What is a work order in Field Service?

A work order brings together everything related to a single service request: what needs to be done, for whom, at which facility or on which equipment, and using which products and services. It is used for everything from installation and repairs to preventive maintenance.

Where work orders come from

They can be created manually, but are often generated automatically. A preventive maintenance agreement generates them regularly. A customer service case can become a work order when it turns out that someone needs to be dispatched. A sale can trigger an installation. This integration with the rest of Dynamics 365 is a key part of the value — the customer does not have to explain their situation again at every stage.

The work order doesn't schedule itself

This surprises many people: when you create a work order, the system automatically creates an associated record called a resource requirement. The resource requirement is used to find the right technician and time. The work order specifies what needs to be done and where—the scheduling determines who and when.

The lifecycle up to invoicing

A work order goes through creation, scheduling, assignment to a technician, the service job itself, review by a manager, and finally invoicing with any necessary inventory adjustments. It is worth understanding the entire process, because many of the errors we see occur when one step is skipped—typically the review before invoicing.