Assigning Work Orders to Technicians

Assignment connects a work order to the technician responsible for completing it — triggering a notification, moving the status from Open to Assigned, and establishing accountability for the SLA deadline.

How assignment works

1. Open the work order from the Work Orders list or the linked asset's detail page.
2. Click Assign (or the assign field if the work order is already open).
3. Select the technician from your organisation's user list.
4. Save. The work order status moves from Open → Assigned automatically.
5. The assigned technician receives an in-app notification immediately. The notification shows the asset name, work order title, priority level, and SLA deadline.

The technician does not need to accept the assignment. They see it in their work order list and in their notifications.

Who can assign work orders

Only Managers and above (Manager, Admin, Owner) can assign work orders. Employees (technicians) cannot assign work orders to themselves or to others — they can only see and work on work orders already assigned to them.

If a technician is unavailable, any manager can reassign the work order at any time.

Reassigning a work order

To reassign a work order to a different technician:

1. Open the work order.
2. Click the assigned technician field.
3. Select the new technician.
4. Save.

The reassignment is logged as a timestamped entry on the work order timeline — so the previous assignment is preserved in the record. The new technician receives an in-app notification. The previous technician is no longer assigned and the work order will no longer appear as active in their queue.

You can reassign a work order at any status up to Awaiting Approval.

Logging time and materials

Once a work order is In Progress, the assigned technician can log actual time and materials consumed directly on the work order.

Time logging

• Minutes spent: Enter the actual time worked on this task.
• Labour cost: Enter the cost of that labour (internal rate or external contractor charge).

Log time as work progresses, or once at completion. UniAsset does not require real-time logging — enter what is accurate.

Materials logging

Add each material or part consumed individually:

1. Click Add Material on the work order.
2. Enter the material name (e.g., "Expiratory valve — VentPro 3000").
3. Enter the unit cost.
4. Enter the quantity used.
5. Save.

UniAsset automatically calculates the total material cost by summing all materials listed. This total, combined with labour cost, becomes the work order's total cost — which transfers to the asset's maintenance record when the work order is closed.

Photo documentation

UniAsset supports photo uploads at three defined stages of a work order, each with a specific purpose:

Before photos

Capture the fault or condition state before any work begins. Before photos document what was wrong and serve as evidence of the problem that justified the work order.

During photos

Capture work in progress — components removed, repairs underway, parts being replaced. During photos provide accountability for what was actually done and can be valuable for vendor disputes or warranty claims.

After photos

Capture the completed repair or service. After photos confirm that the asset was returned to a functional state and document the final condition.

To upload photos:

1. Open the work order.
2. Click the Photos section.
3. Select the stage (Before / During / After).
4. Upload from your device.

All photos are stored on the work order and visible to managers at any time. They remain part of the work order record permanently.

Notes and internal communication

Work orders support two types of notes, visible from the Notes section of the work order:

Public notes

Visible to all users who can access the work order — including the assigned technician, other technicians, and all managers. Use public notes for:

• Status updates ("Waiting for part delivery — expected Thursday")
• Findings during the repair ("Found secondary fault in adjacent relay, flagged for separate work order")
• Handover information when a work order changes hands

Internal notes (manager-only)

Visible only to Managers, Admins, and Owners. The assigned technician cannot see internal notes. Use internal notes for:

• Vendor quote discussions ("ABC Engineering quoted $1,200 — checking against last year's rate before approving")
• Escalation decisions ("Escalated to department head — third failure on this asset in 60 days")
• Sensitive context about the asset or the situation that should not be visible to field technicians

To add an internal note, check the Internal toggle before saving the note. Internal notes are visually marked so managers can distinguish them from public notes at a glance.

Related articles

• Understanding work orders in UniAsset
• Work order lifecycle — from open to closed
• SLA deadlines and escalation in UniAsset
• Maintenance cost tracking
• Setting up preventive maintenance work orders