Cradle-to-grave: a work order from request to history

1Notification / request

Someone records the problem or need against a functional location or equipment: what is wrong, where, and how urgent. The notification is the start of the record and the start of the history.

By origin

• Operations: Operator or shift supervisor raises a malfunction / breakdown notification, often with "breakdown" and priority set at the console.
• Capital Projects: Request usually starts outside PM as a project or appropriation request; the PM order may be created later from the project structure (CJ20N) Unverified.
• Environmental: Raised from a compliance trigger: LDAR leak tag, emissions exceedance, permit inspection finding or a regulatory due date. Due date is fixed by the rule, not by the planner Unverified.
• Reliability: Generated by a maintenance plan call (IP10 / IP30), a PdM / condition alert, or an RCFA action item. MOC-driven changes start from the approved MOC Unverified.

2Screening / approval

The notification is reviewed: is it valid, a duplicate, or already covered? Priority, required-end date and order type are confirmed and the notification is approved and converted to a work order (or rejected).

By origin

• Operations: Daily screening meeting with operations: emergencies bypass straight to execution and are documented after; everything else goes to backlog.
• Capital Projects: Approval sits with the project / funding gate. Order is tied to a WBS element or investment order so costs land on the project Unverified.
• Environmental: Cannot be rejected or deferred without environmental sign-off; regulatory deadline drives priority Unverified.
• Reliability: Reliability engineer validates PdM findings and RCFA actions; MOC items need the approved MOC before work is released Unverified.

3Planning

The planner builds a job package: scope and job steps, task list, materials, labor by work center, permits and isolation, tools, and an estimate. A job is "ready" when every resource is identified and available.

By origin

• Operations: Scope often defined at the job site walk-down; reuse a standard task list where one exists.
• Capital Projects: Scope comes from engineering deliverables; materials frequently project stock or direct-charge purchases against the WBS Unverified.
• Environmental: Include required test / monitoring steps (e.g. LDAR re-monitor) and record evidence needed for the regulator Unverified.
• Reliability: Plan from the maintenance plan task list; PdM and RCFA jobs add inspection or redesign steps. MOC jobs must match the approved MOC scope Unverified.

Worked example: What a great task list looks like

4Scheduling

Ready work enters the backlog. The scheduler builds the weekly schedule against available capacity, levels it by work center, then breaks it into daily schedules with operations.

By origin

• Operations: Breakdowns break the schedule; track schedule compliance and the share of emergent work.
• Capital Projects: Scheduled to the project schedule (often in P6 or MS Project), with tie-in work aligned to outages or turnarounds Unverified.
• Environmental: Locked to regulatory dates; schedule early enough to allow re-work before the deadline Unverified.
• Reliability: PM/PdM dates come from IP10 / IP30 call horizons; protect them from being bumped by corrective work.

5Execution

Permits issued, isolation applied, materials issued to the order, work done to the job plan. Craft records what was actually found and done.

By origin

• Operations: Fastest path; emergency work may start under verbal approval and be documented after per site rules Unverified.
• Capital Projects: Contractor execution is common; progress is reported to the project, not just PM Unverified.
• Environmental: Capture regulatory evidence (readings, photos, re-monitor results) during the job Unverified.
• Reliability: Record as-found condition and measurements so the RCFA / PdM program learns from the job.

6Confirmation / technical completion

Labor time and activities are confirmed against each operation. When the work is done, the notification is completed and the order is set to technically complete (TECO).

By origin

• Operations: Damage, cause and activity codes on the notification are the main history input; push for complete codes.
• Capital Projects: Completion may also update project progress / milestones Unverified.
• Environmental: Completion date is the compliance evidence; record it before the regulatory deadline Unverified.
• Reliability: Measurement documents and condition findings feed the next PM call and RCFA Unverified.

7Cost settlement

Actual costs (labor, materials, services) collected on the order are settled to the receiver set in the settlement rule.

By origin

• Operations: Settles to the cost center (maintenance expense).
• Capital Projects: Settles to the WBS / investment order and on to Assets under Construction (AuC), then to the final fixed asset when capitalized Unverified.
• Environmental: Usually expense; some compliance projects are capital. Confirm settlement receiver with finance Unverified.
• Reliability: Expense to cost center; RCFA redesigns may become capital projects Unverified.

8Closeout

After costs are final and settled, the order is business-closed. Open purchase orders, commitments and reservations must be cleared first.

By origin

• Operations: Close after settlement period; watch for late invoices.
• Capital Projects: Close with the project; final asset capitalization happens at project close Unverified.
• Environmental: Keep the evidence package with the record per retention rules Unverified.
• Reliability: Close only after the follow-up actions (RCFA, plan changes, MOC close) are recorded Unverified.

9Feedback / history

Completed records become history: failure patterns, bad actors, costs and task list feedback. That history improves the next plan.

By origin

• Operations: Repeat breakdowns flag bad actors for reliability.
• Capital Projects: As-built data and new equipment records hand over to maintenance; new PM plans are created Unverified.
• Environmental: Compliance reports pull from history Unverified.
• Reliability: RCFA and PM optimization close the loop: adjust plans (IP02), task lists and spares Unverified.