2024 ML Work Orders Spring Guide

Welcome to our ML Work Orders Spring Guide! In this comprehensive resource, we have gathered some of the most common questions that people often have with the weather getting nicer. After a long winter, there are a number of different tasks to take care of around school districts.  We have created this collection of FAQs to make sure you're getting the most out of ML Work Orders this Spring.

Topics/Features that will be covered in this guide include:

• Preventative Maintenance Ideas
• Customizing the "On Hold" Work Order Status
• Approval Paths

 

What are some ideas for PMs that I can create to make sure that the district is up to speed for the Spring/Summer time once the weather breaks?

As we covered in our Winter guide, Preventative Maintenance schedules can be created inside of ML Work Orders so that work orders are created automatically based on the settings that you choose. With so many different tasks that come with the spring time, we thought that we would list a couple of examples to help get you started:

• Sports field/equipment change over
• Cleaning and inspections of
  • Roof Drains
  • Sump Pumps
  • Storm Drainage
• Change Over, Store, or Startup seasonal equipment
  • Swap Snow Blowers for Lawn Equipment
  • Oil / Filter / Belt Changes and Inspections of Outdoor Equipment
  • Cleaning and Storage of Plows, Salters, Shovels, Salt
• Clean and inspect door thresholds for corrosion and confirm doors close and latch properly

You can even add procedures to these PMs that will act as step by step instructions for whoever is assigned to complete the PM when it generates. To setup these or any other PMs, you can follow these steps:

 

1. Select PMs > View all PMs.

 

The Preventative Maintenance Listing page will be displayed. 

 

 

2. Select the Add Preventative Maintenance option from the Action button dropdown to create a new PM.

 

3. Enter all of the information related to the PM in the given fields.

 

 

Note: Create Method has multiple options. Each option will determine how many Work Orders the PM will generate.

 

4. If there is a procedure related to the PM then select the procedure from the drop-down menu.

 

Note: If you would like to add a new Procedure, select the plus icon next to the procedure section.

 

5. Enter a description or any other notes related to the PM.

 

6. Upload any related files that you would like to be attached to each generated work order.

 

7. Select the Save button.

 

I know there's an "On Hold" status for work orders, but is there a way to add some context as to why it's on hold? There could be a number of different reasons for that.

While all work orders statuses cannot be changed, the "On Hold" status is the one that can be. This allows users to give more of a reasoning as to why the work order is on hold. In order to add On Hold statuses, follow these steps:

 

1. Click Settings > Setup Items > Manage Work Order Status.

 

 

2. Once you are on the Manage Work Order Status Screen, you will have the ability to edit the On Hold Status. You can do this by clicking the Pencil Icon.

 

3. Once you are editing the On Hold Status you will be able to add customized reasons by clicking the Add New Record button, or editing an existing one.

 

 

A couple of examples of On Hold statuses you may find helpful are:

• Awaiting Funding
• Waiting on Parts
• Pending Summer

With an influx of work orders in the Spring time, would it be a good idea to make sure our approval paths are up to date?

We strongly recommend taking a little bit of time prior to the Spring influx of work orders to make sure that your approval paths are up to date, and you make any changes before hand if needed. To update approval paths, or even create new ones, you can follow these steps:

1. Select Settings > Manage Approval Paths

 

 

2.  To add an approval path, select the Add icon (). To edit an approval path, select the Edit icon.

 

Note: Hovering/selecting the "i" next to the Roles field indicates when role(s) are selected for approval step(s), all users within that role will be included in this approval path step. This will allow anyone with the role listed to be notified of approval for the request, and anyone with that role can approve that step.

 

3. Enter a Name for the approval path.

 

4. Enter a Description for the approval path.

 

5. Next select the Request Type(s) (i.e. maintenance, IT.)

 

6. Select the Building(s) for the approval path.

 

7. Select the Space(s) for the approval path. 

 

8. Select the Problem Type(s) associated with the approval path. N

Note: A Problem type will need to be selected when filling out a work order in order for the approval path to take place. 

 

9.  Select the Add Step button to add each approval step as needed and select the individual responsible for that specific step of approval.

 

Note: If multiple users are selected for one approval step, only one of those users has to act upon the work order in order to keep it moving in the process.

 

10.  Select the Save button.

 

Here is a video on approval paths inside of MLW -