A work order in UniAsset is a formal record that tracks a maintenance task from the moment it is reported to the moment it is closed — capturing who did the work, what it cost, and what was found.
What is a work order
A work order is the structured alternative to informal maintenance requests (verbal reports, WhatsApp messages, sticky notes). It assigns a task to a specific technician, sets a response deadline based on priority, tracks status through a defined lifecycle, and produces an auditable record when closed.
Every work order in UniAsset is linked to an asset. When the work order closes, a maintenance record is automatically created on that asset, feeding its total cost of ownership calculation.
Work order types
UniAsset supports three work order types. The type determines why the work order was created and what kind of task it represents.
Corrective maintenance (CM)
Corrective maintenance work orders are created in response to a failure — something broke, malfunctioned, or was reported as faulty. They are unplanned and reactive.
When used: A ventilator alarm activates. A production machine produces out-of-tolerance parts. A chiller stops cooling. Any situation where an asset has failed or degraded and needs repair.
Who creates it: Managers or above. Employees cannot create work orders — they receive assignments.
What triggers it: A reported fault, a failure event, or a reactive inspection finding.
Preventive maintenance (PM)
Preventive maintenance work orders are created proactively — either manually by a manager or automatically by UniAsset when a PM rule becomes overdue.
When used: A six-month HVAC service is due. A vehicle is approaching its oil-change interval. Any scheduled maintenance that exists to prevent failure, not respond to it.
Who creates it: Managers manually, or UniAsset automatically when a PM rule's next due date passes. The Engineering Head or Owner is notified in-app when auto-creation occurs.
What triggers it: A manager's decision, or a PM rule overdue trigger.
Inspection
Inspection work orders cover formal checks, safety audits, and compliance assessments where no corrective work is expected — only a documented record that the inspection happened.
When used: Annual fire safety inspection of extinguishers. Regulatory compliance audit on medical devices. Routine condition check on lifting equipment. Calibration verification.
Who creates it: Managers or above.
What triggers it: A compliance schedule, a regulatory requirement, or a periodic audit programme.
Priority levels and response deadlines
Every work order carries a priority level. UniAsset automatically calculates the SLA deadline at creation based on the priority — no manual date entry required.
| Priority | Default SLA deadline | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency | 4 hours | Critical equipment failure, patient or safety risk, total operational stoppage |
| Urgent | 24 hours | Significant operational impact, major system degradation |
| Routine | 72 hours | Non-critical repair, operations can continue with a workaround |
| Planned | Scheduled date | Known future maintenance — date is set at work order creation |
The SLA deadline can also be affected by the linked asset's criticality level. A Critical asset with an Emergency work order may have a shorter deadline than the default 4 hours. See SLA deadlines and escalation for the full calculation.
Who can create and manage work orders
Work order permissions in UniAsset follow role-based access control.
| Role | Can create | Can assign | Can close | Can view |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Yes | Yes | Yes | All |
| Admin | Yes | Yes | Yes | All |
| Manager | Yes | Yes | Yes | All |
| Employee | No | No | No | Assigned only |
| Viewer | No | No | No | None |
Employees (technicians) can update the status of work orders assigned to them, log time and materials, add photos, and add public notes. They cannot create new work orders, assign work orders to others, or close work orders.
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