What Is a Field Service Work Order?
Learn what a field service work order contains and how an operation can use it from booking to closeout.
Direct answer
A field service work order is the working record for one service visit. It tells the crew what to do, where to go, what the customer approved, and what changed.
What a work order contains
The record must give the person in the field enough information to do the work and report the result.
- Customer name and contact details.
- Service address and access notes.
- Approved scope and scheduled time.
- Assigned technician or crew.
- Notes, photos, materials, and labor.
- Status, completion notes, and invoice state.
Use the work order from start to finish
Update the same record as the job moves through the workflow.
Steps
- Create the work order before the visit.
- Confirm the scope and access details.
- Update the record from the field.
- Record exceptions, parts, time, and photos.
- Close the work order and link the invoice or next task.
Work order vs job
A job can cover the full customer lifecycle. A work order can describe one visit or task inside that lifecycle. Some systems use these terms in different ways. Define one rule for your team and use it every time.
FAQ
What is the main purpose of a work order?
The main purpose is to give the field worker a clear scope and to preserve a record of what happened during the visit.
Should a work order include an invoice?
It should link to the invoice or show the invoice state. The work order and invoice should use the same customer and job information.