Glossary

Work order

A dispatched maintenance job with scope, vendor, and budget.

Definition

A work order converts a resident request into an actionable job. It carries scope, priority, assignment, budget threshold, entry permission, and photographs before and after the work.

Example

A resident's leak report becomes work order 4021, dispatched to a plumber with a $300 approval threshold, entry permission on file, and photos attached at completion.

Why it matters

Most maintenance failures are scope failures, not vendor failures. A written scope with a spending threshold is what prevents the wrong work at the wrong price, and the photo pair is what makes the invoice defensible on an owner statement.

How it works in practice

Take intake through one channel so nothing lives in a personal phone. Triage by priority with a target response time per level. Require a work-order reference on every vendor invoice, then approve before paying.

Common mistakes

Scoping by phone call, dispatching with no spending limit, closing a job with no completion photo, and paying invoices that cannot be matched to a job. Emergency response expectations are set by local habitability law — confirm the standard where the property sits.

Related resources

Keep exploring

Run this workflow in Ayillo

$49/month includes 5 units, then per-unit pricing that drops as you grow. Optional modules are billed separately and must be added deliberately.

Explore Ayillo