In an organizational setting, work orders transition through multiple states. Large organizations require software that allows them to define work order states that are most relevant to their workflows. Previously, custom substates were only available for assets, but now EZO CMMS has enabled this feature for work orders as well.
For instance, an organization can have different substates for the Parent state. EZO CMMS enables professional and enterprise-level users to create advanced custom substates within existing work order states to facilitate such operations.
Custom substates for work orders allow organizations to create substates within the two Parent states, Open and In Progress, of a work order. This helps them be more specific about tracking the progress of their maintenance tasks.
For instance, within the Open state, maintenance managers can set up different phases like “collecting tools,” “planning the job,” or “waiting for approval.” These additional details help maintenance teams better organize and manage workflows, ensuring they have clear visibility at each step of the process.
To learn how to enable custom substates for assets and asset stock, click here.
Benefits of Custom Substates for Work Orders
The benefits of custom substates for work orders are as follows:
Improved workflow precision
Custom substates for work orders allow organizations to define specific phases within Parent States, like “Open” or “In-Progress,” providing a better view of the progress of the tasks.
Better visibility and communication
Custom substates can enable maintenance teams and stakeholders to view which phase a task is currently in quickly. For example, they can know whether the task is in the “collecting tools” or “planning the job” phase. This helps reduce miscommunication among teams and improves visibility.
Enhanced team allocation
By knowing the exact phases of each task, maintenance managers can allocate teams in an effective way, ensuring that preliminary steps like gathering tools or getting approvals are completed before a work order is started.
Increased accountability
Custom substates for work orders can help maintenance managers track the progress within each stage, making it easier to hold teams accountable for each phase.
Simplified workflows for larger teams
Organizations can better organize workflows and avoid disruptions by breaking down work orders into different phases, improving the overall efficiency of maintenance tasks.
Use Cases for Custom Substates for Work Orders
In this scenario, we will create two custom substates in the “Open” state and two in the “In-Progress” state. They are mentioned as follows:
Open State:
- Awaiting Parts: This state indicates that the team is waiting for parts or materials to start work.
- Planning Phase: This state indicates that the work is in the planning stage, where tasks and resources are being assigned.
In Progress State:
- Site Preparation: In this state, the teams prepare the physical space for the task, ensuring it’s safe and accessible.
- Inspection: This state indicates that the work has started, but an initial inspection is being carried out in parallel.
How to Enable Custom Substates for Work Orders in EZO CMMS
Now, let’s follow the step-by-step guide to understand how to enable custom substrates for work orders in your EZO CMMS account.
