How do you set up sub-statuses for work orders?
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The six system statuses are too broad for most users. “In progress” does not distinguish between a technician being unable to proceed while waiting for parts and the work actually being carried out. Substatuses solve this—and are the right way to do it, since the system statuses should not be changed.
- 6 steps
- Total time: 1 h 5 min
- Preparation: 45 min
- Result: Custom statuses that fit your process, without affecting the system logic
Required tools
- Administrator access to Field Service — You must be able to create entries under Settings.
Required materials
- An agreed-upon list of conditions — Sourced from those who actually plan and carry out the work, not from a meeting room.
Identify the need first
1.Ask where work orders actually get held up
Review one month’s worth of work orders with the planner and a couple of technicians. Note which situations actually occur: waiting for parts, waiting for the customer, waiting for access to the building, requires two technicians. These are the ones that should become sub-statuses—not what someone thinks might be relevant.
2.Determine which system status each of them belongs to
Each sub-status is linked to one system status. “Waiting for parts” typically falls under In progress, while “cancelled by customer” falls under Cancelled. This link determines which automations are triggered, so choose it carefully.
Create and deploy
3.Create the sub-statuses
Substatuses are created as separate entries in the Field Service settings. Give them names people will actually recognize—use the terms the technicians themselves use, not system jargon.
4.Leave the system statuses alone
This is the whole point. Do not add, remove, or change the system status values for work orders. Invoice generation, conversion of products to customer assets, and travel fees depend on them. If you need different wording externally, an administrator can change the labels without altering the values.
5.Explain the difference to those who will use them
Technicians and planners need to know that the system status controls the process, while the sub-status explains why. Without that explanation, the two are used interchangeably, and then you are no better off.
6.Measure them after one quarter
The value becomes apparent once you start counting. How many work orders are waiting for parts, and for how long? That figure is often the first concrete basis for taking action on inventory management or supplier agreements.
Discussion
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