Document Your Business’ IT

I bet you can’t name the amount of network switches at your office. How many licenses of Office do you have? Do you know if your router warranty has lapsed?

Most business owners don’t ask these questions very often, but these issues can often have a marked effect on the way your business functions. Even if you can’t remember any of it, you should have this information documented. 

Not only will documenting your whole IT infrastructure save you a lot of time and frustration when you need questions answered quickly, it can help with insurance, and it can help you avoid spending money on technology that you already have. 

What Information Needs to be Documented?

You are going to alter the information depending on which device you are inventorying, but here are some basics you will definitely want to keep on hand:

• Name of device: You will want to document what you call the device on your network. Leave a detailed description if it doesn’t have a name. 
• Model and serial number: For warranty and support, you will want to keep the serial number and model of the hardware. 
• Date of purchase and installation: You will want to document when you bought the device and when it was installed on your network.
• Name of technician (or other person) who installed it: Pretty straightforward. Who installed it?
• Any warranty information: You will want to know how long the manufacturer’s warranty lasts, when your extended warranty runs out, and any other warranty-related information.
• Any relevant vendor information: Are there support numbers or websites? Where did you get the device from? 
• Location: Where can the hardware be found onsite? It’s good to document the location. 
• Service history: Always keep detailed service records to ensure that everyone that interacts with the device knows the status of it. You will want to know (again) who installed it, who is servicing it and what service was applied. 

It may seem to be a little bit of overkill for a router or a network switch, but we promise you the little bit of effort it takes to document changes in your IT will pay dividends down the road. At Walsh IT Group, we document everything as a best practice, so if you would like help setting up your IT infrastructure, or just help with documentation, give us a call at (832) 295-1445 today.