In the modern world of business, driving profitability revolves around exceptional service delivery and efficiency. Work order software is, therefore, a necessity for any business, particularly those in the maintenance sector, to continue to succeed.
No matter what equipment makes up your most valuable assets, such as forklifts, HVAC systems, or other equipment, they are essential to your organization. If an asset malfunctions or breaks, you can’t afford to wait to schedule repairs. With growth and expansion, work order software will become increasingly important to your business.
In essence, work order software assists you in managing assets via a digital database of work orders. Depending on your business, you may submit work orders internally or externally i.e with employees within your company or from a vendor or a client.
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There is a wide variety of conditions and categories for work orders. That makes keeping track of them stressful and time-consuming using paper and pencil, spreadsheets, and other manual input methods. This guide will help you find the best work order software for your particular situation.
What is a Work order?
A work order is a task or job assigned to someone capable and qualified to perform it. You can use them to inspect or repair a property but also to follow up on it like conducting an audit. The work order usually contains instructions, cost estimates, and dates and times of the inspection or repair.
Work order software falls into two basic categories, CMMS (computerized maintenance management system) and the FSM (field service maintenance). Most solutions fall under the first category but you can still find a few under the second one. Asset tracking and facility maintenance use both types. A work order management system, unlike an asset-management system, focuses on features that support preventive maintenance along with scheduled asset maintenance and management.
Now, let’s look at seven of the best work order software solutions in both the CMMS and FSM software groups. With a thorough review of their unique features, cons, and pricing, you’ll be in a position to understand which one will work best for your business.
1. HOUSECALL PRO
Housecall Pro is a comprehensive cloud-based field service management work order solution for small to mid-sized businesses. It’s designed for service professionals in HVAC, landscaping, roofing, plumbing, electrical, home appliance maintenance, and general repairs. Housecall Pro is an all-in-one tool that enables service professionals to run their entire business on their smartphone or any internet-enabled device.
It comes with a wide range of features to help professionals manage everything from job scheduling to client tracking to invoicing and payment processing. With its scheduling module, users can drag and drop job items, set new arrival windows with a few clicks, and pull up customer records. It also hosts a consumer booking app for clients to set up appointments.
One of its unique features is the remarketing tool. It utilizes automated email marketing and direct mail marketing to drive repeat business and referrals. It is also fully integrated with accounting tools such as Quickbooks.
Key features
- Compatible with all platforms ( Web, Android, and iPhone/iPad)
- Built-in remarketing tool
- Real-time status tracking. reports and analytics
- Automated work order scheduling
- Sale proposal tool
- Quickbooks integration
- Online dispatch and estimate calculator
- Customer management
- Invoicing and payments
- Mobile app
- Review management
- Team alert/notification
Cons
- No inventory management feature
- No inspection management feature
Pricing
There are three pricing plans in Housecall pro and a 14-day trial period. The Basic plan goes for $49/month, Essentials at $109/month, and Max which is for more established enterprises is available only on request. (https://www.housecallpro.com/partner-program/)
2. COASTAPP
Coast combines scheduling, team messaging, and work order management functions into one tool so businesses can stay organized and manage vital business processes easily. Work order creation and delegation features make it a useful tool for work order management.
It features a mobile app with which technicians can view, update, and edit all work orders on the go. With the preventive maintenance feature, you can schedule and streamline work orders according to a particular period (daily, weekly, monthly).
It also includes a checklist list function on each work order for the technician to complete as the job progresses. Automated reminders can be sent to technicians to assure they complete work orders before the deadline and boost customer satisfaction. You can easily identify service issues with the photo upload feature that’s part of each work order.
One of its unique features is the team chat function for businesses to keep employees on the same page and reduce the costs of calls and text messages. Inventory management is also one of the reasons you can use Coast. All spare parts are stored digitally and tracked for easy stock management. Reorder alerts and notifications levels are also automated.
