Archiving and Closing Work Orders

Overview

This article describes the lifecycle states that mark a work order as complete, the difference between Closed and Archived status, and how to locate historical records after completion.

Closing a Work Order

A work order is closed when field work is finished and no further activity is expected. To close a work order:

Open the work order from the Dispatch Board or Work Orders list.
Click Change Status.
Select Completed or Closed — No Show, as appropriate.
Add any final notes or attachments, then confirm.

Closed work orders remain visible in standard list views for 90 days by default. They can be reopened by users with Edit permissions if corrections are needed.

Archiving Work Orders

Archiving is a separate action that moves records to long-term storage. Archived work orders:

Are excluded from default list views and active reports
Retain all attachments, checklists, and activity history
Cannot be edited without first being restored

To archive one or more work orders:

Navigate to Work Orders > All Work Orders.
Select the records using the checkboxes, or open an individual work order.
Click Actions > Archive.
Confirm the prompt. The status changes to Archived.

Viewing and Restoring Archived Records

To access archived work orders:

Go to Work Orders > All Work Orders.
Click the Filter button.
Under Status, select Archived.
Click Apply.

To restore, open the work order and click Restore. The record returns to its previous status.

Bulk Archiving by Date Range

Administrators can schedule automatic archiving for work orders older than a configured threshold. This is configured in Settings > Data Management > Auto-Archive Rules. The default threshold is 12 months.

Data Retention

Archived work orders are retained according to your account's data retention policy. See Data Retention and Export Settings for configuration options.

Creating and Assigning a Work Order
Work Order Status Definitions
Printing and Exporting Work Orders