Raise, assign, track, and complete maintenance jobs across your strata portfolio; all from Microsoft Teams

Overview #

Managing maintenance across a strata portfolio involves a constant flow of requests, approvals, contractor communications, and status updates. Without a structured system, jobs can be missed, contractors can go uncontacted, and audit trails can be lost.

Merlo AI simplifies the entire work order and quoting process. You can raise a work order in seconds by describing the job in plain English or by dropping a maintenance email directly into the Teams chat. Merlo extracts the relevant details, generates a professional PDF work order, and prepares a contractor email; all without you needing to fill in a form or switch between systems.

The full job lifecycle; from creation through contractor response, progress updates, and completion; is tracked automatically. You can query any slice of your work order data at any time, directly from Teams, without opening the dashboard.

The quoting workflow is fully integrated. You can initiate quote requests, send them to nominated contractors, track responses, and convert an accepted quote directly into a work order; all from a single conversation in Teams.

What You Can Do #

Capability	What Merlo Does	When to Use It
Create from a maintenance email	Drag a .msg email into the Teams chat; Merlo extracts job details, generates a PDF work order, and prepares a contractor email draft	Turning incoming owner or committee emails into formal work orders instantly
Create via plain-language request	Describe the job in natural language; Merlo structures the details, confirms, and generates the work order	Raising jobs from verbal instructions, inspections, or your own knowledge of a plan
Assign contractors	Specify a contractor by name; Merlo links them to the work order and prepares the outbound email with Accept/Message/Decline links	Any time a contractor needs to be formally engaged for a job
Track by status, plan, contractor	Ask Merlo in Teams to retrieve work orders filtered by status, plan number, contractor name, or due date	Reviewing open jobs, overdue work, upcoming completions, or a specific contractor’s workload
Send contractor reminders	Ask Merlo to draft and send a follow-up email to a contractor about a specific job	Chasing outstanding responses, overdue completions, or unanswered work orders
Manage the quote workflow	Start quote jobs, send requests to contractors, track responses, identify accepted quotes, and convert to work orders	Any job requiring competitive quotes before engaging a contractor
Reassign declined work orders	Update the contractor, reset status to Pending, and resend the work order email; all from Teams or the Dashboard	When a contractor declines a job and you need to engage an alternative

Creating a Work Order from a Maintenance Email #

If you receive a maintenance request by email; from an owner, a committee member, or a building manager; you can convert it into a structured work order in under a minute by dragging the email file directly into the Merlo AI Teams chat. Merlo reads the email, extracts all relevant job details, and prepares a complete work order and contractor email draft without any manual data entry.

Before You Start #

• Merlo AI is open in Microsoft Teams.

• The email has been saved as a .msg file from Outlook. To save an email as a .msg file: open the email in Outlook, click File, select Save As, and choose Outlook Message Format (.msg).

• You have the contractor’s email address available, or it is referenced in the email itself.

Step-by-Step #

1. Open the Merlo AI chat in Microsoft Teams.

2. Drag and drop the .msg file into the chat window, or click the paperclip (attachment) icon and upload the file.

3. Merlo reads the email and extracts the following details where available: the strata plan number, a suggested job title (usually from the email subject), the job description (from the email body), the priority or urgency level, the estimated due date, and the contractor name and email address.

4. Review the extracted details in the chat. If anything is incorrect or missing, provide the correction in plain language before confirming.

5. Confirm to proceed. Merlo will create the work order, generate the PDF, and prepare the contractor email draft.

6. Review the email draft; check the recipient, job description, and attached PDF. Request any changes if needed, then confirm to send.

Correcting Extracted Details #

Before confirming the work order, you can correct any detail Merlo has extracted by simply describing the change in the chat. You do not need to restart the process.

“The strata plan should be plan 98765, not plan 12345.”

“The estimated completion date is 15 May 2026.”

“The contractor is XYZ Plumbing, not ABC Maintenance. Their email is xyz@plumbing.com.au”

“Add ‘urgent’ to the job description; the leak is affecting common property.”

What Merlo Does After Confirmation #

Work order created	The work order is created in the system with a status of Pending and logged in the audit timeline.
PDF generated	A professional PDF work order is generated automatically, containing all job details and contractor action links.
Contractor email prepared	An email draft is prepared for your review, with the PDF attached and three action buttons embedded: Accept, Message, and Decline.
Attachments carried forward	Any files attached to the original .msg email (PDFs, photos, quotes, Word documents) are automatically extracted and included in the contractor email.

Important Notes #

• If the strata plan number cannot be identified from the email, Merlo will ask you to provide it before creating the work order.

