A Complete Guide for Facilities Teams in 2025

It has never been more challenging to manage facilities across multiple sites than it is today! Facilities managers are dealing with rising operational costs, skilled labor shortages, and a complex regulatory landscape, especially for refrigerant tracking. 

Work order management was once a straightforward part of the job, but its simplicity had disadvantages. Manual work order systems lead to lost, duplicated, and incomplete work orders, and older software solutions sometimes create more problems than they solve. 

Today, facilities managers expect work order management software to handle maintenance requests, manage vendor relationships, track asset history, and optimize your operations. Fexa presents this buying guide as a way to navigate the selection process and find the right work order management software for your team’s unique needs. 

What is Work Order Management Software, and Why Do Facilities Teams Need It in 2025?

The purpose of work order management software is to move maintenance tasks through a systematic process that starts with initial notification and with the completion of the task. 

Modern platforms go far beyond basic work order tracking, as a more sophisticated approach to work order management (WOM) can reduce operational downtime. Facilities and finance teams alike know badly operational downtime can damage your revenue. 

Facilities teams need solid work order management software because of the unprecedented challenges we’re facing in the industry: 

• Managing distributed operations across multiple locations
• Skilled labor shortages that are projected to leave 110,000 HVAC technician jobs unfilled 
• Growing energy costs  over the past 5 years
• Stricter regulatory requirements and compliance tracking 

Effective WOM software provides the automation and coordination necessary to overcome these challenges. A modern platform should provide WOM functionality that manages and optimizes the complete work order cycle. 

If your current software solution hasn’t helped you pivot from being reactive to being proactive, it’s time to consider a change.

What Core Features Should Every Good Work Order Platform Include?

Effective work order management systems share several essential capabilities, which differentiate them from basic ticketing systems. Let’s take a look at these core features to look out for. 

Automated Work Order Generation

Modern systems automate the entire lifecycle of the work order, including both responsive and preventive maintenance needs (Work Order Management Guide). When an employee submits a ticket, the system initiates the repair process automatically. 

Advanced platforms can generate work orders based on:

• Preventive maintenance schedules
• Sensor data and IoT triggers
• Predefined equipment thresholds
• Warranty expiration dates
• Compliance inspection requirements
  

Mobile-First Design

Field technicians need real-time information instantaneously, in an easy-to-access format. Mobile accessibility ensures contractors and skilled tradespeople have the information they need to perform asset maintenance effectively.

A truly mobile-first platform enables:

• Real-time work order updates from the field
• Photo documentation and digital signatures
• GPS-enabled check-in and check-out
• Offline functionality for areas with poor connectivity
• Instant communication with dispatch teams

Customizable Workflows

One organization’s workflow doesn’t look like another organization’s. Even from one site to another within the same company, you may need to have differentiated workflows. Can your work order management software be configured to rules that meet your specific business needs? 

Customization reduces frustrating redundancies and gaps in operational efficiency. 

Comprehensive Integration Capabilities

Work order management systems should integrate seamlessly with CMMS, ERP, and other business tools.  These integrations break down the silos that often develop across functions and departments within your organization. 

CMMS, compliance, and other software integrations enable a seamless flow of information between systems and departments. 

Automated Alerts and Notifications

Look for platforms offering automated and user-friendly communication alerts. These should be deliverable across multiple networks, including email, SMS, IVR, or apps.  Smart notifications keep all stakeholders informed without overwhelming them with unnecessary communications.

How Does Work Order Software Help Reduce Delays, Errors, and Manual Administration?

If you’ve been in facilities management long, you know how much of your time is spent trying to keep everything running smoothly, without costly delays and frustrating errors. Manual systems are ripe with opportunities for mistakes and oversights. 

Work order management software addresses these errors and delays through automation. You can think of automation as the cornerstone of efficient work order management. It dramatically increases both speed and accuracy across your maintenance workflows. 

Streamlined Dispatch Processes

A fully automated CMMS with work order management capabilities can reduce dispatch times by 60% or more. This ensures your work orders are quickly assigned to the appropriate vendors or technicians. 

Automation streamlines dispatch processes by using predefined criteria to match work orders with the best-suited service providers.

The benefits extend beyond speed! Streamlining also:

• Eliminates human error in vendor selection
• Ensures proper insurance and certification verification
• Matches skill sets to specific maintenance needs
• Reduces back-and-forth communication delays

Intelligent Escalation and Approval Logic

Work order management software should automatically apply intelligent escalation and approval logic to each scenario. For example, if a store manager enters a ticket for plumbing, your software should automatically start the process to get a plumber on site. Similarly, managers can mark orders as emergencies, high priority, or low priority, and your CMMS should respond accordingly. 

After creating unique rules for your organization, you can program your work order management software to automatically escalate and approve vendor agreements to get the problem taken care of as fast as possible. 

Smart Triage and Call Avoidance

A great feature of WOM software is a triage process that quickly eliminates duplicate service visits. This smart triage system can: 

• Identify duplicate work orders before dispatch
• Route requests to appropriate internal resources first
• Apply troubleshooting checklists to resolve simple issues
• Prevent unnecessary emergency callouts

Enhanced Accountability Through Technology

With geo-fencing technology, required documentation, and time tracking, your WOM system can manage vendor check-ins, check-outs, and completed work more accurately and efficiently. 

