Raising a works order
A works order turns findings — or a plain request with no survey behind it at all — into instructed, trackable work. Two entry points create the same underlying record, and both are covered here.
What it is
Every works order is the same kind: 'works' record in Jobs, whichever way it started. New work order (the recommended, survey-first path) raises it from one or more findings on a sealed survey, carrying those findings’ photos and hazard details across as a read-only snapshot. New works order (secondary, for edge cases) raises one directly — a tenant-reported fix, planned maintenance, or making-safe work — with no survey behind it; it’s honestly recorded as Direct Works everywhere it appears, never dressed up as evidence of an investigated hazard, and carries no statutory Awaab’s Law timeline.
Before you start
Raising either kind of works order needs Edit-level access to Work orders. Assigning it to someone, a contractor, or a scheduled visit at the same time additionally needs Edit-level access to Scheduling.
How to do it
- From a sealed survey’s findings, click New work order and select which finding(s) it covers — or, with no survey behind it, open Jobs → New works order instead.
- For a direct works order, enter the property (search your register, or add one manually) and describe the scope of works — this is the primary field, since there are no findings to choose from. Use Build from presets for a starting point, with optional AI Polish.
- Choose how to assign it: a surveyor or field operative, a contractor organisation (from your active grants), or leave it unassigned for now.
- To add someone new on the spot, use Quick-add an operative — a name plus an email or phone number; no sign-in account is created yet, but they’re assignable immediately either way.
- Optionally set a scheduled visit date, then create the job.
How it integrates
A survey-raised works order carries the source survey’s findings, photos, and — where the surveyor recorded a scope of works and costs — a costed line-by-line schedule across automatically; nothing here is re-typed by the office. A direct works order carries none of that, by design, and every display surface (the drawer, the sealed remediation record, the operative’s own job view) shows No Source Survey (Direct Works) rather than a blank findings panel. Either way, the job enters the same case lifecycle rail and the same Schedule tab once a visit date is set.
Common problems
- I can’t see “New works order” as an option. It needs Edit-level access to Work orders — the same bar as raising one from a survey.
- The contractor I want isn’t in the picker. Only contractor organisations with an active grant appear — add one under Contractors first.
- I raised a direct works order by mistake for something that actually needs investigating. There’s no convert action — close or cancel it and raise a proper survey-first job instead, so the hazard is actually investigated and evidenced.