• If the contractor cannot be identified from the email, Merlo will prompt you to provide the contractor’s name and email address.

• Merlo never sends the contractor email automatically. You always review and approve the draft before it is sent.

Creating a Work Order via Plain-Language Request #

You can create a work order at any time by simply describing the job in plain English in the Merlo AI Teams chat; no email file needed. This method is useful when you are raising a job from an inspection, a phone call with an owner, a site visit, or any situation where the maintenance need has not arrived via email.

Provide as much detail as you have available; plan number, job description, contractor, and completion date; and Merlo will structure the work order, confirm the details with you, and generate the PDF and email draft.

Example Prompts #

“Create a work order for plan 12345. Repair roof leak above unit 4. Contractor is ABC Roofing. Complete by 30 June 2026.”

“Create a plumbing work order for strata plan 2604. Assign RockWater as the contractor with a job description of ‘Plumbing Repairs; please attend to reset and advise’ and a completion date of 18 April 2026.”

“Raise an urgent work order for lift breakdown at SP 77889 and assign the preferred lift contractor.”

“Create a work order for Climate Roofing for strata plan 2604, approving the attached quote. Include site contact details; owner phone number and Raj on 0416 027 453.”

“Issue a work order for common area painting at SP 55001. Job description: repaint all level 2 corridor walls. No contractor assigned yet; set status to Quote.”

How Merlo Handles Incomplete Information #

If key details are missing from your request; such as the plan number or a required contractor email; Merlo will ask only the questions necessary to complete the work order. It will not ask for information that is already available or that can be reasonably inferred from your request.

Tip:  Include urgency directly in your request. For example: ‘This is urgent; the lift is out of service and the building has elderly residents.’ Merlo will flag the work order as urgent and use this context in the contractor email.

Reviewing and Sending the Contractor Email #

Merlo never sends contractor communications automatically. Every email is presented to you as a draft for review before anything is dispatched. This ensures accuracy, allows you to make last-minute changes, and keeps you in control of all outbound communications.

What the Contractor Email Contains #

Recipient	The contractor’s email address, pre-populated from the work order.
Subject line	A clear, descriptive subject referencing the plan number and job title.
Email body	A professional description of the job, site details, access requirements, and any urgency or deadline information.
Action buttons	Three embedded links: Accept (contractor confirms the job), Message (contractor can send a message without email), and Decline (contractor declines with an optional reason).
PDF attachment	The generated work order PDF, containing all job details and the same action links.
Original attachments	Any files extracted from the original .msg email or uploaded separately to the chat.

What to Check Before Sending #

• The correct contractor is listed as the recipient.

• The job description is clear and contains enough information for the contractor to attend and act.

• Any relevant attachments (quotes, photos, reports) are included.

• The urgency and any response deadline are clearly stated if applicable.

Requesting Changes to the Draft #

If anything needs to be adjusted before sending, describe the change in plain language and Merlo will revise the draft accordingly.

“Add URGENT to the subject line.”

“Ask the contractor to confirm within 24 hours.”

“Remove the attachment; it was included by mistake.”

“Change the due date in the email body to 30 May 2026.”

“Add a note asking the contractor to call Raj on 0416 027 453 before attending site.”

Contractor Action Links; Accept, Message, Decline #

The contractor email and PDF both contain three secure, one-click action links. These links do not require the contractor to log in to any system; they simply click the relevant button in their email or PDF.

Accept	The contractor clicks Accept to confirm they will take on the job. The work order status automatically updates to Accepted and the action is logged in the audit timeline.
Message	The contractor clicks Message to open a simple form where they can send a query, provide an update, or request more information. All messages are stored in the work order’s Messages section.
Decline	The contractor clicks Decline to formally decline the job. They can optionally provide a reason. The work order status automatically updates to Declined and you will need to reassign it to another contractor.

Note:  Each action link is secure and unique to the specific work order and contractor. If the work order is resent to a new contractor or the email is resent, the original links become inactive and new links are generated.

Tracking and Retrieving Work Orders #

You can retrieve and review work order data at any time directly from the Merlo AI Teams chat, without opening the Dashboard. Ask for any slice of your work order portfolio; by plan, by status, by contractor, or by due date; and Merlo will return a summary table of matching jobs.

Each result includes the job number, plan, job title, contractor, current status, and estimated completion date. Up to 50 records are returned per query. If more records exist, Merlo will notify you of the total count and suggest adding a filter to narrow the results.

Retrieve by Strata Plan #

“Show me all work orders for plan 12345.”

