A work order is only as useful as the history attached to it. MaintIQ tracks status transitions, comments, and attachments so anyone who opens the WO weeks later can reconstruct exactly what happened.
The five statuses
- Open — created but not started.
- In Progress — a tech is actively working it.
- Blocked — work is paused waiting on parts, a vendor, or another team.
- Closed — work is done and verified.
- Cancelled — work will not happen (duplicate, no longer needed).
Transitions are not enforced — you can move a WO from Open straight to Closed for a five-minute job. But for anything non-trivial, walking through In Progress and Blocked produces a much more useful Insights graph.
Update status
From the work-order detail page, click the status pill at the top right and pick the new status. MaintIQ:
- Logs the transition with author, timestamp, and (for Blocked/Cancelled) the reason you provide.
- Notifies the assignee, the creator, and anyone who has commented.
- Updates the Insights queue.
Add a comment
Comments are the running narrative on a WO. Use them for:
- Status updates the team needs ("vendor confirmed Thursday delivery").
- Parts and serial numbers ("installed bearing SKF-6204-2RS, S/N 71029").
- Decisions and trade-offs ("decided not to replace gasket, monitor for 30 days").
Mentions (@firstname) ping the teammate in-app. Comments are timestamped and cannot be edited after the next user posts a reply — this keeps the audit trail honest.
Add a reading or measurement
The Add reading button captures structured data (pressure, temperature, torque) onto the work order. Readings feed Insights and can trigger follow-up tasks ("if final torque < spec, open a re-check WO").
Closing a work order
Closure requires three things by default:
- A final note explaining the resolution.
- A before/after photo (if photos were attached during work).
- A completion timestamp, which MaintIQ fills automatically.
Admins can enforce additional fields per Facility (cost, downtime minutes, root cause) from Admin → Work Order Templates.
Reopening a closed work order
If a problem comes back, click Reopen on the closed WO instead of creating a new one. Reopens preserve the original ID and history, and Insights flags them as rework — a leading indicator of root-cause issues.
Tips
- Update status the moment it changes. A WO that sits in Open for three days while work is actually happening hides true cycle time.
- Use Blocked aggressively. Insights tracks blocked-time separately so you can prove vendor or parts delays to leadership.
- Don't comment "done" — close the WO. A closed WO is the closure.
FAQ
Can I delete a comment? No. You can post a correction, and Admins can hide a comment for confidentiality (the placeholder remains).
Can I attach a video? Yes, up to 250 MB. Videos play inline on desktop and download on mobile.
How do I track parts costs? Open the Cost tab on the WO and add line items. Totals roll up into Insights → Cost by Facility.