I want more information on the usage of transaction IW36. How do you use it?

We use IW36, create sub-order, in the following instances:
- When there is a significant change of the scope of a work order. This allows the newly identified work to be fully planned, approved and scheduled before proceeding, whilst maintaining a link with the original order.
- For larger jobs/projects where a number supervisors may be responsible for aspects of the job.

Note: The superior order cannot be technically completed until all its sub-orders have been technically completed. For this reason we do not create sub-orders for orders created from a maintenance plan; it complicates the scheduling of the next call of the maintenance plan which is normally based on the technical completion date.

Eugene,

I suggest you also look at the SAP Help documentation for Order Hierarchy. it gives a good description of the intended use of Sub-Orders.

SAP Help

I have actually renamed this transaction as "WORK ORDER/PM BACK LOG. This is a general search page that can be used as such. You can review completed, outstanding, and in process work orders by various functions, for example by date, eqiupment or maint work center etc. Also I use this transaction to obtain and print out the PM's for the upcoming week (in process).