Occupational Standard: Hardware and Network Servicing Level III

Unit Title Create Technical Documentation

1. Identify and analyze documentation needs
2. Design documentation
Learning outcome 3. Develop documentation
4. Evaluate and edit documentation

Determine user documentation requirements

Types and purpose of user documentation
Types of user documentation
Users might need to consult a range of documentation in order to install, configure and/or use the
functions of a system or application. There are many different types of user documentation depending
on what users require. For example, a new staff member using a particular IT system for the first time
needs to refer to a user guide and tutorials and online help. In other words, they firstly need
documentation that helps them learn to use the software. As they become more familiar with the
system, they will need access to other types of documentation such as FAQs (Frequently Asked
Questions).

Reflect
Think of the types of user documentation you have seen at a workplace. Do some of your examples
include the following?
Documentation type Description

Project specifications specifies the detailed business requirements of the project

Reports
Help resources
User manual/guide
Training materials
Self-paced tutorials
Brochures
including how the system will work and the underlying
functionality
produced by the system, program, network or application
provides online Help, quick reference cards, scenarios,
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions). Users can search for
help on using of a specific system, program, network or
application
describes how the user will use a system, program,
network or application to do their job
train staff in how to use a system, program, network or
application to do their job
teach staff how to use a system, program, network or
application to do their job. These may be online or paper-
based tutorials.
outline what a computer application does

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The purpose of user documentation
What is the documentation going to be used for? This is the first question to ask before starting to
create any user documentation. When you are satisfied that you have an answer, you can then decide
what type of documentation you are going to produce.

Reflect
Think about documentation you have used and recall why you needed to refer to it. What was the main
purpose of the documentation? What did it enable you to do? These are some examples of user
documentation and their purpose.
Examples Purpose

A project specification, training to learn how to use a piece of software

manual, user guide, tutorials or help
that provides step by step guidance
in how to use the software.
A training manual, quick reference to refer to a specific feature of a piece of software
guide or user guide that provides
detailed commands and
specifications of a software package
to assist with troubleshooting
problems.

Once you have decided what the purpose of your documentation is and what type of documentation
you are going to produce, you can look at the needs of the potential users of the documentation.

Users’ needs
A needs analysis is a process where the needs of the target groups for the documentation are identified
and analysed. This analysis helps to make decisions on what the documentation should contain and
what format is most suitable. For example, Data Entry staff in a call centre need to know how to
correctly enter data in a database so that orders can be generated correctly from a database.
For training materials and online help a needs analysis should be conducted in person with the staff
who will need the documentation. For other documentation a look at the needs of the users without
speaking directly to staff is sufficient.
After considering user characteristics and needs, possible solutions can be found, for example:
User characteristic User need Possible solutions

level of computing beginner to expert create different sections for

experience
experience with the
particular system or
application
frequency of use with a
different levels of experience
beginner to expert create different sections for
different levels of experience
constant, frequent to weekly, there must be initial training

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 User characteristic User need Possible solutions

particular system or monthly, annually with some sort of follow-up

application
workplace tasks simple, repetitive tasks to
complex tasks
work practices and eg part-time, shift work,
environment office, warehouse
language skills difficulty reading and
understanding written
language to very competent
readers
cultural background language appropriate to some
users may not be appropriate
for others
personal characteristics users will learn at varying
such as aptitude, pace
educational background,
age, disability
level of confidence users might be fearful and not
confident with computers
support
documentation must clearly
relate to the tasks at hand
occupational health and
safety documentation is
essential
 keep language simple, use
plain English
 explain technical terms
and jargon if they must be
used
 avoid long uncommon
words if simple words
will do
 use language appropriate
for all users
 American spelling often
appears in
documentation, since it
is often where the
software originates
make sure individual needs
are catered for to
organisational policies
 be positive and
encouraging in your
approach
 avoid reinforcing
negative attitudes

It’s almost impossible to cater for all these variations. However in preparing documentation for a new
user, you would obviously not confuse them with technical jargon on the first page! You need to find a
balance and remember that any documentation must be consistent with the organisation’s policy,
conventions and standards.
For any form of documentation to be useful it must be designed with the needs of its potential users in
mind. An analysis of the requirements of the users, and the way their needs can be effectively
addressed, is a critical step in the process of determining documentation requirements.

What to include in user documentation

It’s a good idea at this stage to think about the content that you will include in the user documentation.
This is so you can estimate the number of pages, the complexity of the content and what the graphic
and text components will be.
The content will have some influence on:

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  design of the documentation, including layout, use of text and graphics
 medium, eg paper-based or online
 the time and resources needed to develop the documentation.

Media for user documentation

You can consider paper-based documentation, online documentation or a combination of both. The
media type you choose will be influenced by the:
1 purpose of the documentation
2 user needs and characteristics
3 content (subject matter).
Always keep in mind that you need to include a range of items that allow users to access the required
information quickly and easily. There are advantages and disadvantages to online and paper media.
Media Advantages Disadvantages

Paper  conventional, most people are  hard to maintain

used to paper products control of different
 easy and fast to prepare versions
 inexpensive to produce  costly to update
 requires readily available
software
Online  convenient  can be expensive
 easy to reach many people  requires specialised
geographically dispersed software
 can be colourful and fun
 can link to other related
documents
 easy to maintain version
control
 not costly to update

Reflect
Think about when you would be most likely to use paper and when you would use online.
Paper is appropriate in most circumstances. It is the most commonly used method of delivering
documentation, so most people are used to it and like it. However, when staff are dispersed across a
country or around the world, online delivery is best. Everyone can access the same documentation and
only one version is available. Where user documentation is going to be used primarily as a help tool,
then online help is most appropriate. It allows for easy searching across the documentation.