“What open jobs do we currently have for plan 98765?”

“Show me all pending work orders for strata plan 2604.”

Retrieve by Status #

“Show me all declined work orders across all plans.”

“Which jobs are currently in progress?”

“List all work orders with status Pending.”

“Show me all completed work orders for plan 55667 in the last 30 days.”

Retrieve by Contractor #

“What work orders does ABC Maintenance currently have assigned?”

“Show me all jobs assigned to Energy Australia.”

“Show all work orders for XYZ Plumbing that are currently in progress.”

Retrieve by Due Date #

“Show me all work orders with estimated due dates in the next 2 weeks.”

“What jobs are due to complete in the next 30 days?”

“List all work orders with a completion date in May 2026.”

“Show me work orders due between 1 March and 30 June 2026.”

Work Order Status Reference #

Quote	The job has been identified but a contractor has not yet been selected. The work order is held pending receipt and review of quotes.
Pending	The work order has been created and the contractor email has been sent. Awaiting the contractor’s response via the Accept, Message, or Decline links.
Accepted	The contractor has clicked Accept. They have formally confirmed they will attend to the job.
In Progress	Work has commenced on site. This status is updated manually once you are informed the contractor has started.
Completed	The job has been finished. This status is updated manually once completion is confirmed.
Declined	The contractor has declined the job. The work order needs to be reassigned to an alternative contractor.
Paused	The job has been put on hold; for example, pending approval, awaiting parts, or due to access issues. It can be resumed by changing the status back to In Progress.
Cancelled	The job will not proceed. The work order is retained in the system for audit purposes but is no longer active.

Sending Contractor Reminders and Follow-Ups #

If a contractor has not responded to a work order, has not provided a progress update, or has not completed a job by the due date, you can ask Merlo to draft and send a reminder email directly to them. Merlo uses the work order details to populate the reminder; you do not need to locate the contractor’s contact information or restate the job details.

All reminders are presented as email drafts for your review before sending. You can adjust the tone, add a firm deadline, or include any additional context before confirming.

Example Prompts #

“Send a reminder email to the contractor about the outstanding work order for SP 2604.”

“Draft a follow-up email to Energy Australia about their pending work order; include the job reference number and the original due date.”

“Send a firm reminder to ABC Roofing about the overdue work order for plan 98765; ask them to respond by end of day today.”

“The contractor for the lift repair on SP 77889 hasn’t responded in 5 days. Draft a reminder email and escalate the urgency.”

Resending a Work Order #

If a contractor says they cannot find the original email, the action links have expired, or you need to send the work order to a different contractor, you can resend the work order directly from Teams or the Dashboard. Resending generates a fresh email with new active links.

“Resend the work order for the roof repair at SP 12345 to the contractor.”

“The contractor for plan 2604 says they didn’t receive the original work order. Please resend it.”

Important:  When a work order is resent, the original action links in the previous email become inactive. The contractor must use the links in the new email or PDF.

Reassigning a Declined Work Order #

When a contractor declines a work order, the status automatically updates to Declined. The job needs to be reassigned to an alternative contractor. This can be done quickly from the Teams chat or the Dashboard.

Step-by-Step #

7. Retrieve the declined work order; either from the Dashboard or by asking Merlo in Teams: ‘Show me all declined work orders.’

8. Ask Merlo to update the contractor. Provide the new contractor’s name and email address.

9. Merlo updates the work order, resets the status to Pending, and prepares a new contractor email draft with fresh action links.

10. Review the email draft, make any necessary adjustments, and confirm to send.

Example Prompts #

“ABC Plumbing declined the work order for plan 12345. Reassign it to XYZ Plumbing and resend.”

“Show me all declined work orders so I can reassign them.”

“The contractor for the roof repair at SP 98765 has declined. Update the contractor to ClimateRoofing and prepare the new email.”

Managing Quotes #

For jobs that require competitive quotes before a contractor is engaged, Merlo AI manages the full quoting workflow; from initiating the quote job and sending requests to multiple contractors, through to tracking responses and converting an accepted quote directly into a work order. The entire process is handled from Teams, with no need to switch between systems.

Starting a Quote Job #

Tell Merlo what trade or job requires quoting, and for which strata plan. Merlo will create the quote job in the system and hold it at Quote status until contractors are engaged and a decision is made.

“I need three quotes for roof leak repairs at SP 12345; please start the quote job.”

“Begin a quote process for balcony waterproofing at strata plan 55001 with a 30-day closing date.”

“Create a quote job for SP 77889 to replace all hallway lighting on the common property.”

