IT equipment maintenance checklist

Hello Tribesmen!

As you may know, all our amazing products are hosted online. When customers visit your shop, they can only access the products through your PCs (Booking systems). It is therefore important to your business to know how to manage your IT equipment so that they can serve you for a long time, and you do not spend money replacing them after a short while.

Today we will look at the ways you can maintain and protect your IT equipment.

1. Are your screens clean?

Do your Cashiers a favour and bring the appropriate screen-cleaning cloth or solution with you on the preventive maintenance visit.

2. Are all the connections correct?

Cashiers/Users love to move their equipment around. Make sure all the plugs are fit well into their connections and make sure you are using surge protectors and not a string of extension cords to power their machines. While the computer is open, re-seat all connections including expansion cards, CPU, memory, data cables, and power connections.

3. Take inventory

Update your master inventory of computer assets in your shop. Verify serial numbers, CPU speed, hard drive space, memory, etc.

4. Have you changed passwords?

It is a good security precaution to change your login password periodically (at least every 90 days).

5. Are the printers working properly?

Print a test page on your cashiers' printers. Make sure the printers are producing clean ticket copies, and that the print head aren't about to worn out.

6. Have you rebooted the system?

In some shops, the workstations are left on all the time. While you're (SA or Agents) there, make sure you reboot the system to force a memory reset and to make sure the machine will boot when you're not there in person.

7. Have you used an air can (or Electric Blower) to clean debris?

It's still a good idea to blow the dust and debris out of keyboards every now and then. And make sure there isn't dust accumulating on the back of the machine or wherever the air fan is located. It's amazing how much dust can collect in a computer over time. Blowing out the inside of the computer has a couple of pitfalls that must be addressed. First, since the pressure is much higher with canned air, don't direct the air to an unsecured fan. Try using a pencil erasure to keep the fan from turning while you clean out the power supply and CPU. Blow out the power supply from the inside out first, or you’ll get tons of dust blown into the computer. Take each computer to a place that doesn't mind the dust, outdoors preferably.

8. Have you cleaned the keyboard?

With the power off, tip or turn the keyboard upside down and carefully use the palm of your hand to strike the keyboard several times. You'll be surprised how much junk will fall out.

9. Have you cleaned the mouse?

It never hurts to make sure the mouse is free of dust and grime and ensure your use a mouse pad.

10. Check the power sources

Make sure systems are plugged into protected outlets or power strips, if not uninterruptible power supplies (UPS).

11. Have you checked the computer fan?

Remember to check that the CPU's cooling fan is working and that the airflow isn't impeded by dust or covered by used tickets.

12. Have you checked the network sim router?

It is also necessary to check, clean and reboot your sim router from time to time. They contain memory that needs to be flushed and have connections that can work loose.

13. Ensure good shop ventilation (windows, fans, or air conditioners) as this will improve the running of your Computer systems.

14. Shutdown systems

- Ensure graceful shutdown of all computers, sim routers, and uninterrupted power supply (UPS) after closing of business.

- It is advisable to connect your sim router, Cashier computers, and booking computers to UPS in order to avoid power interruption while you change over or refuel your generator.