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Designing templates
Once you have determined the documentation requirements, you can develop a template that meets
those requirements and makes the job easier. A template is a file that contains a standard layout, styles
and fonts that are used in the production of the documentation.
When you want to create a file for user documentation, you open the standard template, usually in
Word, and the layout, fonts and styles are already set up in the document. All you need to do is start
writing. Everyone uses the same template, so there is a consistent look and feel to all of the user
documentation.
The template may be:
 a Word template
 an HTML template
 an online help template.
The medium will determine what kind of template you use.

Features of templates
Paper-based documentation
Features that may be included in paper-based documentation are:
 table of contents
 columns and tables
 page and section numbering
 headers and footers
 graphics and text surrounds
 substantially chunked information.

Online documentation
Features that may be included in online documentation are:
 table of contents hyperlinks
 tables
 links to other pages/sites
 navigation icons
 usability/functionality
 Heavy use of graphics.

Obtaining sign-off on templates

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Like all documentation, templates also need to be signed-off by the relevant people. The sign off
process will be outlined in the organisational documentation policy.
The content of the template will depend on the purpose of the documentation. A template for training
materials will look quite different to a template for a procedural manual.
The template should be designed in consultation with users or a subject expert. Once the template has
been designed, it should be distributed according to the user documentation policy, or, the agreed
review process if you are working towards final sign-off.

Summary
User documentation that meets users’ needs is the most effective. This reading covered the types and
purpose of user documentation and how users’ needs can be identified and met. We also outlined the
steps involved in preparing effective user documentation, deciding on content and media and designing
templates.

Produce user documentation

Types of user documentation

When a new computer application is implemented or changes are made to existing computer
applications, documentation that explains how the computer application works may need to be
provided directly to users and/or to the help desk.
There are different types of documentation that can be available for each computer application, for
example:
1 user manual/guide
2 technical manual/guide
3 training manual/resources.
When software is purchased off-the-shelf it usually comes with a user guide and technical guide.
Training resources are then either purchased or developed in-house.
When computer applications are developed internally, a user guide, technical guide and training
resources are usually developed to support the application. If the development is outsourced then the
same supporting materials are usually developed as part of the project. Outsourcing occurs when
external staff are hired to develop the computer application.
So, client documentation for software applications is generally prepared by the people/organisation
who design and develop the application.
A user guide shows the user:
 how to use the application, ie the steps required to complete various tasks
 screens dumps with ‘dummy’ data to give the user a complete picture of how to enter data and
process the data
 tutorials.

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Note that this guide can incorporate a training resource such as a tutorial.
The technical manual generally contains the technical information such as:
 system requirements to run the application
 how to install the application
 configuring the application
 database layout (if a database is used)
 screen layouts
 how to get technical support.
At the end of any project to develop a computer application, a copy of all documentation should be
provided to:
1 the client
2 the help desk.
The help desk can then provide support to users when they contact them for support.

Providing support to clients for macros/templates

Just like computer applications, macros and templates need to be supported by the help desk. When
new templates have been developed or new macros set up in standard software packages, copies of the
templates and lists of macro codes and purpose should be sent to the help desk.
When staff members contact the help desk because a template is being troublesome or a macro is not
working, they can consult these documents to assist the staff member.

Reviewing the system, program, network or application

Before you can start writing documentation, you need to know how the system, program, network
and/or application that you are documenting works.

Using a user’s perspective

The only way to find out how the system, program, network or application works is to become a user
so that you become familiar with its features and you are confident in using it.
You should be looking at:
 the functionality — how it works
 the work processes surrounding its use — how the system works with organisational processes and
procedures.
Another valuable source of information are staff members who are already users or project team
members who have been working with the system.

Gathering existing documentation

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If you are writing documentation for an existing system, program, network and/or application, some
documentation may already exist. You should consult any existing documentation that may have
accompanied the system (including technical information). This could include:
 user guides
 project specifications
 online help
 procedure manuals.
These documents will show you how the system, program, network or application works. It should also
show you what the organisation’s work procedures are and how to apply them.

Writing effective user documentation

As a confident user of the system you can begin to write the documentation using the agreed template
and relevant tools. You will need a template for user documentation and the relevant tools for
development.

Planning content
In the same way that you plan any piece of writing, you will need to create a plan for writing the
documentation. Before you write the user documentation, write an outline of the contents. Organise the
content into:
1 main headings
2 sub headings
3 points under each of the subheadings.
It might be necessary to approach a subject matter expert to assist with the planning or it might be
sufficient to use any existing documentation as a model for the new documentation.
When writing the content, it is important to follow effective writing principles. Other features such as
graphic design and navigation will help user documentation work for users. Along with getting the
content right, you’ll need to use sound principles for layout and usability as well.
A final stage in the development of your documentation will be testing the documentation with real
users, then revising the documentation and testing it again. So you’ll have the opportunity to adjust
content and other features to better fit the needs of your target users.

Reflect
Think about the features that you have found useful in documentation. What were they?

Tips for writing and designing effective user documentation

Use this as a checklist for planning the features of user documentation.

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Content features
 Give a brief introduction where you state the purpose and objectives of the documentation.
 Include a table of contents or index.
 When writing, keep the users’ needs in mind, ie put yourself in the users’ place.
 Ensure the content is accurate.
 Make clear sections for different types of features/information.
 Break the content down into easy-to-digest ‘chunks’, eg using paragraphs and sub headings, or
multiple screens.
 Use illustrations, diagrams, charts and/or screen shots where appropriate.
 State instructions clearly and step-by-step.
 Use plain English and avoid jargon.
 Use technical terms only where necessary.
 Include a troubleshooting or help section.
 Include a glossary of the technical terms you have used.

