Guide

How to assign a vendor to a work order

The wrong vendor doubles the cost and delays the fix. Pick by trade, availability, and history — not by proximity to your phone.

The short answer

Assign by trade, availability and current insurance, send the vendor the scope with the not-to-exceed and access details, and keep the whole exchange on the work order rather than in a text thread.

Overview

The wrong vendor doubles the cost and delays the fix. Pick by trade, availability, and history — not by proximity to your phone.

Why it works this way

The reason to keep dispatch on the record is not tidiness — it is that the invoice, the photos, the approval and the resident's account of what happened all need to sit against the same job when someone questions the charge months later.

Vendor insurance is the other discipline. An expired certificate discovered after an incident is the most expensive administrative miss in this business.

Do it in this order

1. Filter vendors by trade. 2. Check performance history and average close time. 3. Send the work order with scope and photos. 4. Set the approval threshold that requires your sign-off.

Checklist

  • Filter vendors by trade.
  • Check performance history and average close time.
  • Send the work order with scope and photos.
  • Set the approval threshold that requires your sign-off.
FAQ

Frequently asked

Does the vendor need an account to receive a job?

No. A vendor can receive the scope, accept, ask a question and return photos and an invoice through a link, which keeps small trades from being a barrier.

Related resources

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