Work requests are critical for any organization’s maintenance strategy. One of the key players in keeping your business efficient is creating timely maintenance work requests. In fact, according to Plant Engineering, more than 53% of companies spend at least 30 hours weekly or more on curating an effective maintenance strategy.
Businesses with large asset inventory have to proactively rely on creating work requests to ensure timely delivery and early prevention of asset compromise.
In this article, we will provide a detailed overview of work requests, the important elements that go into creating them, and how to differentiate between their types.
What is a work request?
Work requests are formal documents (digital or otherwise) that outline the steps the maintenance team must take to resolve a particular task. A work request is typically made when a facility manager suspects an aging asset.
It is crucial to create a detailed work request document to avoid any burdensome operational pauses that may hinder organizational activity in the long run. Usually, a CMMS solution is used to generate well-managed work requests.
Work requests help maintenance managers move work from Point A to Point B. A lag can put the maintenance department in a challenging position that may put the asset at a downtime risk. In addition, the Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) may also fall significantly behind, disturbing other involved processes.
To upkeep and validate the work request, the maintenance team operates with a clear workflow.
Key elements of creating work requests
To ensure a systematic workflow, work request documentation needs to be detailed in the last dot. This allows operational managers to evaluate and approve requested maintenance quickly. A work request must have the following key elements:
Request information
It is important to clearly state the origin of the request. A typical work request includes the name and relevant details of the requestor, technician, and maintenance manager. This means mentioning the contact information of the individual, team, and/or departments involved, along with their designation, associated role, and expected outcome.
Problem stated
Write a clear problem statement that requires the maintenance team’s attention. Regardless of how trivial the work request may seem, providing a detailed description of the problem is always beneficial. It allows departments to understand the scale of the job and how effectively they can delegate the right personnel for the task.
Locality of the asset
If the organization has multiple localities, the work request form should specify the location of the asset. In case a company has multiple facilities within the same locality, your work request must provide detailed building, floor, and room identification information for convenient asset access.
Priority levels
A work request must always indicate the priority level. A priority level helps the maintenance team understand the underlying stakeholder well-being. Once a priority level is assigned, the maintenance team can compose a workflow, establish the due date, and manage the distribution of the labor based on how urgent the work request is.
Transparent budget estimates
Indicate all the costs associated with the requested work, including the labor fee, equipment repair costs, transportation cost, and the required fee for any third-party support. Ensure the budget is well-structured and represents the financial aspect of the job correctly for accounting records.
These key components are substantial for creating a good work request form. However, based on the size of the company, a work request form may include other essential information for departments to maintain a track record, which may include attaching images and other supporting documents.
Work requests vs work order
Work requests and work order maintenance are closely related but not identical. Many companies exercise work orders, work requests, or both based on the nature of their work and the maintenance strategy implemented across their departments.
However, usually, such companies miss out on important differentiation between creating a work order or a work request. If you are contemplating which one is best suited to your tasking, here is how you can decide:
| Features | Work Requests | Work Orders |
| Purpose | – To initiate a work maintenance request – Requires approval before execution | Approve and oversee the execution plan |
| Initiation | Anyone who notices a maintenance issue | By administrators, account owners, and supervisors |
| Detailed Information | A general description of the work required like asset age and severity of the reported issue | Detailed instruction on how the tasking will be carried out that may also include relevant guidelines and equipment materials |
| Approval | Requires approval | Represents an authorized approval of the task action requested |
| Final Step | Converts to a work order upon approval | Completed over-task fulfillment |
Types of work requests
A work request varies across companies’ organizational structure and needs. Although there are several types of work requests, some of the widely acknowledged ones are listed below;
Preventive maintenance work request
Preventive maintenance is the routinely scheduled maintenance work to assess and preserve physical assets’ functionality. These types of work requests are regularly created to prevent any asset downtime or failures.