Layout features
 Make the document structure as simple as possible and logical by providing cues to locate
information.
 Ensure good usability, especially for online documentation.
 Cross-reference information, eg use hyperlinks in online documentation.
 Warnings, comments and help should be well-organised and visible.
 Aim for a clean design for text styles and layout that is consistent across all pages.

Involving business units in the development of user

documentation
One of the reasons a project could fail is that people in the business units who will be impacted by the
project’s implementation have been left out of the consultation process. From the beginning to end of a
project, project team members need to work closely with users. They are an invaluable resource for
developing documentation.
Though users and subject matter experts from the business units might not have the skills necessary to
write effective documentation, they have the content knowledge. If you can tap into this knowledge
your content will be accurate and relevant.

Reflect
What do you think may be the benefits of involving users and accepting their feedback?
 The end product is more closely aligned with the needs of the users.

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 The process of creating user documentation is much simpler due to the expert knowledge users
bring.
 Implementation and take-up of the new system, program, network or application is much greater
with user involvement, as the subject matter experts can act as ‘champions’ within the business
units.

Developer tools
The writing tools you use will be determined by the medium — paper-based or online. Tools
(software) can include applications for:
 word processing
 image editing
 image conversion (to web-ready)
 painting and drawing
 HTML conversion/authoring/editing
 FTP utility
 site management software
 multimedia or slide show authoring
 audio and video equipment and editing software.

If you are developing paper-based materials, useful tools are:

 word processing software, eg Microsoft Word
 imaging software, eg Adobe Photoshop and/or Adobe Illustrator.

If your materials are going online, useful tools are:

 HTML conversion/authoring/editing
 imaging software, eg Adobe Photoshop or Fireworks
 FTP utility, eg FTP Pro or CuteFTP.

Quality assurance (QA)

Once the documentation has been written, a quality assurance check should be conducted before the
draft is sent out for review. This check is best done by a subject matter expert, another member of the
project team or a different writer.

QA checklist

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A standard checklist should be used to check the documentation. A QA checklist contains a list of
standard formats and styles that reflect the organisation’s user documentation standards.
The purpose of the checklist is to ensure the documentation standards are followed and that all user
documentation is consistent in style and appearance. Once the QA is complete, the documentation can
be sent for a formal review.
The following table lists some of the criteria you could include in a QA checklist.

Table 1: QA checklist

Criteria Evidence to look for

Is the medium suitable?  consider work practices, frequency of updates

Are the purpose and  objectives stated

objectives clear?
Is the documentation suitable
for the intended audience?
Is the skill level of the user
stated?
 outcomes measurable
 achievable given the stated skill level of intended users
 plain language
 terms explained
 user-centred
 skills required to understand and perform tasks
specified

Is the content complete and  clear sections

well organised?
Is it easy to access and
navigate the information?
Are instructions clear?
Logical flow of information
Ease of use
Consistency in layout
 pages/screens numbered
 summaries included
 trouble shooting section included
 content matches objectives
Access points include:
 table of contents
 well-developed index with accurate matches
 cross referencing
 hot spots (online)
 glossary
 legend to explain any symbols
 one task in one instruction
 instructions are numbered
 technical jargon avoided, explained where necessary,
and located in the glossary
 topics build on the preceding topic and increase in level
of difficulty
 users can find what they are looking for
 users understand it
 users believe it is complete and accurate
 heading styles used consistently
 consistent use of fonts, type and size for both headings

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 Criteria Evidence to look for
and body text
 font types limited to two or three
 consistent use of colour, paragraph styles, etc
Balance of text and white  adequate use of white space
space  information is easy to read and follow
 left justification been used
Visual cues  adequate use of tables, illustrations, colour and other
visual elements
 different kinds of information are clearly identified for
easy reading eg
 heading
 main body text
 instructions for user to perform a task at the computer
 explanations of tasks
 warnings
 screen shots
 system messages
 comments to the user
 shortcuts to functions: function keys
Presentation  document looks interesting to read

Usability testing
Online user documentation requires a test for usability. This means that the interactive design and
navigation should be tested to see whether the user can easily find the information they are after.
It is preferable for usability testing to be performed by a subject matter expert or a user (since they will
be using the documentation when it is finished). The organisation’s usability standards can be put into
the QA checklist.

Summary
This reading has covered the knowledge and skills required to write user documentation for a new or
upgraded system, program, network or application implementation. We began with ways of reviewing
the existing system, program, network or application. Then we looked at elements for writing and
designing effective user documentation and the range of tools available. Documentation is completed
after a quality assurance check and usability testing which ensure that standards are met.

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Support clients in a courteous and professional manner
Establishing a courteous and professional manner

Most jobs in the IT industry require you to interact regularly with clients. Some of these interactions
include:
 attending to customers’ enquiries and complaints
 determining a client’s needs
 obtaining feedback from a client with regard to an installation, customisation, or support issue
 providing a client with information
 providing instruction to a client.
When dealing with clients, it is important for you to ensure you establish and maintain a courteous and
professional manner.

Courteous and professional manner

To be courteous means to show good manners and respect for others’ opinions and needs. To be
professional means to conduct yourself in a manner that is mature, responsible and fair.

Reflect
Imagine you are a client and you ask an IT Support person for help. What behaviour would you expect
from the IT Support person if you were to consider them courteous? What behaviour would you expect
from them if you were to consider them professional?

Courteous behavior
Behaviour that is considered courteous is:
 being friendly
 showing respect for the other person, and
 Assisting the other person.
Being courteous is an important element of being professional.

Professional behavior
When dealing with clients in a workplace setting, professionalism is critical. Behaviour that is
considered professional is:
 being courteous
 focusing on the needs of the client
 assisting the client to meet their needs

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  following organisational policies and expectations of good conduct
 Ensuring the client’s needs have been met.
Another key element to professionalism is doing all of the above within an appropriate timeframe.

