Work management: from registration to execution in one integrated process
Every organisation deals with work on a daily basis, from faults and service to maintenance, inspections and repairs. Whether it concerns a single request or scheduled maintenance, every job follows the same process: registration, assessment, planning, execution and administrative processing.
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With Work management, Centix supports this entire process within one central platform. Work items, work orders, planning, digital execution and invoicing work seamlessly together. As a result, planners, engineers, inspectors and the back office always have access to the same up-to-date information, ensuring that registration, planning, execution and administration are fully connected.
Supporting every step of your work process
Every organisation works differently. Some only need to register faults and service requests, while others plan and manage complete maintenance and inspection processes. That’s why Centix supports every stage of the work process. Use only the functionality you need and easily expand your solution as your processes evolve.
1. Register work
In Centix, every task is recorded as a work item. A work item serves as the central place for all information related to a request or task.
Work items can be created manually or generated automatically. For example, a service engineer can scan a QR code and complete a service request form to report a faulty forklift, or a work item can be created automatically when scheduled maintenance or an inspection is due.
Once a work item has been created, the back office can assess and manage the work. Statuses provide visibility into progress, while priorities help determine which tasks should be addressed first. This makes it easy to see which work is new, in progress, waiting for parts or completed. Status changes can also trigger automated follow-up actions, such as sending emails, notifications or reminders. In addition, all communication, documents, notes and appointments remain centrally linked to the work item, ensuring a complete record is always available.
Work items can be used entirely on their own. For many organisations, this is all that is needed to register, manage and administratively process faults, service requests, maintenance and inspections. Only when work also needs to be scheduled or carried out digitally is it beneficial to extend the solution with work orders and planning.
2. Create a work order (optional)
Depending on how your organisation works, work items can either be scheduled directly or first converted into a work order.
A work order is the executable assignment for an engineer or inspector and can consist of one or more work items. Organisations often use work orders when multiple tasks need to be carried out as a single assignment or when the work needs to be recorded for administrative purposes.
A work order allows you to combine multiple work items into a single assignment, while giving the customer the opportunity to provide a single digital sign-off once all work has been completed. This creates one complete record of the work carried out.
For example, a work order can be used to maintain and inspect three roller shutters at the same location. Each roller shutter is registered as a separate work item, allowing the work performed, findings and any follow-up actions to be recorded individually. The three work items are then grouped into a single work order. The engineer receives one complete assignment, while the customer only needs to provide a single digital approval once the work has been completed.
Work orders are also valuable for inspection activities. For example, an inspector can be assigned a work order to inspect work equipment on site. Initially, the work order contains a single work item, as it is not yet known which assets will be present. From Centix Smart Work, the inspector can launch Centix OnSite directly. All work equipment inspected during the visit is automatically linked to the work order. If an item requires repair or additional work, the inspector can create a new work item immediately. This keeps the inspection assignment organised while ensuring that follow-up work is recorded and managed separately.
3. Plan work
Once work is ready to be carried out, work items or work orders can be scheduled. The way you plan depends on the nature of the work. Do you need to schedule an appointment for a specific date and time, or do you decide throughout the day which tasks should be carried out first? Centix supports both approaches.
Planning via het Planbord
The planning board is ideal for organisations that schedule work for a specific date and time. Work items or work orders can be assigned to the right engineer, team and equipment, creating a clear schedule that immediately shows whether the required capacity is available.
For example, you can schedule the annual maintenance of a standby generator, the installation of a new vehicle lift or a periodic on-site inspection. In addition to assigning the right engineer, you can also schedule specific equipment, such as a wheel loader, mobile crane or vessel. This ensures that both the required equipment and a suitably qualified engineer are available at the agreed time.
If the schedule changes due to an urgent call-out, illness or work taking longer than expected, work items and work orders can easily be reassigned to another time, engineer or team. All changes are updated immediately, ensuring your schedule always remains up to date.
Planning with the kanban board
The kanban board is ideal for organisations that work with a flexible schedule. Instead of assigning work items or work orders to a specific date and time, they are assigned to an engineer or team in the preferred order of execution. This allows engineers and inspectors using Centix Smart Work to see immediately which task should be completed next.
For example, a maintenance department may receive fault notifications throughout the day. When a production machine unexpectedly breaks down, the related work item is automatically placed at the top of the task list, allowing the first available engineer to respond immediately. Less urgent work is automatically moved down the list.
Work items and work orders can easily be moved between stages, engineers or teams. This keeps progress visible and allows the schedule to be adjusted quickly when new work or urgent requests come in.
4. Carry out work digitally
Once work has been scheduled, it is immediately available in Centix Smart Work. Depending on the planning method used, engineers and inspectors see their work either in their planning or in their task list. This gives them an up-to-date overview of the work items and work orders to be completed, together with all the information they need to carry out the work.
From Centix Smart Work, users can open a scheduled work item or a work order containing one or more work items. All work is carried out on the work item. During execution, they can easily record all relevant information, including the work performed, inspection results, photos, documents and notes. Hours worked and materials used can be recorded directly against the work item. Time recording starts automatically when work begins and takes configured breaks into account. When work orders are used, the customer can provide a digital sign-off once the work has been completed.
For example, a service engineer can open a fault notification directly from their task list. After resolving the fault, they record the work carried out and the hours worked against the work item before completing it. For scheduled maintenance on an HVAC system, the engineer opens a work order from their schedule, completes the work on the associated work items, records the materials used against the work order and obtains the customer’s digital approval once the work is finished.
All recorded information is automatically linked to the relevant work item or work order. This gives the back office immediate insight into the progress of the work while automatically creating a complete digital record.
5. Process completed work
Once the work has been completed, all recorded information is immediately available to the back office. Because the work performed, hours worked, materials used and all other information have already been recorded digitally during execution, there is no need to enter the same data again. This ensures that everyone involved always has access to a single up-to-date record.
With the invoicing module, work items and work orders can easily be converted into invoices. Hours worked, materials used and the work performed can be processed directly for invoicing, ensuring a seamless connection between field operations and administration. Invoices can then be sent to the customer and transferred to your accounting system for further processing.
Centix can be integrated with your ERP or accounting software. Invoice data is exchanged automatically, eliminating duplicate data entry, improving administrative efficiency and ensuring your records always remain up to date.
Discover how Centix supports your work processes
Curious how you can register, plan, carry out and process work more efficiently? During a personalised demo, we’ll show you how the different Work management components work together and how Centix fits the processes within your organisation.
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