“Start a quote for exterior painting at SP 23334. I will need at least two competitive quotes before proceeding.”

Sending Quote Requests to Contractors #

Once the quote job is created, you can send quote requests to specific named contractors, or ask Merlo to use preferred suppliers from the strata plan’s contractor register. You can also set a response deadline so contractors know when to submit by.

“Send a quote request for roof repairs to ClimateRoofing and two other preferred contractors for SP 2604.”

“Request quotes from three contractors for SP 12345 and set the response deadline to 7 days from today.”

“For the balcony waterproofing job at SP 55001, send quote requests to ABC Waterproofing and two others from our preferred supplier list.”

“Send this quote request to our preferred plumber for SP 12345.”

Tracking Quote Progress #

At any point during the quoting process, you can ask Merlo to show the current status of quote requests; which contractors have responded, which are still outstanding, and whether any quotes have been accepted.

“Show me all pending quotes for SP 12345; which contractors have responded so far?”

“Which contractors have been sent a quote request for SP 55001 and who hasn’t replied yet?”

“Do we have any accepted quotes for SP 77889 yet? If so, show the amounts submitted.”

“Give me a full status update on the quoting job for roof repairs at SP 2604.”

Converting an Accepted Quote to a Work Order #

Once a quote has been accepted; either by you reviewing and approving it, or by the system flagging it as accepted; Merlo can convert it into a formal work order immediately. The contractor details, job description, and scope from the accepted quote are carried forward automatically.

“Use the accepted quote from ABC Plumbing for SP 55667 and convert it into a work order.”

“The ClimateRoofing quote for SP 2604 has been approved; go ahead and create the work order.”

“Convert the accepted balcony waterproofing quote at SP 55001 into a work order and prepare the contractor email.”

“Take the accepted quote for hallway lighting at SP 77889 and formally issue the work order today.”

Tip:  Specify a closing date when starting a quote job so contractors are clear on the submission deadline. This also allows Merlo to flag any quote requests that have not received a response by the due date.

The Full Work Order Lifecycle #

The table below shows the complete journey of a work order from identification to completion, including who takes each action, where it happens, and what Merlo does automatically.

Step	What Happens	Who Acts	Where
1	A maintenance need is identified; from an incoming email, an inspection, or a direct request	You	Teams chat or phone/site
2	Work order created with status set to Pending	You (Merlo assists)	Teams Assistant
3	PDF work order generated; contractor email draft prepared with Accept / Message / Decline links	Merlo AI (automatic)	Teams Assistant
4	You review the email draft, make any edits, and confirm to send	You	Teams Assistant
5	Contractor receives the email and PDF; clicks Accept to confirm the job	Contractor	Email / PDF
6	Status automatically updates to Accepted; action logged in the audit timeline	Automatic	Dashboard / Timeline
7	Work commences on site; you update status to In Progress	You	Dashboard or Teams
8	Contractor or your team sends progress updates via the Message link or dashboard	Contractor / You	Dashboard / Email
9	Job is completed; you update status to Completed	You	Dashboard or Teams
10	Work order retained in the system with full audit history and timeline	Automatic	Dashboard

Note:  If a contractor declines at Step 5, the status updates to Declined automatically. Edit the work order, assign a new contractor, reset the status to Pending, and resend. See the Reassigning a Declined Work Order section above.

Note:  If a job needs to be paused at any step, update the status to Paused. The job will appear in the Paused category in the Dashboard. When work resumes, change the status back to In Progress.

Real-World Usage Scenarios #

An owner emails reporting a roof leak above their unit	Save the email as a .msg file, drag it into the Merlo Teams chat. Merlo extracts the plan number, job description, and urgency. Confirm the details, select the roofing contractor, and Merlo generates the work order and contractor email in under a minute.
A contractor you called verbally agreed to a job; you need to formalise it	Ask Merlo: ‘Create a work order for plan 98765; plumbing repair to lot 4 bathroom. Contractor is XYZ Plumbing. Due by 30 May 2026.’ Merlo creates the work order and prepares the formal email for the contractor to Accept.
A contractor hasn’t responded to a work order sent 5 days ago	Ask Merlo: ‘Send a reminder to the contractor for the pending work order on SP 2604; ask them to respond by end of day.’ Merlo drafts a firm reminder using the work order details and presents it for your review.
You need three quotes for a large painting job before committing to a contractor	Ask Merlo: ‘Start a quote job for exterior painting at SP 44100. I need three quotes, deadline in 14 days.’ Merlo creates the quote job and sends requests to preferred painting contractors from the plan’s supplier list.
A contractor declines a job and you need to quickly reassign it	Ask Merlo: ‘ABC Roofing declined the work order for plan 55667. Reassign to ClimateRoofing and resend.’ Merlo updates the contractor, resets the status to Pending, and prepares a new email with fresh action links.
The committee wants to know all overdue jobs across the portfolio	Ask Merlo: ‘Show me all work orders that are overdue across all plans.’ Merlo returns a filtered list with job number, plan, contractor, status, and due date; ready to share or act on.
An accepted quote needs to be turned into a work order	Ask Merlo: ‘The ClimateRoofing quote for SP 2604 has been approved. Convert it to a work order and prepare the email.’ Merlo creates the work order from the quote data and generates the contractor confirmation email immediately.

