Workshop Workflow Overview

Workshop activity in Formbird FLEET is built around two connected record types: Requests and Work Orders.

A Request captures what needs to be done — the initial report or scope of work from the customer's perspective. It is the container for the job, not the record of the work itself.

A Work Order captures what was actually done — the effort, materials, checks, and findings recorded by the person carrying out the work. One or more work orders can sit under a single request.

Requests and work orders can be assigned and progressed independently to different individuals, including external contractors.

Typical Workflow

A typical job moves through these stages:

A request is created — from an asset, the request list, automatically via a service schedule, or when an operator or driver reports a fault on a Daily Driver pre-start. See Requests and Work Orders.
The request is triaged — the supervisor reviews the request and confirms it by setting the status to Open, assigns it to a workshop, and sets the Expected Start and Expected Completion dates. The request can also be deferred if it cannot be actioned immediately. The fields available during triage are configurable — see Work Order Configuration.
Work orders are created under the request — one per discrete piece of work. See Requests and Work Orders.
Work orders are assigned to technicians — assigned work appears on their Workshop Dashboard.
The asset arrives — the request status is set to Drop Off, showing the asset as in the yard on the dashboard.
Work begins — the request status moves to In Progress, the work order status moves to In Progress, and the technician starts their time recorder.
Work is completed — the technician records materials used, completes any checks or questionnaires, stops the time recorder, and sets the work order to Complete.
The request is returned to the supervisor — status set to Work Complete. A Supervisor Review Work Order can be created for formal sign-off if required.
The request is closed — once all details are finalised, the supervisor or administrator sets the status to Closed.

Unscheduled activity — work that begins without prior planning — skips the scheduling steps. The rest of the workflow still applies from step 5 onward.

Request Statuses

Status	Meaning
Pending	Created but not yet confirmed or scheduled
Open	Confirmed and in the pipeline
Drop Off	Asset has been dropped off at the workshop
In Progress	Work is actively underway
Work Complete	Work is done; awaiting supervisor review or close
Pick Up	Asset is ready for collection
Closed	Job fully complete and finalised
Cancelled	Request cancelled — no work required

Work Order Statuses

Status	Meaning
New	Created but not yet started
In Progress	Technician is actively working
On Hold	Work paused, typically pending parts, information, or external activity
Complete	Work finished

Multiple Work Orders Under One Request

A single request can have more than one work order. This is useful when a job involves different types of work, different assignees, or work happening in stages. Examples:

A complex service requiring a PM Service Work Order for the main asset and a separate one for a component
A repair split into a Diagnose Work Order followed by a Repair Work Order
A modification requiring both a Repair Work Order and a Risk Assessment Work Order

Notifications

Several notifications in Formbird FLEET support the workshop workflow. Configure which accounts receive each notification via Notifications.

Notification	When it fires
Scheduled Service / Repair Notification	Fires in the days leading up to a Request's Expected Start date — useful for alerting operators and supervisors about upcoming scheduled work.
Repair Request Creation	Fires when a new Repair / General Request is created, alerting the workshop team that a new job has been logged.
PM Service Creation	Fires when a new Service Request is generated, alerting supervisors that a preventive maintenance service is due.
Work Order Assignment	Fires when a Work Order is assigned to a technician.
Overdue Request	Fires when a Request passes its Expected Completion date without being closed.