Work Order Settings - Configure SLA Windows and Escalation Rules

Overview

Work Order Settings control two things: how SLA (service-level agreement) deadlines are calculated for new work orders, and how the system escalates overdue work orders to the right people.

SLA deadlines tell your team how long they have to complete a work order based on its priority and the criticality of the asset involved. Escalation rules define who gets notified — and when — if a work order is not resolved in time.

Changes to these settings only affect new work orders created after the change. Existing work orders retain the SLA deadline and escalation rules that were in place when they were created.

Who Can Access This

Employees and Viewers cannot access this settings page.

How to Access This Section

1. Log in to your UniAsset account
2. Click Settings in the left sidebar
3. Select Work Orders

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SLA Configuration

How SLA deadlines are calculated

When a work order is created, its SLA deadline is computed once using this formula:

SLA deadline = created_at + ROUND(baseHours × multiplierPercent ÷ 100) hours

• baseHours — the response window for the work order's priority level
• multiplierPercent — the criticality multiplier for the asset's criticality rating

The result is a specific timestamp. That deadline does not change if you later edit the SLA configuration.

Example: Emergency base = 4 hours, asset criticality multiplier = 50% → effective SLA = ROUND(4 × 50 ÷ 100) = 2 hours.

Priority base hours

The four active priorities each have a base response window in hours:

Planned work orders are scheduled in advance with a specific date. They do not use the base-hours formula — the scheduledDate field becomes the SLA deadline directly.

Editing priority base hours

1. Navigate to Settings > Work Orders
2. Under the SLA Configuration section, find the priority you want to adjust
3. Update the Base Hours value (must be greater than 0)
4. Save the configuration

Base hours must be a positive number. There is no upper limit enforced by the UI.

Asset criticality multipliers

Asset criticality ratings (Critical, High, Medium, Low) allow you to tighten or extend SLA windows based on how important an asset is to operations.

A multiplier of 100% means the SLA deadline equals exactly the priority's base hours. Multipliers below 100% shorten the window; multipliers above 100% extend it.

Valid range: 10% to 500%.

Editing criticality multipliers

1. Navigate to Settings > Work Orders
2. Under the SLA Configuration section, find the criticality level
3. Update the Multiplier percentage
4. Save the configuration

Default SLA configuration

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Escalation Rules

Escalation rules automatically notify team members when a work order passes its SLA deadline without being resolved. UniAsset supports up to three escalation levels (L1, L2, L3), each triggered at a defined number of minutes after the SLA deadline.

Default escalation configuration

How escalation works

1. A work order passes its SLA deadline without reaching a completed or cancelled status
2. The background escalation processor checks for overdue work orders on a schedule
3. When the time since the deadline crosses a level's trigger threshold, notifications are sent to the configured recipients
4. Each level fires once per work order — it does not repeat

Editing escalation rules

Only Owners and Admins can modify escalation rules.

1. Navigate to Settings > Work Orders
2. Scroll to the Escalation Rules section
3. Adjust the trigger minutes for each level and the recipients
4. Save the changes

Changes apply to all work orders created after the save. Existing overdue work orders continue using the escalation configuration that was active when they were created.

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Important Notes & Limitations

SLA deadlines are set once at creation

• The SLA deadline is calculated and stored when the work order is created. Changing the SLA configuration afterwards does not recalculate deadlines for existing work orders.

Planned priority uses a scheduled date, not a formula

• The base-hours and multiplier settings have no effect on Planned work orders. The scheduled date provided when creating the work order is the SLA deadline.

Multiplier range is 10%–500%

• Values outside this range are rejected. A multiplier of 10% gives the tightest possible deadline (one-tenth of the base); 500% gives the most relaxed.

Base hours must be greater than zero

• Setting a base hours value to 0 is not allowed.

Escalation rule edits require Owner or Admin role

• Managers can edit the SLA base hours and multipliers but cannot change escalation rules.

Each escalation level fires only once per work order

• Escalation notifications are not repeated. If L2 fires and the work order remains unresolved, no further L2 notification is sent.

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Frequently Asked Questions

If I change the Emergency base hours from 4 to 2, do existing open Emergency work orders get updated?

No. The SLA deadline on an existing work order is fixed at creation. Only work orders created after you save the new configuration will use the 2-hour window.

What does a 50% criticality multiplier mean for a Routine work order?

Routine base hours are 72. With a Critical (50%) multiplier: ROUND(72 × 50 ÷ 100) = 36 hours. The effective SLA is 36 hours instead of 72.

Can I disable SLA calculation entirely?

No. SLA deadlines are always calculated for Emergency, Urgent, and Routine work orders. You can set very large base hours to effectively deprioritise SLA enforcement, but deadlines cannot be turned off.

Can I add a fourth escalation level?

No. UniAsset supports up to three escalation levels (L1, L2, L3).

Who can change the SLA base hours?

Owners, Admins, and Managers can edit SLA base hours and criticality multipliers. Only Owners and Admins can edit escalation rules.

What happens if a work order is completed before the escalation trigger fires?

No escalation notification is sent. Escalation only fires for work orders that remain open past the SLA deadline.