance <\/span>work orders<\/span><\/a> overwhelm your ability to respond immediately to each one. Before that happens, set up a system of priorities which tell your team which requests should be addressed first and which might need to wait.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> When determining high, medium, and low priority work, consider the type of equipment involved, the customer relationship, and any contractual obligations such as response times. For example, you may assign high priority for work on machinery that\u2019s essential for your customers to do business. A request could get medium priority if the customer can still operate but productivity suffers. And low priorities would include repairs which don\u2019t impact customer operations significantly.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p> Assign priorities at work order creation<\/span>, even if there are no conflicts at the time. Then, if an urgent request comes in, you can easily determine which low priority jobs could be postponed.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> <\/span><\/p> A maintenance work order is your record of each job. And together, over time, they reveal patterns, such as how long equipment tends to last, what kind of repairs are needed regularly, and how long it takes to complete different jobs.\u00a0 Using old work orders as a reminder of previous experience and lessons learned, your team can estimate work more accurately, avoid past mistakes, and refine offerings to better serve customers.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> Many companies struggle to make use of past records because it takes time and effort to collect, organize, and analyze the information. But the data captured from completed work orders can save money and help grow your business, so it\u2019s worth the effort.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> <\/span><\/p> When your technicians are on-site fixing equipment, they should be able to <\/span>document their activity in the work order<\/span><\/a> and add photos if needed. The documentation serves as proof of maintenance done and enhances the historical record. Often techs find other problems with equipment which aren\u2019t on the original service request. If so, the notes and photos can easily transform into a new work order.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> <\/span><\/p> Managing work orders involves complex logistics. You have to fill technicians\u2019 schedules, minimize down time, ensure they have all the supplies needed, and keep customers informed. It\u2019s easier to plan efficiently, if everyone works from a common calendar.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> With one schedule for all techs, managers know where everyone should be at any point. When a new request comes in, the <\/span>dispatcher schedules the right staff<\/span><\/a> to minimize down time. And if there are last minute changes, you can adjust with <\/span>minimal disruption<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> <\/span><\/p> With some jobs, like preventive maintenance, you\u2019re doing the same service on the same equipment for the same company at regular intervals, so it doesn\u2019t make sense to recreate a work order for each visit. Simplify the process by designing reusable templates or making duplicates of past orders.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> And if possible, set alerts for pending preventive work. Many customers forget to schedule maintenance on time, which is lost work for you and may cause equipment failures later. With alerts, you can set up the job up, keeping customers happy and your techs busy.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/span><\/p> <\/span><\/p> Even the most dedicated field service companies have a hard time following these best practices if they\u2019re still using pen and paper or email and spreadsheets to manage work orders. These manual approaches take time. And when people get busy, they take shortcuts which undermine your efforts at sustaining best practices. A robust FSM automates the manual tasks and offers additional functionality, which helps you stick to best practices and makes them even more effective.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> With an FSM, your team will<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> <\/p> <\/span><\/p> <\/li> <\/ul> <\/span><\/p> BlueFolder\u2019s cloud-based FSM application turns work order chaos into focused productivity. Your team will submit, assign, and schedule work orders with a few clicks. Technicians can access relevant documents, instructions, and customer history from the field on any connected device. And it takes just a few minutes to update the work status, enter notes, and add photos, so you can get the invoicing process started.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> BlueFolder\u2019s integrations with common billing applications and calendars streamlines your entire operation. And the customer portal gives clients the status and updates they need without having to call and ask you for it. Plus, the application is so easy to use most companies are up and running in a few days.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> Many field service companies struggle with work order management, but yours doesn\u2019t have to be one of them.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> <\/span><\/p> See what BlueFolder can do for you today.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For facility maintenance and field service businesses, maintenance work represents a reliable revenue stream. However, managing a constant influx of requests, keeping up with technicians in the field, and tracking equipment can overwhelm your staff, especially as business grows. Incorporating best practices in managing maintenance work orders will help you control the chaos and get […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4481,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"\r\n Managing multiple field service technicians and equipment while keeping your business organized and accurate is quite the chore, especially without the right software. There are a few different options to consider when it comes to\u00a0properly managing your teams and equipment efficiently<\/a>. Writing everything down by hand just isn't going to cut it anymore. To grow as a company you have to put systems in place that help you achieve your full potential. That means using software that can assist you with everything from customer management to\u00a0work order management<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Most companies use either a field service software (or field service management software) or a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). However, many people don't know the difference between the two or how each one can benefit their companies. While they share similar features and capabilities, a CMMS and an FSM solution both serve different purposes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n To determine which one is right for your company, let's take a look at what both a CMMS and an FSM solution can offer your company and the key differences between them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n A\u00a0computerized maintenance management system<\/a>\u00a0(CMMS) is a software program used to manage information about the maintenance operations of a company.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It also allows companies to:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n A CMMS comes with benefits that can help your company be much more proactive and efficient about its maintenance operations.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n A CMMS can benefit your company in multiple ways, including:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The features of some of the top CMMS software programs include:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Field service management<\/a>\u00a0(FSM) software is similar to CMMS software in that includes work order management and the ability to track and schedule equipment maintenance. But FSM software also helps collect field data and track client requests and personnel status, as well as improve operations visibility.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n FSM software can help improve\u00a0work order management<\/a>\u00a0and service delivery while enhancing customer service. It will improve your team's overall efficiency by streamlining work orders between the fieldworker and the company office while making it easier for teams to communicate. FSM software also makes it easy to optimize maintenance routes and check your company's key metrics and analytics anytime. But more than that, it helps with:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n An FSM allows for smart scheduling and for self-service (which makes your company more efficient and attractive to customers). FSM also increases mobility by bridging the gap between technicians in the field and employees in the office. Your teams can utilize messaging and notifications to stay in sync on open jobs and status.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The best features of FSM software help make life easier for you and your employees. For instance, some of these features allow you to manage customer records, set up recurring jobs, track work orders, assign work orders to your technicians, manage service contracts, and more. With customization options, you can tailor your FSM to meet your needs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Some of the other top features of FSM software programs include:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Some FSM software programs also have digital signature capture, branded templates and PDFs, voice and search commands, and phone system integrations. Others offer features like intelligent scheduling at the point of booking, open API, a supplier database, and real-time suggestions optimization.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n While they share similarities, there are key differences between field service software vs CMMS software.\u00a0FSM software is primarily focused on serving external customers and includes tools to help you document and accelerate your service billings, get paid faster, and grow your business. CMMS solutions are typically more geared towards organizations that are performing asset and equipment maintenance for internal customers and don't require robust customer management tools or billing features.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
Put All Necessary Information in the Work Order<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
Define and Use Meaningful Status Tags<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
Define Priority Standards for Managing Time Conflicts<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
Save Records of Past Maintenance Work Orders<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
Document Work in the Field<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
Use a Common Calendar<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
Streamline Handling for Recurring Work<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
Use a Field Service Management (FSM) Application<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
<\/span><\/b><\/h2>
Follow Best Practices the Easy Way with BlueFolder\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>
Field Service Software VS CMMS Software<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
What is CMMS Software?<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Benefits of a CMMS<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Features of CMMS Software<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
What is Field Service Software?<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Benefits of Field Service Software<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Features of FSM Software<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
What are the Key Differences?<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n