Take a look at your current work order process. Are maintenance jobs being completed in a safe and timely manner? Do those who request jobs receive status updates and are they notified in a timely manner?
Asking these and other questions is essential for understanding your current work order process and for improving it.
Creating a streamlined work order process is important for several reasons.
A well-rounded process helps ensure that jobs are completed in a timely manner with fewer mistakes and with less frustration at each step.
Here are some tips for jump-starting the changes:
Complete a Work Order Audit
You can’t make the right work order process changes if you don’t first investigate what is and isn’t currently working well.
Begin the change process by auditing the current work order flow. An audit can be completed in several ways and the steps included with it will depend on your industry and other factors.
The most basic audit should include submitting a work order following the current process and tracking all steps included in that process.
You may also decide to send an audit questionnaire to all employees who are regularly involved with work orders. One-on-one interviews and focus groups could also provide valuable information.
Revamp the Request Form
If your audit shows that the current work order request form isn’t working well, take a closer look at the form and assess which changes are needed.
A well-rounded request form should include a description of the maintenance issue, work that’s needed, estimated time to complete the job, tools needed and employees involved.
Based on your industry and work flow, you may determine that other pertinent details are also needed.
After you’ve revamped the request form, determine whether a digital or paper form is the best match for your business.
Choosing between a paper or digital form will depend on whether the employees involved have regular access to a computer at work, your business’s filing system and more.
Implement a Ticket System
A common employee frustration regarding work order processes is that they aren’t kept in the loop on the status of requested maintenance jobs.
If this is a cited frustration among your workers, consider implementing a job ticket system. Ticket systems help show the flow of projects and allow employees who request work orders to see how many jobs are in front of theirs.
Adjust as Needed
After you’ve audited your work order process and implemented the necessary changes, continue to monitor the flow of jobs.
You should expect a few issues as employees become accustomed to the new process. But, if the issues continue for a month or more, return to the process and investigate what’s causing the problems. If needed, make additional changes to overcome the issues.
According to “Recreating your Work Order Process: 100+ Questions to Ask,” periodic reviews of your work order process are the best way to keep things running smoothly.
Updating your work order process can bring many benefits. These include keeping your workers safe, reducing frustrations regarding maintenance tasks and more.
Create a more streamlined process by auditing the current work order flow and by taking the necessary steps to improve it.
About the Author: Shayla Ebsen is a freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional writing experience both in the corporate and freelance settings.
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