Determining client support needs

Sometimes it is not easy to decipher exactly what your clients want. How do you determine a client’s
requirements — particularly if the client is not very clear about it themself?

Reflect
When was the last time you asked for assistance from the IT department? Did you know what you
wanted? Did you know what was causing the problem you had? How did the IT Support person get the
information they required from you to solve your problem?

Gathering information
It’s important, of course, to collect as much information as possible about:
 what is happening
 when it started happening
 what may have caused it to happen
 How urgent it is.

Giving feedback to your client

You’ve analyzed your client’s requirements and decided on a solution. You then:
 Tell the client whether you (or your organisation) would be able to meet their requirements.
 Let them know of other options or possibilities of which they had not been aware.
 Provide the client with any information that will help them understand what they’re getting into
before you go ahead with the job.

Applying organizational policy

Every client interaction should be guided by the policies and guidelines of the organisation. These
policies and guidelines are often documented, but can also be established ways of behaving that form
part of the culture of the organisation.

Types of policies and guidelines

There are policies and guidelines that govern how staff:
 answer the telephone
 document client requests
 Provide follow up to clients.

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More often than not, you will see how things should be done by observing other IT staff and seeing
how they interact with clients.

Reflect
Think about a situation where you have contacted an organisation for assistance. It may be as simple as
calling a telephone company for a telephone number. Do the people you deal with follow pre-
determined steps? Do they always follow these steps no matter how many times you telephone them?

The need for organizational policies and guidelines

Some reasons for putting organisational policies and guidelines in place are:
 To show staff what the organisation considers professional conduct.
 To standardise the interactions between IT staff and clients.
 To ensure the process of supporting clients runs smoothly. The policies and guidelines may
contain details on how to deal with unusual and difficult situations.

Reflect
Think about how you and your colleagues answer the telephone at work. Is there a standard way you
do this? Were you told when you started work how to answer the telephones, according to
organisational policies?
Most organisations require their staff to answer the telephone with a greeting, identifying the
organisation, the department/section, their name and offering help with an opening statement. For
example:
Good morning. ICT Services. This is Lisa Brown.
How can I help you?

Cultural differences
‘Culture’ refers to the values, beliefs and attitudes shared by a group.
When it comes to communication and interaction, it is important to have respect for the differences
between cultural groups within your organisation.

Reflect
Can you think of any differences in communication style you have noticed when interacting with
someone from a different culture?
The following differences can make effective communication difficult:
 language
 behavioural expectations
 the written word
 values.

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By standardising how interactions should occur, organisational policies and guidelines can help solve
problems arising from cultural differences. When there are clear guidelines, everyone knows what is
expected.

Maintaining client contact

Obtaining client feedback is an important part of maintaining contact with clients. Feedback is the
information that you gather from your clients.

Reflect
Think of the last time you requested help from the IT help desk. In order to get assistance, what type of
feedback did you have to give to the help desk support person?

What sort of things do you need feedback on?

Some of the things the IT Support person needs feedback on include:
1 A need — What does the client need? Have I understood the needs of the client correctly?
2 The solution — How can I meet the client’s needs?
3 The implementation — Has the implemented solution worked?
The IT department will require the three types of feedback if it is to resolve client problems.

How to obtain feedback

Whether you are trying to find out what people need or trying to obtain client feedback, you have a
number of ways of obtaining your information. You might decide to phone your clients, visit them
face-to-face, send an email or get them to complete a feedback form over the intranet.
Questions are the main way we obtain feedback. They may be used in a range of situations, from
informal face-to-face encounters to well-structured formal questionnaires.

IT help desk database

A good tool to assist IT staff to maintain client contact is the IT help desk database. This is a database
that records all of the requests coming in from the organisation to the help desk. The IT support staff
take clients’ requests from the database and obtain feedback from the client directly about the specifics
of the problem.
When the client is visited, the database is updated. Any feedback provided by the client is recorded on
the database. When the problem is rectified, the database is updated and the request is ‘closed off’.

Summary
In this reading we have covered how to establish a courteous and professional manner when interacting
with clients; determine what the client support needs are and give the client feedback; apply
organisational policy and guidelines to support clients and maintain client contact.

16
Support clients in a courteous and professional manner
Establishing a polite and professional manner

Most jobs in the IT industry require you to interact regularly with clients. Some of these interactions
include:
 attending to customers’ enquiries and complaints
 determining a client’s needs
 obtaining feedback from a client with regard to an installation, customisation, or support issue
 providing a client with information
 Providing instruction to a client.
When dealing with clients, it is important for you to ensure you establish and maintain a courteous and
professional manner.

Courteous and professional manner

To be courteous means to show good manners and respect for others’ opinions and needs. To be
professional means to conduct yourself in a manner that is mature, responsible and fair.

Reflect
Imagine you are a client and you ask an IT Support person for help. What behaviour would you expect
from the IT Support person if you were to consider them courteous? What behaviour would you expect
from them if you were to consider them professional?

Courteous behavior
Behaviour that is considered courteous is:
 being friendly
 showing respect for the other person, and
 Assisting the other person.
Being courteous is an important element of being professional.

Professional behavior
When dealing with clients in a workplace setting, professionalism is critical. Behaviour that is
considered professional is:
 being courteous
 focusing on the needs of the client
 assisting the client to meet their needs

17
  following organisational policies and expectations of good conduct
 Ensuring the client’s needs have been met.
Another key element to professionalism is doing all of the above within an appropriate timeframe.

Determining client support needs

Sometimes it is not easy to decipher exactly what your clients want. How do you determine a client’s
requirements — particularly if the client is not very clear about it themself?

