The third step in asset reliability involves streamlining of the work order system. In most highly reactive maintenance situations the work order system is ignored. Many work orders can be ignored and left open for months to years. Since the CMMS is very efficient at storing work order information, it is not uncommon to find this situation in many organizations.

Work order types must be identified. Rules must be made that defines how these work orders will be processed by the CMMS system and ultimately scheduled by the maintenance department. Examples of the types of work order groups that might be created are as follows:
· Safety and environmental work orders
· Reliability enhancing work orders
· Miscellaneous work orders that can be completed during production
· Project work orders
· Other miscellaneous work orders that have no effect on asset reliability
The summation of the individual group backlog equals departmental work order backlog.

Rules for each type of work order need to be created so the CMMS system will calculate/update the original priority based upon time the work order has been left open. When the priority number for each work order reaches a certain priority level, it either becomes due or overdue. It might only take 2 or 3 days for a safety or environmental work order to reach this level. Reliability work orders might take only slightly longer. Reliability work orders could include PM’s, PDM’s, TPM’s, PDM repairs, PM repairs etc. Naturally other work orders that are project or miscellaneous would move much more slowly.

Making work order prioritization serviceable is highly important. The goal is to be able to create a prioritized work order backlog from the CMMS work order input. Completing this prioritized work order backlog in the prioritized sequence should yield the best plan for maintaining asset reliability. If the proper data has been input into the CMMS system and all prioritization performed properly, asset reliability should increase by working the backlog in a disciplined manner.

Maintenance scheduling becomes disciplined. Execution is no longer a guessing game. Asset reliability becomes a function of disciplined execution.

Prioritized work order back logs should be posted weekly so individuals that have created work orders can track work order movement. Another advantage to this system is that since all work order priorities are increased based upon time left open in the system, all work orders will eventually become a high priority. Those work orders in the past, that never got completed because they did not affect reliability will eventually be completed in the long term.

Perfecting this system will yield better asset reliability. It will be highly unlikely having work orders to perform a repair to prevent a breakdown trapped in a system with no visibility.

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