How to configure work order SLA and escalation settings
Two things are configured here: how fast work orders are expected to be responded to, and who gets told when they are not.
Requirements
- Reaching the page: Orbit, Odyssey, Cosmos
- The SLA panels inside: Odyssey, Cosmos
- Escalation rules: Orbit, Odyssey, Cosmos
- Roles: Owner, Admin, Manager
The page opens on Orbit because anyone who can operate work orders can reach its settings. The SLA panels within it need Odyssey.
Where to find it
Settings → Work Order Settings, or Dashboard → Work Order Settings.
SLA configuration
(Odyssey and Cosmos)
Base response hours
Set how long each priority gets:
| Priority | Default |
|---|---|
| Emergency | 4 hours |
| Urgent | 24 hours |
| Routine | 72 hours |
Planned work orders use their scheduled date instead, so there is nothing to configure for them.
Criticality multipliers
The base hours are then adjusted by the asset's criticality, as a percentage:
| Criticality | Default | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 50% | Halves the window |
| High | 75% | Tightens it |
| Medium | 100% | No change |
| Low | 150% | Extends it |
Multipliers must be between 10 and 500.
Worked example. An Urgent work order has 24 base hours. On a Critical asset: 24 × 50% = 12 hours. On a Low asset: 24 × 150% = 36 hours.
The deadline is computed when the work order is assigned.
Important The multipliers only do anything if your assets have meaningful criticality values. If everything is Medium, every deadline is the base figure.
Escalation rules
(Orbit and above)
Escalation notifies people when a work order is not progressing. Each rule defines:
| Setting | Notes |
|---|---|
| Level | Position in the chain — first, second, third |
| Delay | Minutes before this level fires |
| Notify roles | Which roles get the notification |
| Email subject prefix | Makes escalation mail obvious in an inbox |
A typical chain: supervisor → department head → general manager.
Every firing is logged on the work order. That log is the audit trail, and it is also what stops the same level firing twice.
Setting values that work
Start from what you can actually deliver. A four-hour emergency window with nobody on call generates breach noise that trains people to ignore alerts.
Escalate to roles, not individuals. A chain that depends on one person stops when that person is on leave.
Leave gaps between levels. Three levels firing within an hour is one alert delivered three times.
Common mistakes
Configuring SLA before setting asset criticality. The multipliers are the interesting half, and they need criticality on assets to do anything.
Setting all four multipliers to 100%. That is the same as having no multipliers.
Expecting escalation to reassign work. It notifies. Someone still has to act.
Changing values expecting existing work orders to update. Configuration applies to work orders raised after the change.
Troubleshooting
The SLA panels are locked but the page opened. That is expected on Orbit. The page is reachable because you can operate work orders; the SLA engine needs Odyssey.
Work Order Settings isn't in my menu at all. It needs Orbit or above, and Owner, Admin, or Manager.
Deadlines look wrong. Check the asset's criticality as well as the work order's priority. A Low-criticality asset extends the window by design.
Escalation emails aren't arriving. Immediate email needs Orbit or above. Check the roles named on the rule have people in them, and check individual notification preferences.
A Planned work order has no deadline. Planned orders use their scheduled date. If none was set, there is nothing to compute.
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