Purpose Statement
The Work Order Boards within the Assets module provide a visual interface for locating, reviewing, and managing asset maintenance work orders. The board layout allows users to quickly identify work orders by status, priority, and assignment while enabling supervisors or managers to update work order progress through a drag-and-drop workflow.
Background Information
Work Order Boards use a Kanban-style layout to display maintenance work orders as cards organized by status. This visual structure allows Fire and EMS agencies to quickly track maintenance requests for apparatus, equipment, facilities, or other assets.
Each board represents a different category of work orders, and each board contains status columns (phases) that indicate where a work order is in the maintenance process.
The system also provides several tools to improve efficiency when locating and managing work orders, including:
Advanced search filters
Sorting options
Multiple board views
Priority indicators
Drag-and-drop status updates (for authorized users)
This interface helps departments maintain operational readiness by ensuring maintenance tasks are visible, prioritized, and actively managed.
Required Permissions
Access to Work Order Boards depends on user permissions configured within the Assets module.
Typical permissions include:
Assets Module Access – Required to access asset-related functionality.
Work Order View Permission – Allows users to view existing work orders.
Work Order Create Permission – Allows users to create new work orders.
Work Order Edit Permission – Allows users to modify existing work orders.
Work Order Status Management Permission – Allows users to drag and drop work orders between status columns.
Work Order List Access – Allows users to access the full work order list view.
Some features, such as editing work orders or moving them between statuses, may only be available to supervisors or managers depending on system configuration.
Video
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Open the Work Order Boards
Select the First Due logo.
Navigate to the Assets Module.
Click Work Order Boards.
2. Search or Filter Work Orders
Use the filtering tools at the top of the board to locate specific work orders.
You can filter by:
Work Order Number
Assigned User
Assigned Team
Asset or Apparatus
Asset Type
After applying filters, click Search to display matching work orders.
3. Sort Work Orders
Work orders can be sorted to display information in a logical order.
Available sorting options include:
Date Created
Priority
Assigned User/Assigned Team
Asset Name
Work Order Number
For example, sorting by Date will display older work orders at the top and newer ones toward the bottom.
4. Switch Between Work Order Boards
Select the Board Dropdown near the top of the screen.
Choose the desired board (such as apparatus, equipment, or other asset boards).
The system will display all work orders associated with that board.
Each board may contain a different number of status columns, with a maximum of five statuses.
5. Review Work Order Cards
Each work order appears as a card within the board.
Cards display key information including:
Priority level
Service status at the time of creation
Work order number
Submitting user
Current status
Priority indicators are color-coded:
Red – High Priority
Yellow – Medium Priority
Green – Low Priority
These visual indicators help personnel quickly identify urgent maintenance needs.
6. Open or Edit a Work Order
Depending on permissions, users may see different action icons on the work order card.
Eye Icon – View the work order (when user does not have permissions to edit a work order)
Pencil Icon – Edit the work order
Printer Icon – Generate a printable PDF preview
Clicking the work order card itself will also open work order details
Select the appropriate icon to access the work order.
7. Move Work Orders Between Status Columns
Users with appropriate permissions can update work order progress directly from the board.
Click and hold a work order card.
Drag it to the appropriate status column.
Release the card to update the work order status.
This drag-and-drop functionality allows supervisors to quickly update multiple work orders.
8. Create a New Work Order
From the Work Order Board page, select New Work Order to start creating a new maintenance request.
For detailed instructions on creating work orders, see the article Creating an Asset Work Order.
9. Access the Work Order List
Select Work Order List to view a full list of work orders.
This page allows users to view:
Open or active work orders
Closed or completed work orders
Access to this page may be permission-based, and some users may only have view-only access.
Best Practices
- Use filters to locate work orders efficiently. Apply available filters such as Work Order Number, Assigned User, Assigned Team, Asset or Apparatus, and Asset Type to narrow the board and quickly find relevant work orders.
- Review Work Order Boards regularly. Routinely monitor active work orders to identify maintenance requests that require attention and ensure work continues to progress through the appropriate statuses.
- Prioritize urgent maintenance needs. Use the color-coded priority indicators to quickly identify high-priority work orders that may require immediate attention.
- Keep work order statuses current. Move work orders to the appropriate status as maintenance progresses so the board accurately reflects the current state of each request.
- Confirm progress before changing a status. Before dragging a work order to another status column, verify that the work has reached the appropriate stage in the maintenance process.
- Use the appropriate board for the asset type. When managing work orders across multiple asset categories, verify that you are viewing the correct board before reviewing or updating work orders.
- Avoid creating duplicate work orders. Search existing work orders before creating a new request to determine whether the maintenance issue has already been reported.
- Use sorting to identify items requiring attention. Sort work orders by Date Created, Priority, assignment, Asset Name, or Work Order Number to organize the board based on your current workflow.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Why can't I move a work order to another status?
Moving work orders between status columns requires the appropriate permissions. If you can view a work order but cannot drag it to another status, your user permissions may not allow status changes.
Why can't I access the Work Order List?
Access to the Work Order List is permission-based. If the option is unavailable, your user account may not have access to the list view.
Why can't I edit a work order?
Editing work orders requires the appropriate permissions. Users without edit access may see the Eye icon for viewing the work order instead of the Pencil icon for editing.
Why do different Work Order Boards have different status columns?
Each Work Order Board can be configured for its associated maintenance workflow. As a result, the available statuses may differ between boards. A board can contain up to five statuses.
What do the priority colors on work order cards mean?
Priority colors provide a visual indication of the work order's priority:
- Red – High Priority
- Yellow – Medium Priority
- Green – Low Priority
Why can't I find a work order on the board?
Verify that you are viewing the appropriate Work Order Board and review any filters currently applied. A work order may not appear if the selected board or search criteria do not match the work order.
Why am I seeing an Eye icon instead of a Pencil icon?
The available action icon depends on your permissions. The Eye icon allows you to view the work order, while the Pencil icon indicates that you have permission to edit it.
Why doesn't a work order appear where I expected after searching?
Review the selected board, applied filters, and sorting option. Filters determine which work orders are displayed, while sorting controls the order in which matching work orders appear.