Reflect
When was the last time you asked for assistance from the IT department? Did you know what you
wanted? Did you know what was causing the problem you had? How did the IT Support person get the
information they required from you to solve your problem?

Gathering information
It’s important, of course, to collect as much information as possible about:
 what is happening
 when it started happening
 what may have caused it to happen
 how urgent it is.

Giving feedback to your client

You’ve analysed your client’s requirements and decided on a solution. You then:
 Tell the client whether you (or your organisation) would be able to meet their requirements.
 Let them know of other options or possibilities of which they had not been aware.
 Provide the client with any information that will help them understand what they’re getting into
before you go ahead with the job.

Applying organizational policy

Every client interaction should be guided by the policies and guidelines of the organisation. These
policies and guidelines are often documented, but can also be established ways of behaving that form
part of the culture of the organisation.

Types of policies and guidelines

There are policies and guidelines that govern how staff:
 answer the telephone
 document client requests
 provide follow up to clients.

18
More often than not, you will see how things should be done by observing other IT staff and seeing
how they interact with clients.

Reflect
Think about a situation where you have contacted an organisation for assistance. It may be as simple as
calling a telephone company for a telephone number. Do the people you deal with follow pre-
determined steps? Do they always follow these steps no matter how many times you telephone them?

The need for organizational policies and guidelines

Some reasons for putting organisational policies and guidelines in place are:
 To show staff what the organisation considers professional conduct.
 To standardise the interactions between IT staff and clients.
 To ensure the process of supporting clients runs smoothly. The policies and guidelines may
contain details on how to deal with unusual and difficult situations.

Reflect
Think about how you and your colleagues answer the telephone at work. Is there a standard way you
do this? Were you told when you started work how to answer the telephones, according to
organisational policies?
Most organisations require their staff to answer the telephone with a greeting, identifying the
organisation, the department/section, their name and offering help with an opening statement. For
example:
Good morning. ICT Services. This is Lisa Brown.
How can I help you?

Cultural differences
‘Culture’ refers to the values, beliefs and attitudes shared by a group.
When it comes to communication and interaction, it is important to have respect for the differences
between cultural groups within your organisation.

Reflect
Can you think of any differences in communication style you have noticed when interacting with
someone from a different culture?
The following differences can make effective communication difficult:
 language
 behavioural expectations
 the written word
 values.

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By standardising how interactions should occur, organisational policies and guidelines can help solve
problems arising from cultural differences. When there are clear guidelines, everyone knows what is
expected.

Maintaining client contact

Obtaining client feedback is an important part of maintaining contact with clients. Feedback is the
information that you gather from your clients.

Reflect
Think of the last time you requested help from the IT help desk. In order to get assistance, what type of
feedback did you have to give to the help desk support person?

What sort of things do you need feedback on?

Some of the things the IT Support person needs feedback on include:
1 A need — What does the client need? Have I understood the needs of the client correctly?
2 The solution — How can I meet the client’s needs?
3 The implementation — Has the implemented solution worked?
The IT department will require the three types of feedback if it is to resolve client problems.

How to obtain feedback

Whether you are trying to find out what people need or trying to obtain client feedback, you have a
number of ways of obtaining your information. You might decide to phone your clients, visit them
face-to-face, send an email or get them to complete a feedback form over the intranet.
Questions are the main way we obtain feedback. They may be used in a range of situations, from
informal face-to-face encounters to well-structured formal questionnaires.

IT help desk database

A good tool to assist IT staff to maintain client contact is the IT help desk database. This is a database
that records all of the requests coming in from the organisation to the help desk. The IT support staff
take clients’ requests from the database and obtain feedback from the client directly about the specifics
of the problem.
When the client is visited, the database is updated. Any feedback provided by the client is recorded on
the database. When the problem is rectified, the database is updated and the request is ‘closed off’.

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Summary
In this reading we have covered how to establish a courteous and professional manner when interacting
with clients; determine what the client support needs are and give the client feedback; apply
organisational policy and guidelines to support clients and maintain client contact.

Active listening
Have you ever tried to do something about a problem before you really understood the problem itself?
It usually doesn’t improve the situation.
Similarly, you need to understand a client’s concern or complaint before you can address it. Effective
questioning and listening are strategies for getting to the crux of a problem. This is especially the case
with client complaints. Even what appear to be trivial complaints can develop into something of
significance, so you must ensure that you have the correct facts. When you are dealing with client
complaints, it is critical that you listen carefully to the facts.

What does ‘active listening’ mean?

Reflect
Have you ever ‘tuned out’ when a person is complaining to you? Consider what may happen if
someone at work is making a complaint that has serious consequences, or if the person making the
complaint is a senior manager?
When you’re dealing with clients, you can’t tune out. It’s vital that you listen carefully and respond
appropriately. To do this, people often use a technique called active listening.
Active listening occurs when you focus on the message you’re receiving from the other person,
without thinking about what you want to say next. Your response to the sender is one that paraphrases
what you’ve heard. That is, you summarise what you’ve heard, and say it back to the sender in your
words. This ensures that you have understood the idea the sender wants to give you.

Key principles of active listening

Do you sometimes come away from a conversation thinking that the other person didn’t really say
much? Perhaps you were guilty of not listening actively! One of the key principles of active listening is
allowing the other person to talk freely.
However, be aware of spending too much time discussing what is not relevant to the task at hand.
Below are more principles of active listening that aim to encourage the other person.

