Every maintenance team has a version of the same problem. Requests come in by email, phone and hallway conversation. Some get approved quickly, some sit for days because the approver didn't know they were waiting. Work gets done, but the order stays open, or closes without anyone confirming the fix held.
A work order workflow fixes this by making each stage of the order explicit, owned and timed.
A work order workflow that holds up
1. Request: the requester describes the fault, the asset and its location, ideally with a photo.
2. Triage: the maintenance lead sets priority and decides whether it's a quick fix or needs planning.
3. Planning: parts, labour and any permits or isolations are identified, and an estimated cost is attached.
4. Approval: orders above a cost threshold go to the budget owner; below it they proceed automatically.
5. Execution: the technician does the work and logs hours and materials used.
6. Verification: the requester or a supervisor confirms the fix.
7. Close-out: the order is closed with an outcome and a note on what was done.
Approval is where work orders go to wait
The approval step is usually the longest because the approver has no idea anything is waiting. Two changes help: the approver is notified the moment the order reaches them, and the step has a target time, so anything sitting too long is flagged to the maintenance lead automatically.
Planning and parts ordering can also often run in parallel with approval rather than after it, which takes days out of the cycle.
Track cost as you go
When labour and materials are logged against each step as the work happens, every work order ends with an actual cost next to its estimate. Over time that tells you which assets cost the most to keep running, which is the data you need for repair-or-replace decisions.