Work order software solutions come in different forms. From Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) to Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) applications, they offer a range of features, and it can be challenging to know exactly what to look for.
In general, whatever your field, you want intuitive, easy-to-use, and reasonably priced software. But what else should you be paying attention to? Here are some key features to consider when looking for work order software for your team.
The Essential Features of Easy-to-Use WO Software
Digital Work Requests
One of the great things about work order management software, specifically CMMS, is how it can simplify your work order process flow. Good work order software will allow your team to bypass pen-and-paper workflows to create and submit work requests digitally.
This approach speeds up the process and improves leaders’ ability to manage them. With a CMMS, managers can see duplicate work requests or maintenance requests teams have already resolved.
Digital work requests also improve the quality of work requests submitted. Managers can list specific details in each request. For example, staff reporting a breakdown are less likely to forget to include relevant data if templates and checklists prompt them to.
Automated Work Orders
After work requests, the next step in a work order process flow is usually work order management. First, work order software makes it easy for managers to approve these service requests and immediately create work orders.
In addition, even outside orders that started as work requests, the process benefits from work order software through automation. CMMS software users can create new work orders well in advance, prioritize them, and automate their repetition. You can create maintenance work orders today and have them automatically repeat every day, week, or month.
With MaintainX, for example, the time intervals are configurable to your own custom choices. This feature is vital for preventive maintenance procedures that follow scheduled routines. You can also apply these features beyond managing work orders to other management processes like property management, healthcare facility management, etc.
In addition, even if you have scheduled and assigned your maintenance tasks, it’s still easy to update the work orders to optimize managing assets and your team’s work.
Mobile Connectivity and Push Notifications
The app should be mobile-friendly to get the best out of a work order software’s automation features. Many work order management systems offer web apps, and while these are vital in many cases, software systems with mobile access can be crucial on the shop floor.
Mobile connectivity can be the difference between receiving notifications for maintenance tasks on time and a breakdown happening because someone didn’t adhere to the schedule. It’s one thing to automate your maintenance schedules. It’s another for your staff to remember exactly when to do what.
Mobile work orders eliminate the need to depend on individual memory. Once a task is due, the assigned staff receive notifications on their mobile device. They can then refer to SOPs they can access through cloud-based storage if they need guidance.
Inventory Management
Many work order software solutions come with simplified inventory management functionality. For example, triggering purchase orders once inventory dips below a certain level and being able to log inventory via a mobile app.
This system can go a long way in optimizing maintenance and asset management. Teams can ensure they always have the necessary spare parts, thus reducing downtime. User-friendly maintenance management software like MaintainX allows you to easily set up and scan barcodes and QR codes for your assets, ensuring you can manage and monitor them on the go.
Instant Chat
Outside of enabling preventive maintenance scheduling and automating inventory management, work order software can further optimize these processes through chat features. The benefits of instant chat in the workplace are plenty. Using chat helps save time and avoid mistakes.
A sound work order management system should simplify how you create solid and robust standard operating procedures (SOPs) that guide maintenance processes. But occasionally, there might be a reason to clarify a process or system with someone or to ask for help.
In addition, chat helps streamline maintenance activities and team communication. MaintainX chat features allow teams to create channels and groups for specific teams or the whole organization. Maybe you’re wondering why not use other chat software. Because having your communication all in one place helps simplify your audit processes.
If you’re ever looking to crosscheck details about a particular conversation, you don’t need to search through various apps. You know everything you need will be in one place.
Reporting and Insights
Even without software, one of the most essential things for any facility is to measure its progress. One reliable way to do this is by tracking data for specific metrics and KPIs. Often, you’ll need to record this data separately or extract it from your maintenance records, then conduct your analysis.
However, work order software can make this much easier for you. MaintainX CMMS, for example, comes with a reporting module that helps to analyze your data and generate robust, actionable insights.
Beyond just, for example, time and asset tracking, you can identify trends and patterns via
your Mean Time To Repair (MTTR) and Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF). These insights can enable you to make data-driven decisions about organizing your maintenance schedules. You can also better prioritize your spending, streamline facility workflows, and optimize maintenance operations.
Live Updates
In addition to automating and assigning work orders, work order software helps track work orders. Supervisors, managers, maintenance teams, and other stakeholders can receive notifications when team members start on work orders. They can also get real-time updates from the staff if need be. This feature helps ensure that teams approach work according to schedule and standards.
Get Easy-to-Use MaintainX Work Order Software
If you’re looking for easy-to-use work order software, MaintainX is your best bet. Capterra ranked MaintainX highest in the ease-of-use category, and G2 rated MaintainX #1 for “most implementable” and “easiest setup.”
Use MaintainX for a range of benefits, including,
- Reduced maintenance costs
- Increased workforce efficiency
- Automated work orders
- Simplified ERP integrations
- Digital standard operating procedures
- Improved asset lifecycle management
- Increased compliance
- Improved asset performance
- Simplified asset management
Ready to give us a try?
FAQs
For the average customer, it takes three weeks to implement one site. For customers on our Premium & Enterprise plans, our team ensures a smooth transition to MaintainX within your organization. Partner with a dedicated implementation specialist through our structured three-week onboarding process. Learn more about our Implementation services here.
MaintainX is compliant with security standards, including SOC 2, ISO 27001 & GDPR. It also supports Single Sign-On (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA) and custom permissions and roles. For more information, visit our Trust Center page.
Yes, MaintainX Enterprise allows you to manage multiple plants or facilities within the same platform. You can also create customized reporting dashboards to track KPIs across multiple sites on the same screen.
