Work Order Management Software for Restaurants & Hospitality Groups
Work order management software for restaurants and hospitality groups, what it does, must-have features, how to choose one, and how pricing works.
Key takeaways
- Every work order should record the problem, the location, a priority level, a due date and the person responsible for the fix.
- Linking each repair to a specific piece of equipment shows which machines, manufacturers and vendors keep causing problems.
- Ease of use matters more than a long feature list, because a system your staff will not use cannot track a single repair.
- Paying per location with unlimited users is usually simpler when staff turn over often, since you never add or remove paid seats.
On this page
Work order management software lets restaurant and hospitality teams report, assign, track and close repairs in one place, instead of in spreadsheets, text messages and emails. Staff report a problem from a phone, a manager sets the priority and assigns it, and everyone can see its status until it is fixed.
Many restaurant and hospitality groups still use Excel, texts and emails to manage ongoing repairs in their stores. That “old school” approach is gradually giving way to more modern methods.
Restaurant operators and facility maintenance teams are now looking at purpose-built work order management software to track and manage all their ongoing repairs. Restaurant-specific tools are easy to use and cost-effective, even for small groups.
Benefits Include:
- Lower repair and maintenance (R&M) spending, because small problems get fixed before they turn into big ones.
- Longer equipment life.
- Fewer hours spent chasing repairs by phone and email.
- Staff and repair teams working from the same up-to-date information.
- Automatic record keeping.
Here is how the old way compares with dedicated software:
| Excel, texts and email | Work order software | |
|---|---|---|
| Reporting a repair | Call, text or email whoever is on duty | Anyone submits it from a phone in a minute |
| Knowing who owns it | Often unclear | Assigned to a named person who accepts it |
| Checking status | Ask around | Open, in progress or closed, visible to managers |
| Repair history | Scattered across inboxes | Saved against the location and the equipment |
| Multi-location view | Separate spreadsheets per store | All locations in one list |
What is Work Order Management
Before defining work order management, let’s start with a work order.
A work order is a request to deal promptly with a repair, like fixing a leaky faucet, repairing a broken window or getting faulty equipment working again. Our guide to the work order process flow follows one from request to completion.
A work order is usually reported, communicated and managed internally between store-level staff, upper management and an in-house facility maintenance or repair team.
Below, we look at what work order management software is, how it’s used, how it works and why it’s so valuable for running restaurant operations, particularly across multiple units.
Benefits of Automation
The practical benefits of automation are clear.
Just as important, a simple, user-friendly system is what gets operators to actually adopt it.
That is why it’s important to look for modern, industry-specific work order management software that is intuitive and easy to use.
Qualitative Benefits Include:
- Repairs Reported as Soon as They Are Spotted
- Direct Communication Between Staff and Repair Teams
- Live Status and Tracking of Every Repair
- No Confusion on the Who, What, When and Where of Any Repair Request
- Automatic Updates
- Accurate Record Keeping
- Notifications and Reminders
- Detailed Notes on Every Repair
- No More Paper Documents
- Access with Just a Tap on Any Device
What You Can Measure:
- Repair and maintenance spending per location
- How long equipment lasts before it needs replacing
- How often equipment breaks down unexpectedly
- Hours your managers spend chasing repairs each month
Track these before and after you switch, so you can see the difference for your own locations.
More restaurant leaders are turning to modern, easy-to-use work order management software to reduce costs and stay ahead of the competition.
Let’s look at the must-have features of a modern work order management system.
Features of Modern Work Order Management Software
Automation helps restaurant staff, managers and leaders save time, money and resources.
It also removes confusion about what needs to be done, how and by when.
Here are the must-have features of work order management software for restaurants and hospitality groups.
- Report Any Repair Needed at Any Time with Ease
- Ability to Add Notes at Any Time
- Ability to Set Priority Level (Low, Medium, or High)
- Notifications When a Repair is Created, Updated, or Closed
- Manage and Change Due Dates with Ease
- Manage Warranties and Vendor Contact Info
- Assign to a Team Member
- Assign to a Third-party Contractor
- Designate Access and Edit Rights per User
- Multi-Location View Capabilities
- Multi-Location Access Rights
- Automatic Record Keeping and Updates
- Ability to Search and View Old Repairs
- Ability to Link Repairs to Specific Assets (Equipment)
- Ability to Seek Approval from Managers to Proceed with a Repair Estimate
A feature-rich work order management system is easy to find.
What’s harder to find is one that is truly intuitive and easy to use.
Work order management software makes repair management simpler, particularly for multi-unit operators, who can see maintenance across every restaurant from one dashboard.