A CMMS system can create swift and accurate preventive maintenance work requests that can be set on a recurring time frame based on the operating processes. With proper maintenance scheduling, organizations can plan, create, organize, and then coordinate all maintenance activities to ensure they are being completed on time.
Some common examples of preventive maintenance work requests include bi-weekly cleaning, replacing worn-out parts, lubricating the moving components of an asset or simply looking after the machinery performance.
Predictive maintenance work request
Predictive maintenance, although relatively new to the maintenance strategy, is gaining more momentum in technical industries. This is mainly due to its advanced approach to analyzing asset lifecycle success and operational cost before time.
Predictive maintenance utilizes real-time data analysis to identify equipment or process anomalies and preemptively engage maintenance teams for relevant repair and maintenance. It utilizes certain sensory devices that monitor the continuous progress and functioning of the assets.
A predictive maintenance work request would be a detailed overview of what kind of maintenance a particular asset needs.
Preventive maintenance work requests are widely used in food production plants, construction, manufacturing, telecommunication, military, manufacturing, and energy & conservation industries.
Priority-based work requests
A lot of work requests are based on particular priority levels. Some of the commonly practiced priority levels across companies are;
- Discretionary
These are maintenance tasks that do not require immediate attention and can be fulfilled later. Examples include furniture relocation, wall painting, or any other minor asset task.
- Non-discretionary
These maintenance tasks are no less than a crisis management distress call, where technicians have to perform immediate repairs. Some common examples are chemical spills, power shut-downs, and asset malfunctions due to any natural disaster.
- Urgent
Urgent work requests are usually more time-sensitive. For example, restoring the hot water supply, managing HVAC repair during winter, and fixing a central heating collapse in the facility.
- Non-routine
A supervisor or an administrator may request non-routine maintenance work out of routine checkups based on special conditions.
How to fill out a work request form
A work request can be readily created using a step-by-step method. Here is how you can generate a simple work request;
Step 1 – Identify the work issue
Step 2 – Follow the set organizational protocol and channels to engage relevant departments for the work request.
Step 3 – Fill in all the necessary details on the form.
Step 4 – Submit the work request form to the correct department
Step 5 – Maintain a loop with the involved individuals for timely follow-ups.
How to optimize work management flow through work requests
An optimized work request will determine the efficiency and reliability of the company’s maintenance strategy. Having a structured maintenance workflow will significantly reduce unforeseen downtime and lost productivity.
To make sure a company is making the most out of its maintenance program, the following are some essential optimized workflow steps to take into consideration:
- Build a central digitized system that tracks the submission of work requests, work orders, and possible triggers.
- Create standard work request forms with clear instructions that are easy to use and provide sufficient space for filling in information.
- Build a work request system based on priority and its possible impact on ongoing operations.
- Keep a crisis management work request template in place in an emergency.
- Maintain a backup of all the work requests
- Regularly conduct audits of the process for better efficiency outputs.
Benefits of implementing work request management software
Overseeing maintenance tasks can be a challenge without a centralized system. Manual tasking may still fall through the cracks despite making the best efforts to maintain accuracy. Therefore, having good maintenance software can be beneficial if you wish to optimize your operational success.
Here is how work request management can be beneficial:
- You shift from manual to automation which also means getting rid of tiresome paperwork. As you enter your data, the software automatically saves all of your input in the system.
- Your budgeting and planning become much more convenient and accurate.
- You keep a transparent track of the information backlog, enabling better turnaround times for maintenance work.
- You minimize the regulatory compliance and audits through a set database. In the long run, this practice can reduce noncompliance penalties.
Transform your maintenance framework with EZO CMMS
If your company overlooks daily maintenance processes, then it is time to invest in a good maintenance provider. EZO CMMS has been specifically designed for companies that manage complex workflows and require a powerful and efficient solution to streamline their work requests and work orders.
With our advanced CMMS system, you can track real-time updates, create customized templates, and build robust maintenance strategies that not only centralize your asset management but also boost your overall productivity.
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