A work order is the central unit of field operations in Novala. It groups all the inspections and services to be performed at a customer site on a given visit, keeps everyone — coordinators, technicians, and customers — aligned on what’s happening and when, and connects the completed work to quotes and invoices.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developers.novala.ai/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Work order lifecycle
Work orders follow a structured status flow with clear transitions:| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Created | Work order drafted; not yet confirmed with the customer |
| Confirmed | Customer has acknowledged the upcoming visit |
| Scheduled | A technician has been assigned and a date is set |
| Started | Technician has checked in and begun work on site |
| Completed | All inspections and services within the work order are done |
| Cancelled | Work order was cancelled before completion |
Creating a work order
Select the site
Search for and select the customer site where the work will be performed. The work order is tied to a specific site, not just a company — so if a company has multiple locations, choose the correct one.
Add inspections and services
Add the items to be completed during the visit:
- Inspections: Select equipment at the site and assign a checklist template to each
- Services: Add repair or maintenance services, either from a service template or as a custom line item
Assign a technician
Select the technician who will carry out the work order. Available technicians are those with capacity on the scheduled date. You can also leave assignment unset and dispatch later from the Dispatch Board.
Set a scheduled date
Choose the date for the visit. The work order moves to Scheduled status once a technician and date are both set.
Customer confirmation
After a work order is created, you can notify the customer so they’re aware of the upcoming visit and can confirm the date works for them.- Sending the notification
- Customer confirms
- Customer requests a reschedule
From the work order detail page, click Send Confirmation Request. Novala sends the customer’s primary contact an email with the scheduled date, site address, and a summary of what will be performed.
Starting and completing from the field
Technicians update work order status directly from the Novala field app.Review the AI briefing
When a technician opens a work order in the field app, they see an AI-generated briefing that summarizes the site, highlights high-risk equipment, and suggests an efficient inspection order based on equipment history and location within the site.
Start the work order
Tap Start Work Order when arriving on site. The status changes to Started and the coordinator can see the job is underway.
Complete each item
Work through each inspection and service listed in the work order. Each item has its own status. Inspections follow the full Calso checklist flow; services are marked complete when the work is done.
A work order can only be marked complete when all its inspections have been submitted and all its services have been completed.
Rescheduling a work order
Rescheduling can be initiated by either the customer or a coordinator.Coordinator-initiated reschedule
Coordinator-initiated reschedule
Open the work order detail page and click Reschedule. Select a new date and, if needed, a different technician. Novala records the change and can send an updated notification to the customer.
Customer-requested reschedule
Customer-requested reschedule
When a customer submits a reschedule request, the work order is flagged in the Work Orders list. A coordinator opens the work order, reviews the request, and either accepts a new date or contacts the customer to confirm an alternative.
Reschedule from a declined dispatch offer
Reschedule from a declined dispatch offer
If a technician declines a dispatch offer and no replacement is found automatically, the work order is escalated to the coordinator to handle rescheduling. See Scheduling & Dispatch for details on dispatch offers.
Linking to quotes and invoices
Work orders connect the field work to your billing workflow.Link to a quote
A work order can be associated with an accepted quote. This provides context for what services were agreed upon and at what price.
Generate an invoice
Once a work order is completed, you can generate an invoice directly from the work order detail page. Line items are pre-populated from the services and inspections in the work order.