Maintaining a Tech System

Many people believe that the cost and effort that goes into setting up an IT system is the major portion of investment required, and that the system will function autonomously thereafter. While that is true to some extent, maintenance of an IT system is an equally crucial aspect of owning one.

Physical maintenance as well as technical maintenance are necessary to ensure your tech system is functioning efficiently and safely.

Let’s discuss some of the important things to bear in mind for effective maintenance:

Initial Procedure

Before you even purchase your systems, make sure to conduct thorough research about different manufacturers and the support they provide for the future.

• Ensure all components are genuine and sold with a license, which will lead to direct support from the manufacturer in case of failures
• If your employees lack the expertise to maintain your system, invest in a maintenance scheme.
• Invest in longer warranties and insurance as those will prove to be worthwhile even in case of a small setback.
• Conduct a thorough inspection of the equipment on delivery. Carry out a test run on all your systems to check for defects.

Environment

The office environment that tech systems are stored in a large contributing factor to their long-term health and can make or break your system.

• Ensure that your computers are kept away from heaters and sources of water or dust.
• Cooling systems need an air intake as well as an outlet and having your intake vent be close to heat or dust can be detrimental to your system.
• Ensure that all cables are kept as short as possible, to prevent accidents or damage to the cables. If you do receive cables that are longer than required, make sure you loop them to the required length. Fasten all cables together with a cable tie.
• Ensure that your key hardware is also connected to a backup power source, to protect your data in case of a power failure.

Data

Data is arguably the most value possession of an organization today, and therefore must be handled with the utmost care.

• Store your data both onsite and offsite in a cloud-based storage, which will prevent any corruption or loss of data in case of a hardware failure.
• Ensure that data is organized and stored uniformly throughout your organization.
• Perform maintenance activities regularly on your storage hardware, to keep them functioning efficiently.

Security

The largest threat to a tech system is a potential virus or hacker that infiltrates your setup. For this reason, security measures are invaluable to ensure safety of your data and privacy.

• Invest in a good security system, and ensure it is installed on all devices in the organization
• Setting up a firewall goes a long way in preventing potential risks.
• A reputable anti-virus software is a must. Grant the software permission to scan all new files and also conduct a periodic scan in each system.

Identifying and tackling problems

Computer problems can be tough to identify, particularly if your technical knowledge is limited.

• Consider setting up a diagnostic tool that can help you identify and isolate issues.
• If a problem can be replicated consistently, then it is a serious issue that can be specifically tackled.
• Consider hiring experts to handle issues in your tech system.
• Systems that are still under warranty should not be interfered with, as that will void the warranty.
• Buy only genuine parts in case there is a need for replacement of any components.
• Ensure to keep all hardware and software up-to-date and patches released by manufacturers are usually designed to handle bugs and existing problems.

Maintenance of your IT system is the discerning factor between needing an upgrade in a year or two vs having smooth functioning systems for double that time or more. Factors such as dust, heat and security threats are technological killers, that can easily be avoided with functional care and maintenance. A well oiled machine functions for far longer and far more efficiently than a poorly maintained one.