Tickets vs issues vs work orders

PropLink uses three connected records for operational activity. The right one depends on what kind of input it is.

The distinction

Ticket

A request or complaint, usually conversational. The reporter wants a response. Often raised by a resident, a contractor or a colleague. Closes when the conversation reaches a resolution.

Issue

A problem on a site. Someone has noticed something. Usually short-form, often with photos. May or may not need a contractor.

Work order

Specific work assigned to a vendor. Has a scope, a price and a deadline. Closes when the work is done and evidenced.

A worked example

A resident emails the office: "the lift is making a strange noise, can someone check?"

PropLink converts the email into a ticket addressed to the resident. The duty officer:

1. Replies on the ticket: "thanks, we will investigate today".
2. Creates an issue at the site: "lift making strange noise", pinned to the lift's space record.
3. Triages the issue and decides a contractor should attend.
4. Converts the issue to a work order assigned to the lift maintenance vendor.
5. The contractor attends, replaces a worn part, uploads a certificate.
6. The work order closes.
7. The issue resolves.
8. The duty officer replies on the original ticket: "the issue was a worn pulley wheel, replaced today, lift back to normal use".
9. The ticket closes.

All four records (ticket, issue, work order, eventual bill) are linked. The audit trail is complete.

Right choice, every time

Where the records live in the sidebar

• Tickets — top-level Tickets sidebar entry.
• Issues — under each site's Issues tab.
• Work orders — under each site's Work orders tab and a portfolio-wide list.
• Maintenance events — under each site's Maintenance tab.

Linking is automatic

When you convert one record to another, PropLink keeps the link visible from both sides. Closing the downstream record cascades to the upstream:

• Closing a work order resolves its parent issue.
• Resolving an issue with a "fixed" reason can update the parent ticket.
• The parent ticket can be closed manually when the conversation ends.

What this means for reporting

• Ticket reports answer questions about service: how quickly are we responding? Are we hitting our SLAs? Which categories generate the most contact?
• Issue reports answer questions about the buildings: where are problems happening? Which sites have the most issues?
• Work order reports answer questions about delivery and spend: which vendors are reliable? What is the cost of maintenance per site?

Mix them up and the reports stop telling you anything useful.