Work Order Status
Work Order Status identifies the current stage of a job within its lifecycle. It provides visibility into what work has been created, what is underway, and what has been completed or paused.
Keeping statuses up to date ensures that all users can see the true state of maintenance activities at a glance. Accurate status updates improve communication, planning, and reporting, while also helping supervisors and planners prioritise tasks effectively.
In Samurai, a work order generally progresses through several key stages, beginning as Open, moving to In Progress once work starts, and finally becoming Complete when all work is finished and verified. A work order may also be placed On Hold if it cannot proceed, or Cancelled if it is no longer required.
Maintaining accurate statuses ensures reliable data for reporting, scheduling, and compliance tracking, and helps the maintenance workflow run smoothly from start to finish.
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Open | The work order has been created and is awaiting assignment or commencement. It outlines the required work, but no action has yet been taken. |
| In Progress | Work has commenced. Technicians are actively performing the assigned maintenance, inspections, or checks. |
| Complete | All scheduled work and associated tasks have been finalised. The work order has been reviewed and officially marked as complete. |
| On Hold | The work order has been temporarily paused due to external factors such as waiting on parts, labour, access, or approval. Once the issue is resolved, the work order can be resumed. |
| Cancelled | The work order has been withdrawn or closed without completion, usually because the job is no longer required, has been replaced by another order, or was raised in error. |
Using Work Order Status in Practice
When a new work order is raised on the desktop app, it is typically created in the default Open status.
From there, technicians using the mobile app can pick up open work orders, perform the required work, and update the status to In Progress and later Complete as the job progresses.
Supervisors or planners can also adjust statuses manually to reflect operational changes, such as placing a job On Hold while awaiting spare parts or cancelling a task that is no longer relevant.
Best Practice
- Always update the work order status as soon as its state changes.
- Avoid leaving work orders in Open or In Progress once work is finished — mark them Complete promptly.
- Use the On Hold status to clearly identify delayed work, helping planners monitor bottlenecks.
- Review status reports regularly to ensure your maintenance data reflects actual field activity.
Accurate status management keeps your maintenance operation transparent, efficient, and well-controlled.