Introduction
This is the first part of a two-part article series. In this part, we explain at a general level what work orders are and why a functional system for work management is important for your company. In the second part, we help you evaluate and score potential system suppliers so that the selected system best serves your company's needs and strategy.
At Eneral, we tendered a system intended for work order management for our customer (hereinafter a work order system), and by choosing the right system we were able to significantly reduce the customer's operational costs. We have also led implementations of different systems, developed several modern work order systems and related integrations, and we want to help all companies find the solution that best fits their needs.
What are work orders and why is digitalising them important?
Work orders, field work or work assignments are assignments, such as meter replacement or maintenance work, that the work requester asks the work performer to carry out. For example, an electricity distribution system operator can order a meter replacement job from a contractor. Work orders contain different kinds of information, such as:
- Basic work information - What type of work is it, for example maintenance or mass replacement? Who is the work requester? Which identifier uniquely identifies the work order?
- Work execution information - What exactly does the work requester want done? Who is responsible for performing the work, such as a contractor or installer? Where is the work performed? What are the serial numbers of the devices, such as electricity or gas meters, used by the end customers of the work requester, for example an electricity or gas distribution system operator?
- Schedules and priorities - By when must the work be completed at the latest, for example if a contractor is given one week to perform the work defined by the requester? How critical is the work?
This information helps the person performing the work complete it successfully within the schedule defined by the requester.
Especially in the energy sector, distribution system operators for electricity, gas or district heating use work orders for replacing, installing and removing different devices, such as electricity meters. Work orders are also widely used in other industries, such as construction, logistics and transport.
In many companies, a work order still means a paper form, such as a metering form, on which the information mentioned above is reported. Information from these paper forms is often transferred manually to different systems, such as a customer information system, metering data management system or reading service in the case of distribution system operators. With this way of working, the possibility of errors is obvious because information manually recorded by the work performer, such as an installer, may be incorrect or unclearly marked.
Wouldn't it be convenient if these paper forms were digitalised and the information entered by the work performer on the work order were automatically updated to all necessary connected systems, such as a customer information system or metering data management system? This is exactly the need that modern work order systems address.
Features of an effective work order system and key selection criteria
As the previous section shows, a functional work order system is a central part of effective work order management. This is especially important for distribution system operators, where order volumes are high and work needs to be delegated, scheduled and managed systematically. The work requester is also always interested in the processing times of work orders on the performer's side, because billing for completed work may be based on work order completion within a certain time.
Modern work order systems also offer other useful features, such as mobile use and QR and barcode scanning features. This means that the work performer, such as an installer, can scan a QR code from the device casing with a phone or tablet during a meter replacement job, allowing the serial number to be automatically completed and updated in the work order system. Because device serial numbers can be very long, this feature significantly reduces errors.
However, it is important to note that technical differences between different work order systems can significantly affect their suitability for your company's needs. Comparing different options, defining the required features and weighting criteria such as price and quality are therefore very important. This is where we can help you.
Digital work order management - fewer errors, more efficiency
There are many ways to create work orders, but today work is mainly ordered through some digital system, such as a customer information system. The advantage of digital systems is that essential information mentioned in the earlier sections, such as customer information, site location information or device information, is automatically filled in on the work order. This speeds up communication between the requester and the performer. A digital work order reduces errors and improves operations, which directly creates cost savings because the information related to completing the work order is available in one place and does not need to be searched for elsewhere.
Especially in electricity or gas distribution system operators, so many work orders are created that a digital work order is essential for maintaining operational efficiency. Who would want to order thousands of meter mass replacement jobs by email or manually track ordered and completed work on paper forms?
Summary: how to choose the right work order system for your company?
A work order system selected for your company's needs, the implementation of related integrations and process automation improve work management, reduce errors and lower costs. A functional system improves resourcing, scheduling and reporting, especially in high-volume industries such as energy and logistics.
A solution that fits your needs can achieve significant savings and improve the efficiency of your company's processes. Do you want to know which solution is best suited to your company? Get in touch - we will help you succeed.
In the next part, we explain how tendering can help identify a system that fits your needs and can improve operations while reducing costs such as maintenance expenses. You can also read about project management in the energy sector.