Use GPS validation to prevent vendors from making check-ins at an incorrect location, and use tracking data to enhance your billing and performance monitoring. This approach reduces common administrative burdens that often weigh down the people in charge of manual systems. 

Can Work Order Management Software Support Your Team's Unique Workflows, Vendors, and Locations?

Yes. Absolutely, WOM software (including a flexible CMMS) takes into consideration the fact that no organization is exactly the same as another. Customization is essential, and one-size-fits-all management platforms simply don’t make the cut. 

Let’s go over the ways that flexibility can revolutionize your approach to work orders. 

Accommodating Diverse Service Models

Your WOM software should easily accommodate your service model, whether you work exclusively with third-party vendors, have your own internal team, or use a hybridized approach. 

Managing Multi-Site Operations 

For organizations with geographically dispersed operations, vendor management becomes a lot more challenging. The right WOM platform ensures that service quality remains consistent across locations. The goal should be centralized cost control and performance monitoring, no matter how many sites you’re in charge of.

Key capabilities for multi-site management include:

• Standardized workflows across all locations
• Localized vendor networks with centralized oversight
• Regional compliance requirements built into your workflows
• Consolidated reporting across distributed operations

Role-Based Access and Security

Different user types require different access levels. You don’t need your vendors to see what your store managers see, and your facilities management team needs to see more than what site managers can access. 

Automatically providing access to individuals based on their specific role within the organization means that work can be completed faster.  You can pre-set permissions guidelines so that team members can access the appropriate functionality without compromising security. 

Does the Software Integrate with Your CMMS, Accounting Tools, or Refrigerant Tracking System?

The answer to this question is dependent upon whether your work order management software has sufficient integration capabilities. The best WOM solutions integrate seamlessly with your tech stack, including your CMMS, accounting tools, and refrigerant tracking. 

When you’re considering new WOM software, look for options that are truly flexible and configurable. Specifically, they need to integrate with your existing systems. 

This includes: 

• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems 
• Building Automation Systems (BAS)
• Facilities Management Software (FMS)
• Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) 
• Asset management platforms
• Financial and accounting software 

A Real-World Example of Specialized Integration 

Take a look at the integration between Fexa CMMS and Fexa Trakref to understand how targeted integrations can improve your operations. When this CMMS and refrigerant tracking API are combined, users experience: 

• Synchronized refrigerant management data between systems
• Simple generation of work orders when leak inspections are needed
• Audit-ready compliance with EPA and CARB requirements
• Reduction in duplicate work orders 
• Reduced administrative burden
• Centralized visibility into refrigerant leaks and system performance 
• Improved data accuracy and reporting 

This is just one example. When your WOM integrates with other business processes, you can avoid redundancies and unnecessary administrative workload. 

An ideal approach to integration eliminates silos and streamlines the workflows between systems. That way, information flows throughout the organization effortlessly. This protects your data integrity and helps you save valuable administrative time. 

How Does the Platform Help You Track Performance, Compliance, and Costs Over Time?

The best work order management software will provide you with comprehensive analytics and reporting capabilities. The goal is to transform raw work order data into actionable insights. 

Critical performance metrics to track include operational metrics:

• Average resolution time (measures efficiency and identifies bottlenecks)
• First-time fix rate (indicates technician effectiveness and proper dispatch matching)
• Response time (shows dispatch process efficiency and vendor availability)
• Work order completion rate (demonstrates overall maintenance effectiveness)
• Emergency work order percentage (evaluates preventive maintenance effectiveness)

WOM software should also track vendor performance indicators:

• SLA compliance rates
• Cost per work order by vendor
• Quality ratings based on callbacks and issues
• Check-in/check-out compliance
• Insurance and certification status 

How Advanced Analytics Support Strategic Decision-Making 

Facilities managers, team members, and technicians make countless decisions every single day. In this line of work, you’re constantly making a variety of choices, including how to fix emergent problems, how to prevent breakdowns, when to repair vs. replace equipment, and what maintenance tasks need to be prioritized within the organization. 

The more data you have at your fingertips, the more effective your decision-making can be. Without proper metrics, it’s like you’re flying blind. With concrete data, on the other hand, you can identify trends in maintenance needs and prioritize tasks based on urgency. You can even prevent equipment breakdowns before they occur--a dream-come-true scenario for most facilities managers! 

A modern work order management solution will provide you with data that you can use to plan your budget, oversee routine and responsive maintenance, and evaluate vendor success rates. 

Fexa’s work order management capabilities, for example, track vendor performance through comprehensive scorecards, which measure critical KPIs, including: 

• Response times
• First-time fix rates
• Completion rates
• Adherence to SLAs

We have found that when organizations implement data-driven CMMS solutions, they can achieve up to 250% ROI within the first year of implementation. 

When You Can Trust Compliance Documentation for Audit Readiness

This powerful data is also directly related to regulatory documentation. You can be ready for any audit when your software system is configured to give you instant access to all kinds of important numbers. 