Principle Description

Do more listening than talking.
Show encouragement.
Give the other person time to talk. Show that you are
interested in what they have to say.
Use non-verbal as well as verbal cues to show you are
listening. For example, maintain eye contact, nod, sit
upright and say ‘yes’ or ‘I see’ at appropriate places,

21

Avoid appearing tense.
Try not to agree or disagree
right away.
Show empathy.
Be ‘other-directed’.
Be accepting of the other
person.
Be non-defensive.
Paraphrase (summarise) what
the speaker is saying.
Be aware of the other person’s
sensitivities.
Reflect every now and again on
what the other person is saying.
Show warmth and support.
Admit it when you’re lost.
and use a positive tone of voice.
For example, avoid sitting with arms and legs tightly
crossed and speaking in a hurried and agitated tone of
voice.
If you feel you have to disagree, wait until the other
person has explained and then disagree, but provide
reasons for your stand.
Imagine yourself in the other person’s position.
Respond to their feelings.
In other words, don’t project your feelings or ideas on
them.
This means being non-judgmental and non-
discriminatory.
Instead, admit any errors or oversights on the part of
yourself or your organisation and apologise for that.
In other words, restate key facts, issues, perceptions
and interpretations. When you receive a client request,
even a simple one, it’s important to check that you’ve
understood it correctly.
If you need to ask questions of a sensitive nature, ask
them in a gentle, polite and supportive manner and
tone of voice. Assure confidentiality. Wait for the right
time to ask as well — that is, when the other person is
relaxed and you have gained their confidence.
For example, you might say: ‘So you were quite upset
by that behaviour because you felt that it was quite
unfair?’ This shows the other person that you
understand how they feel and that their concerns and
feelings are valid.
Smile, where appropriate. Look concerned. Avoid
being cold or abrupt.
Avoid pretending to understand. Simply say something
such as: ‘Sorry, could you just say that again?’ Clarify
anything you don’t understand. This lets the other
know that you have been listening and that you
understand what they’re saying.

You’ll need to wait for an appropriate situation to arise to practise your active listening, but such
situations arise more frequently than you’d think. Reflect on these principles and make a genuine
attempt to practise them — it may not be easy, at first.
An alternative to this might be to carry out a role play, but you’ll need to find a partner — say a fellow
student, family member or friend. Set up a particular situation in which your partner can play the role
of a client asking you for help. You can then practise active listening techniques in handling the
situation. You may also be able to do this via a telephone or chat facility.
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Reflective questioning
Active listening is one technique you’ll need to practise. A related skill is to use reflective questioning
or listening.
Suppose you’ve asked a supervisor for advice on an incident, or you’ve passed a tricky question along
to an expert. Now you want to report back to the client, but you don’t clearly understand the answer or
solution you’ve been given.
If your supervisor’s feedback isn’t clear to you, you can use reflective questioning. This is the
technique of repeating the sentence with a few changes (paraphrase), but phrased as a question.
You will have heard the way some people ask a question, with a rising tone of voice at the end of the
sentence. Look at the following example.
Lance: So you say I should use reflective questions?
Olga: That’s right. A reflective question copies a sentence like an echo, but
changes the wording to say the same thing your way.

The use of reflective questions

A reflective question allows the other person to correct and clarify any misunderstandings you have of
the message.
Reflective questioning can also be used with clients and when briefing other staff. If you echo back
what a client has told you, the client then has a chance to either agree with you or point out things you
missed or misunderstood. This is particularly important when trying to ascertain the facts when a client
is making a complaint.

Open-ended and closed questions

Can you see how active listening and reflective questioning will help you in your client dealings? Now
we’ll turn to some other types of questions. We use different types of questions for different purposes.
First we’ll look at open-ended versus closed questions.
Open-ended questions gather more information. Someone answering an open-ended question cannot
answer with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’, because it wouldn’t make sense. Closed questions do require a ‘yes’ or
‘no’, or a similar response. These are used to clarify what you’ve received or to seek confirmation of
the idea that you have.
Here are some examples of each.
Question style Description
Open-ended questions What kinds of products are you interested in purchasing?
What do you need the equipment for?
Closed questions Are you saying that your email system is not working?
Are you sure that you’re happy for your repayment levels to
fluctuate?

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Reflect
Think of at least one open-ended and one closed question that you could ask a client who has phoned
you at the help desk complaining that their computer is running very slowly.
You may have suggested many different questions. A couple of examples are given below. Do your
questions fit a similar pattern?
Question style Description
Open-ended questions Can you tell me a bit more about the problem?
What kinds of programs are you running at the moment?
Closed questions Was it OK yesterday?
Did you try re-booting?

Other types of questions

What-if questions
Use what-if (or hypothetical) questions to explore the possibilities with the client (or on your own).
You’ll also be able to bring out any reservations that you or the client may have. An example of this is:
What if we do not have any flights that week? Can you travel the following week?

Sorting and sifting questions

Sometimes a client might give you a lot of information. This includes clients who:
 do not really know what they want
 are verbose
 do not get to the point
 talk in a stream-of-consciousness manner (don’t organise their thoughts in any way).
Some of this might not be relevant to their request and you need to sift through the information to
arrive at the client’s key issues or priorities. Here are a couple of examples:
Which one of these is a priority for you?
Out of all the features you’ve mentioned, are there ones that you are most interested in?

Clarification questions
Sometimes what the client is saying may not seem logical or coherent. Information may seem
contradictory. Before you dismiss that information as useless, ask for clarification. Perhaps the client
had not explained in great detail because they had assumed that you had the prior knowledge to
understand what they were saying. Here are a couple of examples:
Which incident happened first?
Was it a pleasant or unpleasant visit?

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Planning questions
Sometimes your client will need your help to plan ahead. An architect’s work, for example, may
involve planning a house that will accommodate a growing family.
A Property Loans Officer’s work may involve planning repayments. He may ask the following
question:
Do you want to pay off your loan sooner?

Strategic questions
Your client may need your help in working out how to proceed next. One such question may be:
Which position, out of the two we’ve discussed, would you like us to explore next?

