Works order notes let you keep a clear, dated record of activity on a maintenance job, such as calls with a contractor, access arrangements, or progress updates. Each note is date and time stamped and records who added it, so your team can follow the full history of a job without relying on a single free-text field.
Notes appear on the works order and are also written to the related property and supplier timelines, so you can pick up the history from the works order, the property record, or the supplier record.
Note
Works order notes are for your agency's internal use. They're separate from the works order Summary and Description, and aren't shared with landlords or tenants via PropertyFile or Keyflo
Adding a note
Add a note to log an update against the works order. The notes panel becomes available once the works order has been saved for the first time, so save a new works order before adding notes
- Open the works order from the property, supplier, or Property Management Dashboard
(Properties/Contacts > Management > Works Orders > Click the works order line that you want to add a note to) - In the Edit Works Order window, go to the notes panel on the right
- Click into the Add an internal note box and type your note
- Click Add Note
The note appears at the top of the list, showing your name and the date and time it was added.
Note
You don't need to click Save on the works order for the note to be kept - clicking Add Note stores it straight away
Saving with an unsaved note
If you've typed in the Add an internal note box but click Save on the works order before clicking Add Note, Alto asks whether to keep the note.
- Click Add note to add it to this works order and carry on saving the works order
- Click Discard note to discard the typed note and carry on saving the works order
Editing a note
You can update the text of a note you've added.
- Open the works order from the property, supplier, or Property Management Dashboard
(Properties/Contacts > Management > Works Orders > Click the works order line that you want to edit the note for) - In the notes panel, click the note you want to change
- Click Unlock for Editing
- Make your changes
- Click Save
The notes list refreshes to show your updated text.
Note
Older free-text notes shown at the bottom of the list (see Older notes below) can't be edited this way
Viewing notes on the property or supplier timeline
Because each note is linked to the property and the supplier on the works order, it also appears on both of their timelines.
- Open the property or supplier record
- Click Timeline on the side menu
- Ensure the Management filter is ticked so works order notes are included
- Find the Works Order Note entry
Note
On the Timeline, works order notes show under the Management filter. They don't appear when only the general Notes filter is selected
Older notes
Works orders created before this change still show any text from the previous single Notes field. It appears at the bottom of the notes list, is labelled Notes, and is kept for history. Add new updates as separate notes using Add Note so each entry keeps its own date, time, and name.
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Related Help Centre articles that you may find useful.
Adding a works order from a property