For organizations that deal with refrigerants, compliance is especially critical. The EPA has issued its final ruling under the AIM ACT, which affects far more organizations than it used to. This new ruling introduces significant changes to the records that companies are required to keep regarding HFC systems. 

To learn more about the benefits of advanced analytics capabilities, explore Fexalytics for comprehensive business intelligence tailored to facilities management.

What Should You Look for During Vendor Evaluation and Demos?

When it’s time to examine potential vendors for work order management software, you’ll want to start with a systematic assessment of both your current capabilities and long-term viability. 

Many vendors provide polished demos of their products, but you need to go beyond a flashy presentation. You need to know exactly what you need in a new WOM software provider. That way, you can find out whether or not a vendor can provide it. 

How to Evaluate Platforms for Configurability 

True configurability provides competitive advantages by adapting to changing business needs rather than forcing you to modify proven processes. Look for platforms offering:

• Custom fields at no additional cost
• Workflow modifications without developer involvement
• Configurable approval chains and escalation rules
• Flexible reporting and dashboard customization
  

If you need to go back to the developer every time you need to make a small change to your platform, it's going to be expensive, time-consuming, and frustrating for your team.

Check for Mobile Capabilities and Support Structure

What happens when you run into trouble with the platform? It’s bound to happen. You might have configured something incorrectly or forgotten about something you learned during a training session. Perhaps there is a conflict between one of your new WOM software and a tool you’re currently using. These things happen, so what will the provider do in response? 

These are questions you can ask during the “shopping” phase of your search for new WOM software: 

• When do you offer live support for your product?
• Do you have a database of training and troubleshooting information I can access as a client? 
• Do you offer training for our team? 
• How long does it take for you to respond to my concerns? 
• Are there any charges for help beyond basic assistance?
• Are there dedicated support personnel who can help if we have trouble? 

While you’re examining each provider’s support structure, you should also look into security. Platform security is paramount, so be sure to look into data protection standards, compliance with industry-specific regulations, and how often the provider conducts regular security audits. 

How Scalable is the Platform for Growing Facilities Teams or Multi-Brand Portfolios?

Organizational growth feels great, but also a little overwhelming. Having software that can scale according to your growth is very important! You need your work order management platform to grow with your organization, rather than constrain you as you grow. 

Too many organizations choose a platform based on their current needs, not the needs they anticipate having in a few years. 

Operational Complexity 

Platforms have to be able to support a range of unique workflows, vendor relationships, v and regulatory compliance requirements. Specifically, the platform should be built for complexity and scale, supporting sophisticated business logic and automated workflows. These can be customized to your organization's specific needs. 

Future-Ready Architecture

Select a future-ready platform. This will let you absorb and ingest new data sources like IoT, unstructured data, and sentiment analysis data as data points or triggers in digital processes. This is because modern facilities increasingly rely on smart building technologies, IoT sensors, and automated monitoring systems. Even if you’re not using those tools now, you probably will be soon. 

Choosing a responsive, evolving CMMS will ensure that you don't end up outgrowing the platform. Scalability accommodates your growth in multiple areas:

• Users and locations
• Service providers and work order volume
• Reporting needs and compliance requirements
• Integration with emerging technologies

Why Are Modern Facilities Teams Choosing Fexa for Smarter Work Order Management?

Facilities teams are excited about what they get from Fexa. Fexa represents a new generation of work order management platforms designed specifically for the challenges facilities teams face today.

Fexa offers: 

• Unmatched flexibility
• Highly configurable workflows
• Financial benefits 
• No vendor access fees
• Intelligent automation and integration
• Smart project management tools
• Collaborative work orders for multi-trade repairs
  

Importantly, Fexa seamlessly integrates with existing business tools while offering specialized integrations like the Fexa + Trakref connection for refrigerant management. These integrations create a unified operational ecosystem that eliminates those frustrating data silos. 

Fexa Offers Proven Results and Future-Ready Design

Organizations using Fexa have achieved measurable improvements in their operations. This includes reduced dispatch times, lower maintenance costs, and improved compliance outcomes. That’s why you’ll find that the platform is trusted by major brands, including Tesla, Crate & Barrel, Dollar General, and more. 

Fexa's architecture can be used to process data from various sources based on your company’s unique business logic. This can, in turn, trigger automated communications and workflows.  You’ll also find that Fexa is always improving. We release new features on a monthly basis for all of our customers.

Making the Right Choice for Your Organization: Contact Fexa Today

We believe that selecting the right work order management software represents a strategic investment in your organization's operational efficiency and competitive advantage. 

Modern work order management software like Fexa transcends simple ticketing systems. Instead, we offer intelligent automation, comprehensive integration capabilities, and robust analytics that transform facilities management from reactive to proactive.

The most successful WOM software implementations focus on configurability over features, integration capabilities over standalone functionality, and vendor partnership over simple software purchase. As facilities teams face increasing pressure to manage more locations with fewer resources while maintaining high service standards, the right work order management software becomes essential infrastructure for success.

Choose wisely, and your work order management platform will become a competitive advantage that supports your organization's growth and success for years to come.

Contact Fexa for a free demonstration of how our software can change your operations for the better.