What Are the Statuses of a Work Order

When creating a work order, Latner applies a structured workflow to ensure a consistent and repeatable process.

Every work order carries four statuses: the Work Order Status, the Tech Status, the Parts Status and, for equipment, the Equipment Status. The first three track the job. The Equipment Status decides whether the machine can still be hired while the job is open, so it's the one to check when you can't select equipment on a rental contract.

Work Order Status

Represents the overall progress of a job from creation through to completion.

Open

Indicates that a work order is created and currently active.

Pending Approval

Indicates that the technician failed a checklist and approval is required from the appropriate person (provided the setting is enabled)

Completed

Indicates that the work order is completed and final invoicing has been processed if it’s a chargeable work order.

Tech Status

Tracks the technician’s involvement and progress on the assigned job.

Unallocated

Indicates that the work order has been created but not yet assigned to a technician

Allocated

Indicates that the job has been assigned to a technician, but they haven’t acknowledged it yet.

Accepted

Indicates that the technician has confirmed they will take on the job

Travelling

Indicates that the technician is en route to the job location

On Site

Indicates that the technician has arrived at the job site and is working on it.

Parts Requested

Indicates that the technician requires additional parts to complete the job; work is paused until parts are available. This will automatically update the Parts Status to Requested.

Completed

Indicates that the job has been finished and marked as complete by the technician.

Parts Status

Represents the cycle of parts required for a job, from availability through allocation or cancellation.

Available

Indicates that the part is in stock and ready to be used.

Requested

Indicates that a technician or user has flagged the need for the part, but it hasn’t been ordered yet.

Ordered

Indicates that the part has been formally ordered from the supplier.

Partly Received

Indicates that some, but not all, of the ordered parts have been delivered.

Allocated

Indicates that the part has been assigned to the Work Order and ready to be picked.

Cancelled

Indicates that the request or order for the part has been cancelled and will not proceed.

Equipment Status

Records whether the machine on the work order can go on hire while the job is open. You choose it in the Equipment Status field when you create a work order for equipment. On the work order itself, and as a column on the Work Orders list, the same field is called Operational Status.

Operational

Indicates that the machine is fit to hire while the work is done. Its Service Status shows Out of Service while the work order is open, but that doesn't stop it being added to a rental contract.

Non-Operational

Indicates that the machine isn't fit to hire until the job is finished. While the work order is Open or Pending Approval, Latner sets the machine's Rental Status to Non-Operational and blocks it from rental contracts:

• It no longer appears in the Equipment list when you add a line to a rental contract.

• If your business allows pre-allocated equipment, it can't be pre-allocated either. Saving the line gives the error Equipment <number> not available to rent.

Releasing a machine that's still in the workshop

Sometimes a machine flagged non-operational is actually safe to hire before the job is finished, for example when the remaining work is cosmetic or can wait until it comes back. If you can't select the equipment on a rental contract because of an open work order, release it in one of two ways:

• Change the work order's Equipment Status to Operational. Open the work order, click the Operational Status field in General Details, choose Operational and click Save. The work order stays open, and Latner recalculates the machine's Rental Status from everything else it's doing - usually back to Available, or to a status such as Reserved or Return Inspection if that applies.

• Complete the work order. Completing it (or cancelling it) recalculates the Rental Status the same way. Once the machine has no other open work orders, its Service Status also returns to Available.