January 13, 2025

Work Requests vs. Work Orders: Understanding the Key Differences

Challenge: Name the differences between a work request versus a work order.

Answer: The first asks, and the second directs.

This article will explore deeper than the obvious answer.

What Are Work Requests?

Where do Work Requests Originate?

Where do they come from? They come from anywhere. A fellow maintenance team member. A coworker. Management. A customer. An outside regulator/auditor.

An individual notices something amiss with an asset or part of the company’s operations. That person submits a request for a resolution.

How are Work Requests Submitted?

The answer relies on other information, including the company and the operations of the maintenance department.

• Verbally. Asking the person responsible for maintenance operations.
• Written. Handwritten note. Email.
• System submission. As we’ll see later, you should invest in a CMMS with an HTML work request submission form.

What Information Should a Work Request Contain?

• Asset or system. (Lighting, plumbing, etc.)
• Location. Problem. Priority. Name and possible contact information of the requestor.

The Process: From Work Request to Approval or Rejection

What happens next? A maintenance supervisor reviews the request. Several factors determine whether the request moves to the work order stage.

• Priority.
• Time needed.
• Budget.
• The importance of the asset.
• Asset age and maintenance history.
• Current PMs and maintenance for the asset.
• Resource availability (labor and parts).

Following this assessment, the supervisor has two options.

• Seeks or approves the request to convert to a work order.
• Rejects the request.

Discover how streamlined maintenance processes can elevate production. Learn more.

What Are Work Orders?

Where Do Work Orders Originate?

Usually from a maintenance supervisor or anyone authorized to create one.

How? Depending on the company, the same answer from the requests section applies.

What Information Should a Work Order Contain?

What information should a work order contain? Again, many of the same information from the request.

• Type of work order. This gives the technician an introductory bit of knowledge of the job.
• Asset or system involved.
• Priority.
• Location. In a large facility, knowing the location of the problem means the technician gets to it faster.
• Instructions for the job. Perhaps, the operator doesn’t know the cause of the equipment failure. That means the maintenance technician needs to find it.
• Inventory required. Attaching the necessary parts and supplies to the work order means the worker doesn’t have to guess and won’t forget something.
• Safety Procedures. Attaching safety measures to the work order reduces the chances of accidents.

The Work Order Process: Approval to Completion

What happens next? If necessary, someone approves the work order. A scheduler adds the job to a work calendar and dispatches the order to the technician. The technician gathers the parts and starts the wrench time.

After the job, a supervisor might choose to conduct a quality review of the job. Don’t underestimate this stage’s importance. You want to check that the technician completed the job and the effectiveness of the repair.

Another important stage in a work order—feedback. Stay open to comments and discussions with the technician, equipment operator, and management. You might receive valuable information on how to improve the job the next time.

The Role of CMMS in Managing Work Requests and Work Orders

How will CMMS software help your maintenance team? It provides organization to your existing strategy. You have better asset and inventory management. You create lists of assets and the contents of your stockroom. You prepare records for PMs. With these, you have a much better oversight of repairs, work requests, and work orders.

How CMMS Enhances Work Requests

Work Requests — Look for a system that has an easy way for all employees to submit work requests from anywhere. An HTML link. The employee fills out a simple form with the necessary information as listed above. The request goes into the CMMS where a supervisor or admin processes it.

The work requests become part of the system’s history. You’ll want this history for future reports.

You have all the necessary information on hand. You have approval options. You can convert a request into a work order with ease, saving data entry time.

How CMMS Optimizes Work Orders

Work orders — Bring up one of your preventive maintenance tasks. With that record, you can convert it to a work order. As mentioned before, convert requests into work orders.

You have a record of open, closed, and backlogged work orders. You can access the maintenance history on assets. Look for the comment section and the place to attach images and documents.

Your CMMS should have a scheduling calendar. Drag and drop and assign work orders to individuals, crews, or Crafts.

Streamlining Work Requests and Work Orders with MAPCON

You can relate work requests to work orders. Many similarities exist between them. However, review the differences. Also, research how a CMMS adds so much efficiency to maintenance departments. CMMS work orders overshadow any handwritten or spreadsheet work orders.

For the best in CMMS development, look no further than Mapcon Technologies. 800-922-4336 Ask how MAPCON helps your work order success. U.S.-based support!