Creating Your First Work Order

Work orders are how repair and service work gets tracked in CLUE. They help your team keep the asset, the issue, the mechanic, and the work details in one place from start to finish.

‍

How to create a work order

Use a work order any time an asset needs repair, service, or follow-up work. This is also a natural place to link to Creating and Managing Work Orders, Assigning Work Orders, and Work Order Types Explained for readers who need more detail after the first setup.

Step 1: Open Work Orders

From the main menu, go to Maintenance > Work Orders.

This opens the work orders list, where you can see existing work orders and create a new one. Click + New Work Order in the top-right corner to get started.

Step 2: Choose the work order type

After you click + New Work Order, a dropdown opens with different work order options.

The main options are:

• Asset Work Order - for work on one specific piece of equipment
• Project Work Order - for work tied to a project or job site
• Bulk Asset Repair - for creating repair work across multiple assets at once

For most day-to-day maintenance, choose Asset Work Order. If readers need help choosing the right type, this is a good internal linking spot for Work Order Types Explained.

Step 3: Fill in the work order form

The work order form is where you add the main details the team needs to do the job. Keep the information clear so the mechanic understands what needs to happen before the work starts.

Under Assignment, fill in fields like:

• Associated Asset - the equipment that needs work
• Assigned Mechanic - the person doing the repair
• Shop - the shop location, if needed
• Project - the related project, if there is one

Under Work Order Details, fill in fields like:

• Work Order Title - a short title for the job
• Work Order Type - the type of maintenance or repair
• Components - the part of the asset affected
• Related Issue - a linked fault code or inspection issue
• Checklist - a checklist template, if needed
• Description - the full detail of the work required

This is also a strong linking opportunity for Creating Work Orders from Issues if the job started from an inspection defect or fault code, and for Assigning Work Orders if the reader needs more detail on choosing the right assignee.

Step 4: Save the work order

Once the required fields are filled in, click Save at the bottom of the form.

The new work order is created and shows up in the work orders list. New work orders typically start in To Do, which means the job has been created and is ready to be picked up by the team. This is a natural place to link to Understanding Work Order Status and Updating a Work Order.

‍

Tips

A few simple habits make work orders easier to manage and easier for mechanics to act on. The goal is to make the job clear from the start so less time is lost on follow-up questions.

• Use clear titles that say what needs to be done, like Replace hydraulic hose instead of Repair.
• Add enough detail in the description so the mechanic understands the issue before starting work.
• Link the work order to the related issue when the job comes from an inspection item or fault code. This helps keep a clean maintenance history and connects well with Creating Work Orders from Issues.
• Assign the work order as soon as possible so the right person owns the job from the start. This is a good linking spot for Assigning Work Orders.
• After the work starts, use Logging Labor and Time Entry on Work Orders to keep labor records complete.