How to Prioritize Maintenance Work Orders

Effectively prioritizing maintenance work orders allows teams to promptly address critical tasks, efficiently use resources, and run facility operations smoothly. 

Proper work order prioritization methodology is critical for following best practices and operating efficiently. While it may seem intuitive, there are industry-accepted priority levels that ensure teams give high-priority work orders tasks proper attention. 

In this post, we’ll explore how to prioritize work orders to optimize operations and excel at maintenance management.

Why is maintenance work order prioritization important?

Maintenance work order prioritization is crucial for several reasons:

Enhances safety

Prioritizing tasks based on their impact helps prevent accidents and secures facilities for employees and visitors.

Reduces downtime 

Addressing the most urgent issues first minimizes equipment downtime and keeps your facility running smoothly and efficiently.

Optimizes resource allocation

Proper prioritization allows maintenance teams to complete critical tasks, and make the best use of available resources.

Improves compliance

Many maintenance tasks help facilities comply with regulations and standards. Prioritizing these tasks avoids costly fines and legal complications.

Increases operational efficiency

A well-prioritized work order process ensures that teams complete routine tasks without disruption.

Understanding the maintenance work order priority matrix

To create an effective work order management process and work request prioritization matrix, consider these key factors:

Urgency and impact 

Tasks that impact safety, critical operations, or regulatory compliance are critical. For example, a malfunctioning fire alarm should take precedence over a cosmetic repair.

Resource availability

Resource availability, both personnel and materials, determines priority. If a high-priority task requires a specialized maintenance technician who isn’t available, it may need to be postponed. In the meantime, your team can work on other tasks that they can complete.

Compliance requirements

Legal or regulatory compliance tasks are a high priority. Since they are part of meeting government standards, they are not negotiable. Completing these will keep your organization from fines, legal issues, or safety violations.

Cost implications

Consider the financial impact of delaying a work order assignment. For example, postponing a preventive maintenance work order on important equipment could result in a more costly repair later. It can also create equipment failure, which is often extremely costly. 

How to set your maintenance priority matrix

Implementing a systematic approach to work order priority levels is essential for maintaining an efficient maintenance operation. Here’s how to do it:

Categorize work orders

Begin by categorizing work orders based on their urgency and impact. Categories might include:

Emergency: An emergency work order require immediate attention to avoid severe consequences, such as safety hazards or major operational disruptions. Emergency maintenance tasks are the most critical.

Preventive or routine: Routine maintenance tasks that are important but not time-sensitive. These are important for avoiding costly forms of reactive maintenance.

Urgent: Tasks that, while not emergencies, still need to be completed quickly to prevent further issues or ensure compliance.

Non-critical: Non-essential tasks teams can schedule when without impacting overall operations. These are the least important in the work order process. 

Assess and rank

Within each category, assess and rank tasks based on specific criteria, such as:

Safety: Does the task directly affect the safety of employees, visitors, or equipment?

Operational impact: Will delaying the task disrupt critical operations or cause equipment to fail?

Compliance: Is the task required to meet regulatory or legal standards?

Cost: What are the financial implications of delaying the task? Will postponement lead to higher costs in the future?

Implement and monitor

Once tasks are categorized and ranked, it’s time to implement your maintenance prioritization plan:

Schedule tasks: Assign tasks to your maintenance team based on their priority, ensuring they address high-priority tasks first.

Monitor progress: Use a work order management system to track task completion and monitor workflows.

Adjust as needed: Review the prioritization process regularly. Make adjustments to respond to changing conditions or unexpected emergencies.

How to create a work order priority matrix with facilities software

Facilities management software can significantly enhance work order prioritization. Here’s how:

Streamlined work order management

Leading facilities management software allows users to categorize, rank, and assign tasks based on their priority level. It ensures your team works on the most critical tasks first.

Real-time tracking and reporting for work order priority levels

Industry-best software tracks maintenance task status in real-time and provides detailed reports. This allows you to analyze the efficiency of your prioritization process and make data-driven decisions.

Preventive maintenance integration

Preventive maintenance features allow you to schedule regular maintenance tasks, reducing the likelihood of unexpected breakdowns. This proactive approach helps ensure that routine maintenance and planned maintenance aren’t overlooked, which reduces corrective maintenance.

Customizable workflows

Create customized workflows to match specific needs, ensuring that your prioritization process is ready for your facility. Whether you need to prioritize based on safety, compliance, or cost, good software provides the flexibility to do so.

Improved resource allocation

Facility management software can help manage resources more effectively by aligning work orders with available personnel and materials. 

FMX: leading work order management software

FMX is industry-leading maintenance work order software. It streamlines work order prioritization by centralizing task management and categorizing urgency.

“We are combining so many aspects of our day-to-day into FMX,” said San Jacinto Unified School District Director of Facilities and Operations Korey Lawson. “It’s made us 15 to 20% more efficient.”

Users like San Jacinto USD learn how to prioritize maintenance work orders effectively to address critical issues promptly, perform preventive maintenance routines, and schedule less urgent tasks. Automated notifications, real-time updates, and detailed reports keep teams informed, enabling faster response times. FMX’s tools help facilities managers allocate resources and manage tasks efficiently.