Key features
- Real-time analytics and reporting
- Mobile app
- Free team chat app
- Alerts/notifications and reminders
- Inventory management
- Online access to workflows on any internet-enabled platform
- Tasks delegation across multiple locations from a central dashboard
- Real-time checklist
- Messaging
- Task read receipt status for accountability
- Time tracking of employee hours, attendance, and overtime
Cons
- No Barcode generation feature
- No PDF document generator
Pricing
It has four packages and a free plan with a 14-day limited usage. The Starter plan goes for $4/month, the plus plan is $8/month while the Professional plan is by quotation.
3. REPAIR-CRM
Repair-CRM is a user-friendly work order management software specifically designed for field service management. It assists small to large businesses specialized in HVAC, landscaping, plumbing, roofing, and general equipment maintenance, render quick repairs and maintenance services.
Some of its unique features include automated customer feedback, GPS tracking, and an offline mobile app. Job proof of service indicators like electronic signature, online acceptance of terms and conditions, and many more.
Using GPS technology, Repair-CRM keeps track of technician locations in real-time and allows supervisors to schedule jobs for technicians. It also supports barcode reading technology which allows managers to track inventory, monitor consumption usage, and access information on the item, etc. With this software service workers can upload photos of completed repairs or maintenance.
Also of note is its customer relationship management feature (CRM). Client and staff data like contact information can be collected and stored electronically. Managers can create work orders for staff, capture issues on the site, add photos, and send email notifications to customers. It also gives room for customers to send daily feedback to supervisors, so they can maintain scoreboards and evaluate performance.
Key features
- GPS tracking
- CRM functions
- Offline mobile app for monitoring in rural areas or areas without internet connection
- Real-time tracking and reporting
- Automated customer feedback
- Mobile printing
- Email notification
- Proof of service functions (E-signatures, and online acceptance of terms and conditions)
- Photo upload of work orders
- Barcode inventory tracking
Cons
- No recurrent appointment feature
- No billing and invoicing
Pricing
It has three pricing plans with a free trial. The plans include a Starter plan at $19/user/month, Grow plan at $39 per month for 2 to 5 users, and a Pro plan at $59 per month for 6 to 10 users.
4. UPKEEP
UpKeep is a work order management software devoted to improving maintenance, facility, and asset management for businesses. It provides cloud applications and Industrial IoT(internet of things) devices that solve critical problems for technicians and managers across the globe.
It also falls under the CMMS category of work order software. It’s designed to fit the needs of various industries including manufacturing, construction, distribution, food processing, and warehousing.
It has a broad usage capacity and allows users to manage maintenance planning and work orders on the go. It offers tools for creating work orders, capturing signatures, tagging images, filing assets, QR scanning, managing inventory, team collaboration, and much more. Work order software from UpKeep lets you assign reactive or preventive maintenance jobs to technicians easily.
List and calendar formats are available for viewing all work orders. It lets you filter orders by location, technician, assets, and priority. The asset management feature of UpKeep makes it more convenient for clients to worry less about the reliability of their equipment due to real-time monitoring and preventive maintenance.
Key features
- Mobile access
- Real-time reports, tracking, and analytics
- Automated work order creation, prioritization, and assigning
- Real-time capture of updates on work orders
- Online document archives
- Work orders can be easily accompanied by PDF documents of equipment manuals and instructions.
- Mobile push notifications
- Photo and video upload of tasks
- Provide real-time access to inspections and procedures carried out by technicians for future team onboarding.
- Enhance the workflow and response time for technicians by enabling them to submit work requests via mobile devices
- Integrated inventory tracking
Cons
- Data import options are limited
- No offline mobile access
Pricing
It has four packages which include a free plan called Community with limited functionality. The starter plan goes for $45/user/month, the Professional plan starts at $75/user/month while the Business plan starts at $120/user/month.
5. MaintainX
MaintainX is a mobile responsive work management software that digitizes work orders. It streamlines inspection logs, and audit checklists used daily by thousands of businesses around the world.
Through MaintainX, users can digitize paper procedures such as inspections, safety, and checklists, and receive real-time insights as they occur. Those involved in facility, property, restaurant, and manufacturing management will find MaintainX useful.
