Sub-jobs & dependencies¶

Sub-jobs are the individual units of work within a work order. Dependencies let you define which sub-jobs must complete before others can begin.

Managing sub-jobs¶

Reordering¶

Drag sub-jobs to reorder them, or use the Reorder action to set a specific sequence. The order determines the default execution sequence.

Optional sub-jobs¶

Mark sub-jobs as optional when they're nice-to-have but not required for work order completion. Optional sub-jobs are excluded from the "all required" completion rule.

Blocking¶

When a sub-job has unresolved dependencies (predecessor sub-jobs not yet complete), it is automatically blocked. Blocked sub-jobs:

• Show a blocked indicator on the dispatcher board
• Cannot be started by technicians
• Are automatically unblocked when all predecessors complete

Assigning sub-jobs to technicians¶

Field sub-jobs — the ones that need someone on site — are dispatched automatically when auto-assignment is turned on for your company. As soon as you add a field sub-job, it's matched to the best available technician based on skills, availability, and location, and that technician's name shows on the sub-job.

Office and other no-travel sub-jobs (paperwork, permits, procurement, remote work) aren't sent to a field technician. They stay Unassigned so a manager can hand them off however your team prefers.

Removing a sub-job¶

Removing a sub-job from a work order cancels that job. The two go together — a sub-job never just quietly detaches and carries on as an open job somewhere else.

Use the trash icon on the sub-job row (available while the work order is in Draft or Active). A confirmation appears first and spells out both consequences before anything changes: the job is set to Cancelled, and its link to the work order is removed. Nothing happens until you approve it, and choosing Cancel in that dialog leaves everything exactly as it was.

On-hold sub-jobs can be removed too — you don't need to resume one first. Any sub-job that is still open, whatever state it is paused or parked in, can be cancelled and removed in one step.

Only finished sub-jobs can't be removed, because they can't be cancelled:

• Completed and Declined sub-jobs are finished — cancelling them would erase the record of work that already happened.

You don't have to find this out by trying. On a sub-job that can't be removed, the remove button is switched off, and the reason sits right beside it on the row — for example "A Completed sub-job can't be cancelled. Reopen the job first, then remove it from the work order." The button stays visible rather than disappearing, so you can always see that removal exists and why it isn't available here. Clicking it does nothing, and no confirmation appears.

The reason tells you the way forward: reopen the finished sub-job first, then remove it. A sub-job that is already Cancelled can be removed normally — it simply detaches, since it's already cancelled.

Completing the work order¶

By default, you mark a work order Completed yourself once the work is done. Your account administrator can also turn on auto-complete, so a work order moves to Completed on its own as soon as its required sub-jobs are finished. Optional sub-jobs never hold up completion.

You'll find the Auto-complete work orders option under Company Settings → General Settings → Features & Preferences. It's off by default.

Re-opening a completed work order¶

Finished a work order too soon, or need to add another sub-job? Open it and choose Re-open. The work order moves back to In-Progress so you can add or adjust sub-jobs, then complete it again when you're ready.

Two guardrails keep your billing clean:

• You can't re-open a work order once an invoice has been generated for it.
• While a work order is re-opened, you can't generate its invoice. Finish the work and complete (or close) the work order again first.

Dependency types¶

Removing a dependency¶

There are two ways to remove one, both on the work order's Timeline tab:

• Dependencies list — each entry has a ✕ button that removes that one link.
• Unlink icon on a sub-job row — removes every dependency that sub-job takes part in, whether it is the predecessor or the successor. When more than one is involved, the confirmation tells you how many will be removed.

Both ask for confirmation first, and neither appears on a work order you only have read access to. Once the last dependency blocking a sub-job is gone, that sub-job is unblocked immediately and technicians can start it.

Example: HVAC installation¶

When the site inspection completes, equipment procurement is automatically unblocked. Each subsequent phase waits for its predecessor.

Related¶

• Creating work orders
• Gantt view
• Templates