What is the Field Service Work Order Lifecycle?

While field service organizations are familiar with work orders, many organizations face the challenge of streamlining the process and adapting to the evolving business (and customer) needs. Understanding strategies to streamline the field service work order lifecycle and deploying field service management software is paramount to joining the digital transformation and driving more efficiency.

Fortunately, innovative field service management software can help field service companies by improving each phase of the work order lifecycle, from inception to fulfillment. 

In this post, we’ll take a closer examination of the field service work order lifecycle and make the case for field service management software – and in particular, how the technology provided by ServicePower can benefit field service organizations. 

What is the work order management process?

Before diving into the intricacies of the work order life cycle, it’s imperative to understand the basics of work order management. The work order management process is the procedural workflow of tracking a work order from inception to fulfillment. Overall, it’s the tracking of a work order regarding maintenance, installation, repair or service to be performed – the tracking of resources, tools, labor used during the service, and the closing and analyzing of the work order.

What is field service work order management software?

Work order management software helps field service organizations improve the work order process/lifecycle. Typically, the software will standardize and automate the workflow process to increase visibility for customers, technicians, and tool availability. At its crux, work order management software augments efficiency and improves communication and productivity. And faster work order inception to fulfillment drives improved customer experience and ultimately, revenue. 

How does work order software help my business?

Today, many field service organizations are digitally transforming their business. Meanwhile, some businesses face obstacles with work order lifecycle management without digital tools or disparate solutions that often don’t integrate well. Outdated tools and approaches to work order management are not made for the modern field service business. 

Work order management challenges include:

• Manual, error-prone processes
• Lack of real-time visibility into work orders
• Slow ability (if any at all) to create a backup plan in case of an unexpected change 
• Inefficiency and high costs
• Not ideal for today’s blended workforce

Fortunately, work order lifecycle management software helps field service businesses overcome these obstacles while tapping into new opportunities.

Work order software benefits include:

• Increased visibility and control of the work order lifecycle
• Automated processes
• Agility to implement backup plans 
• Improved communications (customers, blended workforce, partners, etc.)
• Real-time access to insights
• Data-driven decision making
• And more

How can work order management software improve the work order lifecycle?

Let’s take a closer look at the work order lifecycle and how work order management software helps improve efficiency and flow within each phase. 

Work Order Lifecycle

Step 1: Creation of work order – A customer may use a web-based portal to generate a customized work order for a service job. Meanwhile, the field service business will receive all the details (data) on the nature of the work order.

It’s important to note how many field technicians are using mobile devices and hence the need for work order mobile apps. Customers may enter the relevant information in a mobile customer portal while technicians use the mobile work order app to manage and complete the work order. 

Step 2: Work order asset assignment – This phase centers on assigning assets and dispatching the best resources for each work order so that the necessary parts are available for each job. 

Step 3: Creation of detailed tasks – Field service work order management software then creates tasks for the specific service job to ensure that the technicians are as informed as possible.

Step 4: Assigning the correct technician – This phase of the lifecycle focuses on assigning the right technician for each work order. What if your field service business uses a blended workforce? It’s critical you consider deploying a technology provider such as Service Power that can help you efficiently and intuitively manage work order life cycles among a blended workforce. 

Step 5: Dispatching work order to technician – The field service work order management software sends the work to the specific technician. Deploying a software solution with mobile capabilities can drive efficiency, improved communication, and real-time visibility during this step. 

Step 6: Customer payment – After the service job is carried out, the customer is invoiced. Some field service work order management software offers easy methods for customers to pay their invoices – via a customer portal. 

Step 7: Inputting of resources – The field technician will then input the resources, tools, and labor used during the service into the work order management system. Traditionally, this phase has been paper- or manually-based, making it typically tedious, laborious, and error-prone. 

Field service work order management software can obviate the need to use different (and often outdated) systems in order to streamline efficiency and improve accuracy during this step. 

Step 8: Closing the work order – With all the information checked off, the work order is now complete in this last phase of the work order lifecycle. 

How ServicePower’s Work Order Management Software can help your business

While there are different work order management software vendors, not all of the solutions are the same. It’s critical you evaluate the various providers before selecting a technology provider. Today’s blended workforce, evolving customer needs, and changing economic landscape requires work order management software that can help you adapt and stay competitive. 

ServicePower’s Work Order Management Software is specifically designed to meet the needs of the modern field service organization. The innovative solution helps drive efficiency through intelligent automation, increased visibility and control, improved communication, data insights, and more. 

Schedule a demo today to experience the power of our work order management system.