Work orders can be automatically created and assigned to assets, locations, or technicians, and they can be tracked in real-time. Its predictive maintenance feature tracks the operation of equipment to detect issues before they occur. With the form builder feature in MaintainX, you can create unlimited work orders, send messages, request photos, and more.
With its technician management tool, managers can send instant messages to technicians individually or in groups. Platform users can access information quickly and centrally, leading to an easier process of prioritizing and organizing work orders. It allows users to complete tasks, manage assets and locations, and communicate with teams anytime anywhere using native iOS and Android apps.
Key features
- Automated work order creation, assigning, and prioritization
- Central dashboard and easy access to data in real-time
- Technician management with in-app chat and instant messaging
- Mobile responsive and compatible on any internet-enabled device
- Audit trail and compliance management
- Inventory management
- Real-time tracking, reporting, and analytics
- Predictive maintenance
- Alerts/notifications
- Online document archive
- Activity tracking
Cons
- No email notification features, for clients and staff – all interactions are on the app
- No contract/License management feature
Pricing
It has four price plans one of which is a free Basic plan but with limited features. The others include Essential at $8.33/user/month, Premium at $32.50/user/month, and Enterprise which is for multiple sites and large teams. The price for Enterprise is available on request.
6. FIIX
Fiix’s work order software is AI-powered and makes it easy to submit and respond to requests, keep your records in one place, and analyze thousands of work orders. Fiix is accessible through a web application or native mobile app for Android and iOS devices. With the app, you can work even without an internet connection, so you can work anytime anywhere.
The work order request portal allows for unlimited entries with automated updates on requests. Users and sort and track all submitted requests in real-time. The time tracking feature allows supervisors to set work order due dates, indicate estimated hours, and labor tasks. This provides a comparison of effective time management by technicians in the field.
Tasks can be assigned both as single or in batches to multiple technicians with ease. Other unique features include cost tracking, work order tagging and scanning using barcodes, E-signatures for completed tasks and as proof of work, and many more.
Key features
- Unlimited work order requests and access to guest or one-time users
- Offline access on the mobile app
- Time tracking
- Automated scheduling and assignment of tasks both as single and in batches
- Real-time access to photos, manuals, and instructions on work orders
- Cost tracking
- Inventory and asset management
- Custom report creator to include additional information
- Cross integrations available
- Classification of work orders for easy search
- Time-based meter reading and event-based triggers for preventive maintenance
Cons
- No Audit management feature
- No compliance tracking
Pricing
It has four packages which include a free plan that is limited to 3 users only. Other plans include Basic at $45/user/month, Professional at $75/user/month, and Enterprise which comes with custom pricing.
7. FMX
FMX is a provider of maintenance and facilities management solutions that help organizations improve performance. It is a work order management software under the CMMS category. With FMX you can streamline processes, increase asset productivity, and turn insights into practical actions.
With FMX’s maintenance work order management software, users can submit work requests in one central location, giving you a complete view of how your maintenance department, equipment, and facilities are performing.
Work order resolution times can be decreased, costs can be cut, and time can be saved by automating routine processes. Some of its main features include preventive maintenance, task scheduling, and real-time tracking, inspections, comprehensive reporting and analytics, and more.
Key features
- Time tracking
- Real-time reports and analytics
- Automated task scheduling
- A central and easily accessible interactive dashboard
- Automated routing of ticket requests to users
- Access/permission control by supervisor
- Photo and file upload with work order
- Online document archives of past tasks for reference
- Vendor inclusion as users for easy communication
- Third-party integrations
Cons
- No search/filter feature
- No audit management
Pricing
It has four packages which include a free plan but with limited features. Other plans include Select at $35/user/month, Plus $60/user/month, and Premium which is custom pricing and is available on request.
Conclusion
Finding the right work order software can be a game-changer for your business. With so many available solutions in the market, a proper evaluation is key to making a choice. From the list above, that will no longer be a hurdle and you can be on your way to scaling up your team’s productivity and growing your profit margin.