Tips for Getting the Best Results #

Always include the plan number	The strata plan number is essential for every work order. Include it in every request so Merlo creates the job against the correct plan without needing to ask.
Save emails as .msg before uploading	To create a work order from a received email, it must be saved in .msg format from Outlook. Right-click the email in Outlook, select Save As, and choose Outlook Message Format (.msg).
State urgency clearly	Include urgency in your request if a job is time-sensitive. For example: ‘This is urgent; the lift is out of service.’ Merlo will flag the work order accordingly and reflect this in the contractor email.
Name the contractor specifically	Use the contractor’s full registered name when assigning a work order. This ensures Merlo links to the correct contractor record and uses the correct contact details.
Review the draft before sending	Always check the contractor email draft before confirming. Verify the recipient, job description, attachments, and any deadlines before the email is dispatched.
Set a quote closing date	When starting a quote job, specify a deadline for contractor responses. This keeps the process moving and allows Merlo to flag unanswered requests after the deadline passes.
Use status filters when querying	When retrieving work orders, add a status filter to get focused results. For example: ‘Show all declined work orders for plan 12345’ rather than ‘show all work orders for plan 12345.’
Chain actions in a single request	You can combine multiple instructions in one prompt. For example: ‘Create a work order for plan 98765, assign XYZ Plumbing, and send the contractor email.’ Merlo will execute all steps in sequence.
Keep contractor contact details up to date	Merlo uses the contact details stored in your strata system. If a contractor’s email address changes, update it in the system to ensure work order emails reach the right person.

Frequently Asked Questions #

What file format does the email need to be in for drag-and-drop to work? #

It must be a .msg file; this is the standard format when saving an email from Microsoft Outlook. To save an email as .msg, open the email in Outlook, click File, then Save As, and choose Outlook Message Format (.msg). This format preserves the email body, subject, sender details, and any attachments.

Can I attach additional documents to the work order beyond what was in the original email? #

Yes. When creating a work order from a .msg file, any attachments already inside the email are automatically extracted and included. If you need to add separate files; such as a quote, photo, or inspection report; tell Merlo in the chat and attach them to your message before confirming.

Can I create a work order without assigning a contractor straight away? #

Yes. If you do not yet have a contractor, set the status to Quote when creating the work order and leave the contractor field blank. You can assign a contractor and send the work order email once you have selected one. Note that a contractor email address is required before the PDF can be sent.

What happens if I create a work order but do not send the email immediately? #

The work order is created in the system with a status of Pending as soon as you confirm. The email draft is held in the Teams chat. You can review and send it at any time; there is no automatic timeout or expiry on the draft.

The contractor says they cannot find the Accept button. What should I do? #

The Accept, Message, and Decline links appear in both the email body and inside the PDF attachment. Ask the contractor to check both. If they still cannot locate the links, resend the work order; this generates a new email with fresh active links. The original links become inactive once the work order is resent.

Can two team members work on the same work order at the same time? #

Yes. All work order data is shared across the Dashboard and the Teams Assistant in real time. Every change; status update, message, contractor reassignment; is logged in the audit timeline with the name of the person who made it, so there is always a complete record of who did what and when.

How many work orders does Merlo return in a single query? #

Up to 50 records per query. If your search returns more than 50 results, Merlo will tell you how many are remaining and suggest adding a filter; such as a plan number, status, or date range; to narrow the results.

Can I convert a quote directly into a work order without re-entering the details? #

Yes. Once a quote is accepted, ask Merlo to convert it into a work order. All relevant details from the accepted quote; contractor, job description, scope, and pricing; are carried forward into the work order automatically. You do not need to retype anything.

What happens to the audit trail when a work order is reassigned? #

Every change to a work order; including contractor reassignments, status changes, messages, and sent emails; is logged automatically in the work order’s audit timeline. The full history is retained, even if the work order has changed hands multiple times.