A work request is simply a structured record of someone asking for work to be done.

A work request is different from a work order. A work order is the order for the vendor to do work; a work request is the other side - it's a request for the property manager to order work.

Generally the flow of maintenance looks something like this (but varies significantly depending on what parts the vendor takes on):

1. A tenant notices their faucet is leaking.
2. Tenant submits a work request to have faucet looked at.
3. Property manager reviews work request and determines vendor intervention is necessary, so creates work order and assigns vendor.
4. Vendor replaces faucet and notifies property manager.
5. Property manager marks work order complete and work request resolved with notification to the tenant.

An alternate scenario, which highlights one reason work requests are super helpful, looks like this:

1. Tenant notices clothes are coming out of the wash with spots.
2. Tenant submits a work request to have the washing machine looked at.
3. Property manager reviews work request and determines they did not provide a washing machine in the unit, that's the tenant's washing machine.
4. Property manager marks the work request resolved with a message to the tenant that they are responsible for their own washing machine. In this case, work is never ordered, and no vendor is involved.

As you can see, the work request solves a number of problems:

• It creates a structured way for problems to be reported, and reports to be permanently recorded.
• It creates a buffer that allows for non-work intervention/communication, when work requested does not actually need to be performed.
• It creates a container for all work orders on a repair, to track and ensure everything related to a single request has been resolved, regardless of the number of vendors or visits involved. Along these lines, it's also fantastic if you need to organize multiple work orders into a single project - the work request is the project container.
• It creates a container for communications with the requester regarding work. (The work order is a similar container, but that's with the vendor, not the requester.)

Work requests are typically submitted through the work request function of the portal, normally by the occupant. Additionally, you, or a third-party you designate, can create work requests directly in Harmony or via your API. This is common when you have someone accepting work requests over the phone, or in-person at the property or management office.

When an occupant submits a work request through their portal, they are required to enter necessary information, and confirm (or augment) their contact information. Because they are successfully logged in to their portal, you know it's the actual person who is authorized on that unit. For this reason, many property managers require work to be requested through the portal, rather than over the phone, by email, through a web form, or by voice mail. When you receive a work request through the portal, you'll get an alert in Harmony indicating you have an unprocessed work request.

When you wish to manually enter a work request that is received through a channel other than the portal, you can do so from a place's (unit or property) view, from the person's view, or from the global maintenance view.

From a place: Select Places > Place Type > Unit or Property > Maintenance > Add Work Request.

From a person: Select Management > Category of Person > Person Requesting Maintenance > Maintenance > Add Work Request.

From maintenance: Select Management > Maintenance > Add Work Request > Select Person Requesting Maintenance.

Depending on how you accessed the new work request, if there is more than one eligible unit or property, you must assign the correct one before you can enter the content of the request.

Complete all elements of the work request, using the help tips as guidance for individual elements. When you are done, select your notification options, and select the Save button.

Once you have a saved work request, it can take one of two routes, based on your assessment and determination of what is to be done. Edit the work request and:

• If there is no work to be done, as in the case of the washing machine example above, select Mark Resolved. Update the description accordingly, then follow any specific instructions for requester notification. Select your notification options, and select the Save button. This work request is now finished.
• If there is work to be done, or if you need to order a vendor to visit the unit or property to assess, select Add Work Order. The contents of the work request will populate the work order. Specifics on dealing with work orders are available in other articles. The work request remains open, connected to the work order(s).

From a work request, you can generate as many separate work orders as are required to complete the request. For example, you may have a work request from a tenant that says a pipe broke and flooded the house. Separate work orders may be required for the pipe repair, the carpet cleaning, and cabinet repair, each with a different vendor and schedule. Once all work orders from a request are complete, you'll be prompted to mark the work request resolved, where you can notify the requester that all work is complete.