Organizing questions
These allow us to structure our information. Without a structure, the information would just be bits and
pieces without any discernable patterns. With a good structure you’ll be able to:
 see trends or themes
 see how one bit of information fits in with others
 Compare and contrast.
Here are some examples of organising questions:
Which of these documents belong to you? We’ll put these in this folder.
Which ones belong to your partner?
Now which ones are in both your names?

Probing questions
Probing questions go deep into the issue or problem. They aim to dig out insights and uncover
underlying causes. Here are some examples:
What kinds of accounting tasks do you find difficult to perform manually?
Why do you find these difficult?
What are these tasks (give details of each)?
How long does it take you to perform each task?

Divergent questions
A client may come to you with a problem. Both of you may already know about the advantages
involved in a certain way of doing things. Now you can both explore the risks. Once you are familiar
with a certain area, you can use divergent questions to help you explore territory that is related to what
you already know. Look at the following example:

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 We’ve now got a list of things and steps you need to undertake to achieve option 1. Now what things
do you need to do to achieve option 2?

Devil’s advocate questions

Provocative questions help you eliminate myths, fallacious arguments, hype and the like. They help
you arrive at facts or the ‘truth’. A client may decide that they want your latest item of stock. They’ve
heard that everyone is using that type of equipment. However, you want to make sure that that’s what
they really need. What they want and what they actually need may be different.
Here are some examples of provocative questions.
Do you really think it’s what you need?
Will it be appropriate for the sort of work you’re doing?
Has anyone ever researched the problem?
What evidence do they have?

Summary
We began with a discussion of the importance of listening actively when determining client requests.
This was followed by an explanation of the reflective questioning technique that can be used to clarify
what has been said — to ensure that you have understood clients correctly. Examples of various types
of questions were given to demonstrate how questions can fulfil a range of functions in your
interactions with clients — such as obtaining client feedback, clarifying and expanding client requests
as well as helping clients plan ahead.

Check your progress

Now you should try and do the Practice activities in this topic. If you’ve already tried them, have
another go and see if you can improve your responses.
When you feel ready, try the ‘Check your understanding’ activity in the Preview section of this topic.
This will help you decide if you’re ready for assessment.

Respond to client Requests

Effective strategies for dealing with client complaints 2
Sensitivity and discretion 2
Boundaries 2
Prepare for the meeting 2
Hear both sides of the story 3
Tips for responding to complaint 3
Refer the complaint to the appropriate person 3
When should a formal process be followed? 4
Courteous and professional manner 4

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Applying organisational policies 6
Types of policies and guidelines 6
The need for organisational policies and guidelines 7
Resolving client complaint 7
Feedback on complaints 7
How to obtain feedback 8
Documentation of complaints 8

Summary 9

Effective strategies for dealing with client complaints

Working in IT, you will need to deal with complaints from clients. There may be
complaints about simple things like not fixing a problem in a reasonable timeframe,
or something more serious. Here are some strategies to help you deal with those
complaints.

Sensitivity and discretion

Often when people make a complaint, they say and do things that they later regret.
One of the most important things when handling complaints is to show sensitivity
and exercise discretion. This means keeping conversations confidential and not
repeating them unless absolutely required. This applies to written documentation as
well.

Boundaries
It’s important to establish boundaries with the client so that they know what is
appropriate in terms of your role. You should tell clients:
 when it is appropriate to speak to you
 what topics they can discuss
 where they can go to get the appropriate support.

Prepare for the meeting

The key to a successful meeting is preparation. Before meeting with a client to
discuss a complaint, prepare yourself by thinking about past successful and
unsuccessful meetings. Is there a particular way you have handled these meetings
in the past to reach a successful conclusion? Use that experience to prepare for the
upcoming meeting. You can also put together a list of questions that will guide your

27
approach. You will need to have a clear understanding of the objectives of the
meeting, that is, what you want to have achieved by the end.

Hear both sides of the story

Before acting on a complaint, always seek ‘the other side’s’ version of events or do
your research about the context for the complaint. It is often the case that people
see things from their own point of view and this can colour their memory of the
facts. Considering both sides of a complaint is critical before acting because after
considering all factors, it might not be appropriate to take any action at all.

Tips for responding to complaint

Tip Explanation

Don’t take it When someone makes a complaint, keep an

personally. objective view — do not allow your personal
feelings or opinions to get involved.
Verify the facts. Make sure that the complaint is based on facts
such as dates, times, etc.
Keep a record. Keep a detailed manual record of what has
happened, who said what, etc.
Select an appropriate After considering the facts, decide on a course of
resolution based on action to resolve the client complaint.
the facts.
Apply the Follow the organisational guidelines to resolve
organisational policies. the client complaint.

Refer the complaint to the appropriate person

When you receive a complaint, you may not be able to resolve it effectively. If that is
the case, you will need to identify the most appropriate person to resolve the issue.
You may need to ‘escalate’ the complaint to a more senior person who has the:
 authority to make a decision to resolve the complaint
 knowledge to offer a resolution to the complaint.

When should a formal process be followed?

Most organisations have a formal complaints process in place to deal with
complaints that cannot be resolved through informal means. The following
situations should be handled formally.
 when the person is volatile

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  when there is a significant difference in power or authority between conflicting
parties
 if the allegations are serious
 if there are serious consequences resulting from the complaint.
When a formal process is required, you need to consult the organisation’s policies
for how to proceed.

Courteous and professional manner

It is important to maintain a courteous and professional manner when dealing with
clients. To be courteous means to show good manners and respect for others’
opinions and needs.
To be professional means to conduct yourself in a manner that is mature,
responsible and fair.

Reflect
Imagine you are a client and you ask an IT Support person for help. What behaviour
would you expect from the IT Support person if you were to consider them
courteous? What behaviour would you expect from them if you were to consider
them professional?

