Work Order
A Salesforce Field Service object that represents a job or task to be completed, typically at a customer's location, containing details like the work type, priority, service territory, and associated account or asset.
Definition
A Salesforce Field Service object that represents a job or task to be completed, typically at a customer's location, containing details like the work type, priority, service territory, and associated account or asset.
In plain English
“A Work Order in Salesforce Field Service represents a job or task to be completed, typically at a customer's location. It contains details like work type, priority, location, required skills, and associated service appointments for scheduling and dispatching.”
Worked example
A customer at Avenel Software calls in to report a malfunctioning HVAC unit. The service rep creates a Case, then uses the Case → Work Order flow to generate a Work Order in Salesforce Field Service. The Work Order captures the customer's site address, the work-type (HVAC inspection), the priority (urgent), and a target completion date. The Service Optimization engine assigns a qualified technician within the right service territory, schedules a Service Appointment, and sends the tech to the FSL Mobile app. The Work Order is the central record that ties Customer → Case → Field-Service work all together, tracked from creation through completion.
Why Work Order matters
A Work Order is a Salesforce Field Service object that represents a job or task to be completed, typically at a customer's location, containing details like the work type, priority, location, required skills, and linked service appointments. Work orders are the central object in Field Service, representing what needs to be done.
Work orders drive the Field Service lifecycle: creation (from cases, contracts, or manual entry), scheduling (optimizer assigns to resources), dispatching (mobile notification to technician), execution (technician performs work), and completion (status update and debrief). Mature Field Service deployments treat work order lifecycle management as core operations.
How to create Work Order
Work Orders are the "go fix this" tickets in Field Service — a technician needs to visit a customer site, install equipment, perform maintenance. Each Work Order can have Work Order Line Items (the specific tasks) and Service Appointments (the scheduled visits).
- Make sure Field Service is enabled
Setup → Field Service Settings → Enable Field Service. Field Service is a paid add-on — confirm licensing before enabling.
- Open the parent record (Case, Account, Asset)
Most Work Orders are created from a Case ("customer reported broken HVAC, dispatch a tech").
- Click New on the Work Orders related list
Or App Launcher → Work Orders → New.
- Enter Subject (a one-line description of the work)
"Replace HVAC compressor at Acme HQ" — keeps it scannable in dispatch list views.
- Set Status, Priority, Account, Asset, Service Territory
Status (New / In Progress / Completed / Cannot Complete). Service Territory drives which technicians can be assigned.
- Set Schedule fields (Earliest Start, Due Date, Duration)
Drives the scheduling engine if you use Field Service Lightning. Earliest Start = don't start before; Due Date = must complete by.
- Save → Add Work Order Line Items and Service Appointments
Line Items break the work into tasks. Service Appointments are the scheduled visits (created automatically if you use auto-scheduling).
Required. One-line description of the work.
Required. New is the default.
Required. Drives dispatch ordering.
- Field Service is a paid add-on — Service Cloud alone doesn't include Work Orders. Check licensing before scoping a project around them.
- Service Territory is the filter on who can be dispatched. A technician in Territory "West Coast" can't be assigned to a Work Order in Territory "East Coast" without an override.
- Work Order Line Items (tasks) are what drive completion percentage. A Work Order can have status Completed even if its line items aren't all done — be careful which field your reports key off of.
How organizations use Work Order
Manages the complete work order lifecycle from creation through completion.
Creates work orders from service cases with automated scheduling.
Treats work order management as foundational Field Service operations.
Trust & references
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Work Order.
- Create Field Service Work OrdersSalesforce Help
- Guidelines for Creating Work Orders for Field ServiceSalesforce Help
🧠 Test your knowledge
Q1. What is a Work Order?
Q2. What does it contain?
Q3. What lifecycle does it drive?
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