Many organisations struggle to understand the difference between Work Order Management Software and a CMMS. And choosing the right solution depends on your operational priorities. But modern platforms like Totalmobile’s unified platform can provide the best of both worlds.
What is Work Order Management Software?
Work order management software helps teams track, assign, and complete maintenance tasks efficiently. It’s ideal for organisations focused on day-to-day operations, reactive repairs, or project-based work.
Core Features:
- Task Creation & Assignment: Generate work orders and assign the right personnel.
- Real-Time Progress Tracking: Monitor job status and completion in real time.
- Mobile Access: Field teams access tasks, updates, and job history from any device.
- Resource Management: Track materials, stock, and subcontractor performance centrally.
- Alerts & Notifications: Stay on top of urgent work or SLA breaches.
Use Cases:
- Facilities management teams handling urgent repairs or multi-phase projects.
- Hard FM contractors managing HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire safety, or structural work.
- Social housing providers coordinating thousands of reactive repairs, like Fortem Solutions, who manage 400,000+ jobs a year with mobile-enabled work order management.
- Public sector teams like Caerphilly Council, who cut travel time and backlog using real-time updates and mobile scheduling.
- Any team needing fast, mobile-friendly job tracking without heavy asset management.
What is CMMS?
A Computerised Maintenance Management System (CMMS) goes beyond work orders to manage assets, compliance, and performance. It’s best for organisations that need to balance daily maintenance with long-term asset strategies.
Core Features:
- Asset Tracking & History: Maintain a central record of equipment usage, service, and performance.
- Preventive Maintenance: Automate schedules to reduce downtime and extend asset life.
- Compliance & Safety Management: Generate audit-ready logs, inspections, and evidence of SLA performance.
- Inventory & Parts Control: Monitor stock, forecast needs, and reduce waste.
- Performance Insights: Use real-time dashboards and IoT data to optimise planning and budgets.
Use Cases:
- Housing providers who use CMMS to streamline compliance across thousands of homes and ensure safe, well-maintained properties.
- Local authorities who integrated stock condition data with asset management to improve planning and visibility.
- Corporate FM contractors managing complex, multi-site assets across HVAC, electrical, and building systems with strict regulatory requirements.
- Healthcare organisations needing auditable records of maintenance for safety-critical assets.
- Any organisation looking to connect work orders, assets, compliance, and analytics in one unified system.
Which One Do You Need?
- Small or reactive maintenance teams: Work order management software may be sufficient.
- Asset-intensive or compliance-heavy organisations: A CMMS is usually required.
- Teams managing multiple contractors, assets, or sites: A unified solution is the most efficient choice.
The Best of Both Worlds: A Unified Platform
Totalmobile combines work order management and CMMS in a single, unified platform—giving your teams the tools to work smarter, faster, and more safely. By integrating job, asset, and compliance management into one mobile-first solution, you can transform field operations and drive measurable results:
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Streamlining operations
Simplify workflows with intuitive tools for every task—from work order creation to completion. Cut errors, reduce paperwork, and keep jobs on track.
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Boosting productivity
Optimise workforce allocation with dynamic scheduling by skills, availability, and location. Field teams complete more jobs on time, improving first-time fix rates.
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Ensuring compliance & safety
Automate inspections, generate audit-ready logs, and maintain clear records. Protect staff with integrated monitoring and lone worker alerts.
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Acting on real-time data
Use dashboards and live insights to track jobs, assets, and subcontractors—spotting delays or risks before they impact service.
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Supporting planned & reactive maintenance
Digitise recurring tasks while staying ready for urgent repairs. Teams can log issues in real time and update asset records from any device.
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Driving measurable business outcomes
Reduce downtime and costs, improve SLA compliance, and boost customer satisfaction with the unified Field First platform.
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What can Totalmobile deliver for your field operations?
Organisations using our unified platform can achieve:
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30%+ more jobs completed per day
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50% faster response to urgent repairs
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20% lower operational costs
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35% fewer revisits
