MAINTENANCE GUIDE · 7 MIN READ
What Should a Maintenance Work Order Contain?
A work order should give the engineer enough information to act safely and leave the next person enough evidence to understand what happened.Information needed before work starts
Record the exact asset and location, a concise title, the observed problem or required task, priority, scheduled date and responsible person. Separate the symptom from an assumed cause so diagnosis is not biased.
- Work-order number
- Asset and location
- Reported symptom
- Priority
- Scheduled date
- Assignee
Instructions and controls
Attach the relevant procedure, isolation requirements, permits, parts, readings and acceptance criteria. For repeat work, use a controlled template rather than rewriting instructions each time.
- Safety prerequisites
- Checklist or procedure
- Required readings
- Parts and tools
- Photo or signature requirement
What completion should capture
The close-out should say what was found, what was done, which parts were used, how long the work took and whether follow-up is needed. 'Done' is rarely enough to support future troubleshooting.
| Weak entry | Better entry |
|---|---|
| Motor noisy | Drive-end bearing noise increased; vibration check required |
| Fixed | Replaced drive-end bearing, aligned coupling and test-ran for 20 minutes |
| ASAP | Critical: line stopped; attend immediately |
PUT THE PROCESS INTO PRACTICE
See the Maintain CMMS work-order flow
Explore the product page →COMMON QUESTIONS
Clear answers.
Should every work order require a signature?+
No. Use signatures where acceptance, compliance or risk justifies the extra control.
Who should close the job?+
Define this by risk. Routine work may be closed by the technician; higher-risk work may require supervisor review.