Paired with a preventive maintenance plan for restaurants, it helps increase productivity while reducing repair and maintenance costs across your operations.
How to Choose the Right Work Order Management Software for Your Business
The hospitality industry is highly competitive and leaves little room for error.
That’s why an effective work order management system can give operators an edge, especially when they face:
- Increasing regulation
- Rising minimum wages
- Fierce competition for loyal customers
Running efficiently is now a requirement to stay ahead and give customers the best experience.
The Biggest Challenge to Implementing a Work Order Management System, User Adoption
The biggest challenge for any work order management system is getting people to use it.
When your staff, managers and facility team find a system easy to use, its features actually pay off, and your whole team works more efficiently.
That is why we think the three most important things to look for in a work order management system are:
- Ease of use,
- Ease of use, and
- Ease of use
Look for a system with the features you need and an interface your least technical employee can use without training.
Cost Considerations: Pay per User or Pay per Location
When considering cost, look at every part of the work order management software.
Most modern work order management systems charge a monthly or annual subscription.
The question is: pay per user or pay per location?
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Do you have locations with many employees who all need to report repairs? If so, paying per location is usually the most cost-effective model.
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Do you have many locations but only a few people who ever use the system? Then paying per user may cost less.
Along with the price, consider how much admin work the system creates or saves.
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A per-location plan with unlimited users usually means less admin than managing and paying for individual user accounts.
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Staff changes and turnover are part of hospitality, so paying per location is often the better option.
Work order management software is affordable and saves money early on, which makes it a good option for restaurant operators who want to run more smoothly without big costs.
Still, understanding the features and how easy the system is to use is what makes sure your business gets what it needs from it.
With the costs, benefits and features in this article in mind, you can move forward with confidence and get better efficiency, accuracy and room to grow at an affordable price.
Implementing a Work Order Management Software System
Implementing modern work order management software is like turning on a light in a dark room.
It removes the guesswork and shows clearly which repairs need doing, who is handling them and when they are fixed.
Here’s what you need to know about work order management software:
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It makes life easier for restaurant owners by letting them manage repairs quickly and efficiently from any location, at any time, day or night.
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Notifications alert staff, managers and in-house facility teams when a repair is needed, and status updates keep everyone informed as soon as a requested repair changes.
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Tracking repairs and linking them to equipment shows you repair trends, which helps you decide which manufacturers and service vendors to stick with and which to avoid.
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Clear processes save time, reduce errors and make better use of people and resources.
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When deciding which system to implement, choose an intuitive, easy-to-use one. Also consider the level of customer support you will get.
With the right work order management software, you save time, money and resources in both the short and the long run.
Conclusion
Restaurant work order management software helps you run more efficiently and keep track of repairs across multiple locations.
The right system makes managing many repair requests at once simple and efficient.
Look for a modern work order management system designed for your industry.
When in doubt, remember: Simple is Always Better. User adoption will make or break the business case for a work order management system, so choose wisely.
MaintainIQ, an operations app for single and multi-location operators, is one easy-to-use option built for restaurants and hospitality groups. Each work order has a priority, a due date and a status, is assigned to a person who accepts it, links to the piece of equipment, and keeps a history of who reported, accepted and closed it. It is priced per location with unlimited users, so staff turnover never changes your bill.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Work Order?
A work order is a request for a repair or maintenance job. For example, you create a work order for a leaky faucet, a broken window, or a piece of equipment that needs service.
What is a Work Order Management System?
A work order management system is software that creates, tracks and manages work orders across multiple locations and users. Modern systems are cloud-based and work on any device, whether a phone, a tablet or a web browser.
What features should a modern Work Order Management System Have?
A modern work order management system should let any number of users create, assign, prioritize, update and track work orders from any device. Other must-have features include notifications, reminders, notes, and the ability to link work orders to equipment so you can see repair history and costs per asset.
How much should a Work Order Management Software System cost?
It depends on the industry and how you use it. Most cloud-based systems charge a monthly or annual subscription, either per location or per user. Per-location pricing with unlimited users is usually easier to budget when staff change often.
What is the average setup time for a Work Order Management Software System?
Setup can take anywhere from 2 to 3 days to several weeks, depending on how much information goes into the system, such as equipment, user accounts, access rights and existing work orders.
What are some immediate benefits of a Work Order Management Software System?
Work order management systems make it faster to report, track, manage and update repair requests. Staff spend less time chasing repairs, managers see what is open at every location, and you build a repair history for every piece of equipment.
What is the single most important thing you should look for when choosing a Work Order Management Software system to use?
Ease of use is the most important thing to look for. Getting people to use a new system is hard enough, so choosing one that is intuitive and easy to use leads to consistent use and gets you the full benefit.