Creating Your First Work Order

Work orders are how you assign tasks to a vendor and kick off the paperwork trail. You create them right from the property page, and once you save, the system takes it from there and handles the email notifications automatically.

Opening the Work Order Form

On the property page, look for the New Work Order button. Clicking it opens a dialog with the full work order form, split into two columns. The left side covers the details and costs, and the right side handles fixtures, instructions, and who gets the email. If the property does not have a default vendor assigned yet, the form will not open and you will see a prompt to add one first, so take care of that ahead of time if you are setting up a new property.

Filling Out the Basics

The Subject or Title field gives the work order its name and pre-fills with the property name. You can leave it as-is or make it more specific. Order Date pre-fills with today, and Due Date pre-fills with five business days out. Adjust either one if your situation calls for it.

The Vendor field pre-fills with the property's default vendor. Start typing if you need to swap in a different one. If the property has contracts on file, the Contract field lets you pick the right one or choose to proceed without one. Reference No. is optional and useful for account numbers or tracking codes you want tied to the work order.

Use the Add Line Item button to break costs down by task or trade, or just drop a number into the Total field if you are keeping it simple.

Additional Options

If the job has a specific start date that differs from the order date, check the Include a Work Start Date box and a date field will appear. Leave it unchecked if the vendor can begin whenever and a separate start date is not needed.

The Include Management Details in WO Emails checkbox controls whether the property's management contact information gets included in the vendor email. It pre-checks based on the property's default setting, so you can leave it or toggle it for this particular work order without changing the default.

If you need to send the vendor supporting documents like floor plans, photos, or specs, use the Add A Zip File field to attach a zip archive. Zip files only here. The file gets stored with the work order and a download link will appear on the work order page after saving.

Choosing Who Gets Copied

At the bottom of the right column you will find a card listing all your Sytewise admin users. Check anyone who should receive a copy of the work order email. This is a great way to loop in the right people without having to remember to forward anything after the fact.

Selecting Fixtures

The right column also includes a fixture selector. Use Load All Fixtures to pull in the full list, then check the ones this work order covers. Any fixture already assigned to another open work order is highlighted in green, so you can see at a glance what is already spoken for.

Special Instructions

Use the Special Instructions text area for anything the vendor needs to know before arriving on site. Access details, timing requirements, contact names at the property, any of it goes here and gets included in the work order email.

Saving the Work Order

When everything looks good, hit Save. Sytewise will create the work order, send the notification email to the vendor contacts and any admins you selected, and drop you right on the new work order page.

Additional Reading: CREATING AND MANAGING WORK ORDERS