Reason Codes for Repairs
What is this?
When closing a work order, the mechanic can record why the repair was needed. By default, this is a free-form text field. Your system owner can customize it with a predefined list of reason codes so mechanics select from standard options instead of typing freeform.
Why it matters
Free-form notes are useful but hard to analyze. "Belt broke", "belt snapped", "v-belt failure", and "drive belt gone" are all the same problem described four different ways. Standardized reason codes make it possible to:
- Report on the most common failure reasons across your fleet
- Identify recurring problems by component and reason
- Compare failure rates between equipment types
- Feed data into reliability analysis and PM planning
How to set it up
Default: free-form
Out of the box, the repair reason field accepts any text. Mechanics type what they want. This works for smaller teams where the foreman reviews every WO.
Custom: predefined list
Your Clue system owner can configure a list of standard reason codes. Examples:
- Normal Wear
- Operator Error
- Manufacturing Defect
- Environmental (Heat/Cold/Dust)
- Lack of Preventive Maintenance
- Accidental Damage
- Unknown
When configured, mechanics select from the list when closing a work order. They can still add free-text notes alongside the code.
The full details
- Works on: Web app and mobile app
- Default: Free-form text field on work order closure
- Custom codes: Configurable by your Clue system owner or admin
- Reporting: Standardized codes enable filtering and grouping in reports
Tips
- Keep the list short. 7-10 codes cover most situations. Too many options and mechanics stop reading them.
- Include "Unknown." Sometimes the mechanic genuinely does not know why something failed. Forcing a guess pollutes your data.
- Review reason code data quarterly. If "Normal Wear" accounts for 80% of entries, the list is not specific enough. Break it down further.