Courteous behaviour
Behaviour that is considered courteous is:
 being friendly
 showing respect for the other person
 assisting the other person.
Being courteous is an important element of being professional.

Professional behaviour
When dealing with clients in a workplace setting, professionalism is critical.
Behaviour that is considered professional is:
 being courteous
 focusing on the needs of the client
 assisting the client to meet their needs
 following organisational policies and expectations of good conduct
 ensuring the client’s needs have been met.
Another key element to professionalism is doing all of the above within an
appropriate time frame.

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Applying organisational policies
Every client interaction should be guided by the policies and guidelines of the
organisation. This is particularly important with regards to the handling of
complaints. Although policies and guidelines are often documented, they can also
be established ways of behaving that form part of the culture of the organisation.

Types of policies and guidelines

Most companies have procedures that staff need to follow in:
 receiving client complaints
 documenting client complaints
 providing follow up to clients
 resolving client complaints.

Reflect
Think about a situation where you, or someone you know, made a complaint to a
company. Did the person you made the complaint to follow a procedure, that is, ask
a specific set of questions? Did they write your complaint down? Did they tell you
what would happen next?

Feedback
If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions, then the person you made the complaint to
was following an organisational procedure or guideline on handling complaints.

The need for organizational policies and guidelines

Organisational policies and guidelines are in place for these reasons:
 to show staff what the organisation considers to be professional conduct
 to standardise interactions and procedures
 to make the process of supporting clients run smoothly. The policies and
guidelines may contain details on how to deal with unusual and difficult
situations, such as handling complaints.

Resolving client complaints

Once a complaint is logged, you need to ensure it is followed up and resolved to the
client’s satisfaction. To do this, you must obtain valid feedback.
Feedback is the information that you gather from your clients.

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Reflect
Think of the last time you had someone make a complaint about you. Did you get
some feedback from them about why they were unhappy? If so, think about how
you got that feedback and the type of questions you asked.

Feedback on complaints
In general support situations, when handling complaints the IT Support person
needs feedback on the following:
1 What does the client need? Have I understood the needs of the client correctly?
The client’s need here may be having someone to address the complaint.
2 How can I meet the client’s needs? This involves finding a solution to the
problem. For a complaint, it would mean finding a resolution.
3 Has the client’s complaint been resolved satisfactorily to the organisation’s and
client’s satisfaction? This involves implementing the solution and checking
whether all parties are satisfied.
All three types of feedback are required if client complaints are to be resolved
satisfactorily.

How to obtain feedback

Whether you are trying to find out what people need or trying to obtain client
feedback, you have a number of ways of obtaining your information. You might
decide to phone your clients, visit them face-to-face, send an email or ask them to
complete a feedback form over the intranet.
Questions are the main way we obtain feedback. They may be used in a range of
situations, from informal face-to-face encounters to well-structured formal
questionnaires.
In the case of a formal complaint, you may need to obtain feedback in writing. If
your organisation has a complaints policy or a formalised procedure, follow it.

Documentation of complaints
In larger workplaces, most complaints are taken by the IT help desk. When a
complaint is made to IT, it is standard practice to record the complaint in the IT
help desk database.
This is a database that records all of the requests, including complaints, coming in
from the organisation to the help desk. When the complaint is escalated, or it is
resolved, the particulars are recorded in the database. If the complaint is resolved,
the complaint is marked as ‘closed’.

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Summary
This reading covered effective strategies for dealing with client complaints, resolving
them by applying organisational policy and guidelines, obtaining client feedback
and documenting complaints according to organisational requirements.

Maintain inventory of information technology

Defining asset and inventory items
An inventory is basically a detailed list of items. How assets and inventory items of a
company should be treated will ordinarily form part of the organisational guidelines.
A company item will be defined as either an asset or inventory item, that is, not all
items will be recorded in an inventory. For example, an expensive laser printer
would not be placed in the inventory but will be placed in the asset register of the
organisation. Consumables, such as printer cartridges, would be placed in the
inventory as ‘consumables’. Some inventories allow for asset numbers to be
recorded with the data of an inventory item to allow that item to be associated with
a specific asset.

A sample inventory database

Throughout this resource we will be using an inventory database called SerialReg.
You can download a copy of the SerialReg database (for free) at:
http://www.sitedesigncenter.net/
Here are a few screen shots of the database dialog boxes.

Figure 1: The SerialReg initial dialog box

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 Figure 2: The types of programs that can be inventoried

Figure 3: You can create, edit, preview and print reports of inventory items

Maintaining a hardware inventory

There is a very large array of hardware that can be used in a computer network.
There are CPUs, hard drives, network cards, printers, routers, monitors, video cards
and cables, just to mention a few. There are also many options within each of these
broad categories. Depending upon the organisational decisions that are made
regarding the variety of devices that will be used on the network, the detail of
inventory items can be simplified or become extremely complex. It is not your job to
choose the method of inventory but to maintain the inventory. The amount of detail
you put into the descriptors of individual items may well be your choice. It is critical
that enough detail be included to clearly identify the class and capacity of items, but
not too much detail to slow the inventory search devices and increase the storage
capacity required.

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Technical manuals form an integral part of the management of the hardware devices
and should, therefore, be a main part of the inventory entry. For example, with
modern hardware devices the manuals are often placed on an accompanying CD in
perhaps a PDF file. Details and location of the CD may form part of the inventory
item data. A decision might be made to print a hardcopy of the manual or in
another instance a manual might be supplied. The locations of these hard copies
should also appear as part of the inventory item data.

Reflect
Upgrades of drivers and firmware are an important part of maintaining the efficacy
of computer hardware. This is software isn’t it? