Run a work order

Once a work order is approved, book a mechanic, start the work and record what it uses. Open the work order from Maintenance → Work orders, or from the asset's Maintenance tab.

Everything on this page needs Manage work orders and View maintenance. Owners, Admins and Managers have both.

Find a work order

Maintenance → Work orders lists the work orders. To find one, type in the search box above the list. The search finds the work order number, such as WO-00012, words in the title, and the asset name. The list changes when you stop typing. The search is in the page address with the filters, so you can share the list.

The list has the columns Number, Title, Asset, Activities, Planned, Status, Priority, Actual and Mechanics. Actual is the cost so far, the same total as Cost to date on the work order. You see the Actual column only when you have See cost figures. If you have See cost figures but not See per-worker cost, Actual shows Hidden: fewer than 2 workers when the total would show what one worker is paid.

Clear removes the search and all the filters.

Read the work order

The top of the work order shows its number and title, its status, and the asset with the asset's own status. Below them, a row of steps shows how far it has got: Waiting for approval, Approved, In progress, Complete, Closed. A work order that was approved when it was made did not wait for approval, so it has no Waiting for approval step.

The button beside the status is the next step. More holds the other things you can do now:

Below the steps, the Summary box shows the details of the work order. Activities lists the activities of the work order, and Planned shows Planned, Unplanned or Mixed. If you have See cost figures, it shows the Estimate, the Authorized amount and the Actual cost so far. The authorized amount is the spend that is approved. The estimate is for planning only. Below Actual, it shows how much more or less than the estimate the cost is, as an amount and a percentage. With See cost figures but not See per-worker cost, Actual shows Hidden: fewer than 2 workers when it would show what one worker is paid (see See what the work has cost).

When the actual cost goes over the authorized amount by more than the limit in Settings, an approver sees an Over authorized amount callout with Re-approve. The work order keeps its status, and you can continue the work. Approval never stops repairs. See Re-approve a work order.

Project shows the project that the machine was allocated to when the fault was reported. Pay finds it from the requests of the work order. Select the name to open the project. When the requests have different projects, it shows Several projects. When there is no project, or you cannot see it, the field does not show. Each request under Reported issues also shows its project. The project is for review only. The cost of the work stays on the work order.

Safe to operate is the answer when the fault was reported. After the work order is complete, it reads Safe to operate when reported, and a restriction reads Restriction when reported. The status of the asset now is beside the asset name at the top.

The work order has two tabs, Overview and History. The Overview tab has a box for each subject: Description, Reported issues, Mechanics, Work and Cost to date. When the description holds only the faults of the requests, there is no Description box: Reported issues shows the faults.

You see only the steps your access allows. The History tab lists every change, who made it and when, with any reason or note. When someone adds requests to the work order, History shows Requests added, with the requests and any change to the safe-to-operate answer. A work order that is approved when it is created shows Created and then Approved. A change to an activity shows Activity added, Activity changed or Activity removed with the activity name. Activity changed shows the change, such as Planned → Unplanned or Cause: Wear → Damage, and the reason. A material shows Material added, Material changed or Material removed with its description. A change to a labor line shows Labor changed. When an approver sets a new authorized amount, History shows Re-approved; see Re-approve a work order.

Read the reported issues

A work order can fix the faults of more than one request. The Overview tab has a Reported issues section. It lists every request in the work order. For each request, it shows:

• The Number, such as WR-00002, and the Fault.
• Safe to operate, with the restriction for Limited use.
• Priority.
• Raised by and the time it was raised.
• What raised it. For a request from a failed inspection item or an HSEQ issue, it shows the inspection or the issue, with its photos. The failed item and the inspector's note are the Fault, so they show one time only.

To put more requests on the work order, see Add requests to an open work order. When a request is less safe than the work order, the work order takes the answer of that request.

Book a mechanic

1. On the Overview tab, under Mechanics, select Assign mechanic.
2. Choose the Worker.
3. Under Days, today is already selected. Select the first day and then the last day. Every day in between is booked, weekends included, up to 62 days. Below the calendar you see the day, for example 02 Nov 2026, or the number of days with the first and last day, for example 4 days: 02 Nov 2026 to 05 Nov 2026.
4. Change the Start time and End time if the shift isn't 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM (07:00 to 15:00). The times show in the 12-hour or 24-hour clock of your organization, or your own choice. An end time before the start time means the shift ends the next day.
5. Select Assign. If the mechanic has other bookings at these times, the dialog shows them and the button is Assign anyway (see Other bookings of the mechanic).

You see, for example, "Worker booked for 4 days." The mechanic is listed under Mechanics and in the work orders list.

Each day becomes a shift on the Workers view of the scheduling board, showing the work order's number and title, so the mechanic shows as busy there. The booking does not book the machine. The machine stays free on the board.

Each shift has a role. Pay uses the first role in this list that it finds:

1. The mechanic's role. When the mechanic has more than one role, Pay uses the role that they got first.
2. The role on the last labor line that was added by hand for the mechanic.
3. The role named Mechanic in your organization, when there is only one.

When Pay finds no role, the shift has no role, and the mechanic chooses the role on the timesheet. To change the roles of a worker, see the worker's profile.

The mechanic sees the shift in My Shifts. See What the mechanic sees.

Other bookings of the mechanic

When you have chosen the worker, the days and the times, the dialog checks the other bookings of the mechanic. It uses the same rule as the scheduling board for a double booking: two shifts clash when their times overlap. A shift that ends at 14:00 does not clash with a shift that starts at 14:00. An overnight shift can clash with a shift on the next morning.

If there is a clash, the dialog shows a warning with one line for each other booking:

• The day and the times of that booking, in the same clock as the Start time.
• The job number and name, for example J-1042 Pit relocation, or WO-00012 Hose repair for another work order.
• Busy on a job that you cannot see, if the job is outside the locations that you can see.
• The day and the number of bookings, with no times, if the system cannot show those bookings.

You can still book the mechanic. Select Assign anyway. Only the bookings that the dialog shows are accepted. The scheduling board then shows the mechanic as Double-booked on those days, as it does for a double booking made on the board.

If a new booking for the mechanic is made while the dialog is open, the assignment stops and the dialog shows the new list. Look at it, then select Assign anyway again if you want to.

The check does not include leave or other times when the mechanic is not available. The scheduling board does not record them.

You can book a mechanic while the work order is Approved, In progress or On hold. At other times there is no Assign mechanic. When you complete the work order, the mechanic's bookings after today come off the board; cancelling takes off today's too.

What the mechanic sees

In My Shifts, the shift of a work order shows:

• The work order number and title, for example WO-00008 · Hose repair.
• The machine. When the machine is not Available, its status shows next to its name, for example Down.
• The priority, when it is High or Urgent.
• The role of the shift.
• View work order.

The shift has no Job details. The details of the work are in the work order.

View the work order

Select View work order. The work order opens. It shows:

• The number, the title, the status and the priority.
• Machine: the machine, its status, and its restriction when it is Restricted. Select Report breakdown to report a new fault on this machine. Cancel on that page brings you back to the work order. See Report a breakdown.
• Description, when the work order has one.
• Reported issues: each request of the work order, with how safe the machine is to use, the priority, who raised it and when. The worst fault shows open. Select a fault to open or close it. A fault from an inspection names the form and the inspector, gives the answer and shows the photos. Select a photo to see it full size. Use the arrows to go to the next photo.
• Activities: the activities of the work order, each Planned or Unplanned.
• Target window: when the work must start and finish.

Select Back to My Shifts to go back to your shifts.

The work order shows no costs, rates or amounts. A mechanic can open only the work orders that they are booked on. A declined shift doesn't count. Anyone else sees "You're not booked on this work order." and Back to My Shifts. If your account asks workers to confirm their shifts, the mechanic must confirm the shift first. Until then they see "Confirm your shift to see this work order." Office users who can see maintenance can open it too.

Record time and materials

1. In My Shifts, on the shift of the work order, select Create Timesheet.
2. The timesheet starts with the work order, the role of the shift and, when the work order has only one activity, that activity. Check them.
3. Enter the times.
4. To record a part that you used, add it under Materials with its quantity.
5. Sign the timesheet if the form asks for a signature, then select Submit Timesheet.

The time shows on the work order under From timesheets, on the line of its activity. A material shows on the same activity, with the status of the timesheet and a link to it. See Record labor and materials.

Start, hold and resume the work

• Start work moves an approved work order to In progress.
• More → Put on hold stops the work, for example to wait for materials. You must give a Reason. It shows on the work order as Reason for hold.
• Resume work moves it back to In progress.

Holding the work order doesn't change the machine's status.

Change the activities

The Work section on the Overview tab has a card for each activity of the work order. Each card shows the activity name, Planned or Unplanned, its cause (or No cause yet), links to its Requests, and the Labor and Materials cost of that activity. Without See cost figures, the costs show as Cost hidden. Select Show labor and materials to see the lines. On a wide screen, Cost to date is beside the Work section.

A work order with no activities shows "No activities on this work order yet. Add one to record labor and materials."

To add an activity:

1. Under Work, select Add activity. The Add activity dialog opens.
2. Choose the Activity. The list shows only the activities that are not on the work order yet. A work order holds each activity one time only.
3. Turn on Planned if this work was in your plan. Choose a Cause if you know it.
4. Select Add activity.

To change an activity, open the Actions for menu on its card, for example Actions for Hydraulics, and select Edit. You can change Planned and the Cause. When you change Planned, answer Why did planned or unplanned change? Then select Save. You cannot change the activity itself. Add the other activity, then remove this one.

To remove an activity, open the Actions for menu on its card, select Remove, then select Remove activity. You can remove an activity only when it has no labor, no materials, no timesheet time and no requests, and it is not the last activity of the work order. When it can't be removed, the dialog tells you why. Select OK, move or remove what it names, then try again.

Mechanics can record timesheet time against an activity that is not on the work order. That time shows on the Other activities card, below the activity cards. The card names those activities. It counts in the total of the work order.

You can change the activities while the work order is Waiting for approval, Approved, In progress or On hold.

Before mechanics log time

Mechanics record their time on a work order with their normal timesheet. Each timesheet line needs an activity. The activities of the work order show first in the timesheet's activity list. When the work order has only one activity, the timesheet starts with that activity.

To set up the activities that your mechanics use, see Set up maintenance activities.

Record labor and materials

Labor and materials go on an activity of the work order. Open the activity's card in Work. The card has a Labor section and a Materials section.

Labor

• From timesheets lists the hours on timesheets filed against this activity of the work order. A draft timesheet is not cost, so it shows here only after it is submitted. A timesheet from Assignar Operations is cost when it is imported, so it shows here even while it is still a draft in Operations, marked Draft.
• Added by hand is for labor that isn't on a timesheet, such as time a mechanic didn't record on one.

A Field mechanic records their time on the work order with a timesheet, not here. To add labor by hand:

1. On the activity's card, select Add labor. The dialog title names the activity, for example Add labor to Hydraulics.
2. Choose the Worker. The Role is filled in with the worker's role. When the worker has more than one role, check it.
3. Check the Date. It starts as today.
4. Enter the Hours, up to 24, and the Hourly rate. If you can't see cost figures, enter the Hours only. There is no Hourly rate field, and Pay costs the labor at the rate of the Role.
5. Add a Note (optional), then select Add labor.

The line shows under Added by hand, and its cost goes on the work order straight away. You see, for example, "Labor added to Hydraulics."

The labor table shows the Worker, Role, Date, Hours, Rate, Cost and Note. A timesheet row shows the role of the timesheet, for example Mechanic · Timesheet. Under Other activities, the timesheet rows show the Activity in place of Timesheet.

To change a line, open the menu in its Actions column and select Edit labor line. Change the Worker, Date, Hours, Hourly rate or Note, then select Save labor line. You cannot change the activity or the role of a line. Remove the line and add it again on the correct activity. The cost on the work order changes at once. If you leave Hourly rate empty, the line keeps its rate. If you can't see cost figures, there is no Hourly rate field, and the line keeps its rate. To take a line off, select Remove labor line in the same menu and confirm with Remove.

If you have See cost figures but not See per-worker cost, you can't add, edit or remove labor by hand: there is no Add labor and no Actions column. The change in the total would show that worker's cost. Ask someone with See per-worker cost, such as an Owner, Admin or Manager.

Materials

1. On the activity's card, select Add material. The dialog title names the activity, for example Add material to Hydraulics.
2. Optional: choose a Material from your materials list. It fills in the Description and the Unit cost from the rate of the material's cost code. For a material that is not on the list, leave Material empty and type the Description.
3. Enter the Quantity. Check the Unit cost. Choose a Supplier if you want to. If you can't see cost figures, there is no Unit cost field: a material from the list uses its rate.
4. Select Add material. To add more materials to the same activity, select Add another. It saves the material and keeps the dialog open, with the same supplier.

The material's cost goes on the work order straight away. You see, for example, "Material added to Hydraulics."

To change a material, open the menu in its Actions column and select Edit material. Change the Description, Quantity, Unit cost or Supplier, then select Save material. The cost on the work order changes at once. If you leave Unit cost empty, the material keeps its unit cost. If you can't see cost figures, there is no Unit cost field, and the material keeps its unit cost. To take a material off, select Remove material in the same menu.

A material that a mechanic adds on a timesheet also shows on the activity of that timesheet line. It shows the material, the quantity and the unit cost, the status of the timesheet and a link to the timesheet. Its cost counts in the Materials of the activity and of the work order. You can't edit or remove it here. Change the timesheet instead.

You can add, edit and remove labor and materials while the work order is Approved, In progress or On hold. At other times the cards show the lines but no Add or Actions.

Cost codes

Each labor and material line has its own cost code. Your accounting system gets the cost of the line on the general ledger (GL) account of that cost code:

• A labor line uses the cost code of its Role.
• A material from your materials list uses the cost code of that material.
• A material that you type uses the cost code of the activity that you add it to. For example, a material that you type under Hydraulics uses the cost code of Hydraulics.

See what the work has cost

The Cost to date card on the Overview tab adds up the Labor hours, Labor, Materials and Total. The total includes anything else charged to the work order, such as Other activities. Each activity card shows the cost of that activity.

What you see depends on your access:

• Without See cost figures, the card shows the hours and Cost hidden, the activity cards have no rate or cost columns, the work order shows no Estimate or Actual, and the list has no Actual column.
• With See cost figures but not See per-worker cost, Pay hides the Labor and the Total of each activity whose labor is from one worker, because the figure would show their pay. Those figures show Hidden: fewer than 2 workers. Materials, hours and counts still show. Each activity is checked separately, so a work order can have some activities shown and some hidden. The Cost to date card leaves out the hidden amounts. Pay also hides the Total of the work order when the activities that show would let you work out what one worker is paid.

Owners, Admins and Managers have both permissions by default.

If the card or an activity card reads Cost details did not load, select Retry. The rest of the work order is not affected.

Cancel a work order

Cancel a work order you no longer need, while it is Approved, In progress or On hold.

1. Select More → Cancel work order.
2. Give a Reason, then select Cancel work order.

The work order is Cancelled and can't be restarted. Any Down or Restricted status it or its requests put on the machine ends now, and the mechanic's bookings on it are removed from today on.

When it doesn't save

When someone else changed the work order first, the dialog closes and the page shows the work order as it is now. What you entered is not saved.

• "You can change this only while the work order is approved, in progress or on hold." The work order is waiting for approval, complete or closed.
• "The cost code of this activity is deleted. Restore the cost code, or add the material to a different activity." A material that you type uses the cost code of its activity, and that cost code is deleted. Restore the cost code, or add the material to a different activity.
• "Enter a quantity more than 0. For labor, enter a date and more than 0 and up to 24 hours." Check the quantity, the date and the hours.
• "Enter 24 hours or less." One labor line holds at most 24 hours. Add one line for each day.
• "Enter a quantity of 1,000,000 or less." or "Enter an amount of 1,000,000,000 or less." Check the quantity, the unit cost or the hourly rate.
• "Use 500 characters or fewer." (or another number) The text in that field is too long. Make it shorter.
• "This worker cannot be found or is not active." Choose a worker who is still active.
• "You need permission to see each worker's cost to add, edit or remove labor lines." Your access changed while the page was open. Ask someone with See per-worker cost to make the change.
• "You can't change the unit cost. Ask someone who can see costs." Your access changed while the page was open. Ask someone with See cost figures to change the unit cost.
• "Select 62 days or fewer." Book a shorter stretch, then assign the rest separately.
• "The end time must be different from the start time." Change one of the times.
• "Enter a reason." Putting on hold and cancelling both need a reason. A change to Planned on an activity also needs a reason.
• "That activity is already on this work order. Add labor and materials to it there." A work order holds each activity one time only.
• "That activity is no longer on this work order. The page now shows its activities." Someone removed the activity while you had the dialog open.
• "This activity has labor, materials or timesheet time. Remove them first."
• "Requests are linked to this activity. Move them to another activity first."
• "A work order needs at least one activity. Add another activity before you remove this one."
• "That material cannot be found. It may have been removed." Choose another material from the list, or type the material.
• "That role is not available. Select another role."
• "You cannot do this while the work order has its current status. The page now shows its status." Someone else moved the work order on.
• "Someone else changed this first. The page now shows the latest version. Check it and try again." Another person moved the work order while you had the dialog open.
• "This line is not on this work order now. Someone may have removed it." Someone removed the labor line or the material while you were editing it. The dialog closes and the page shows the lines as they are now.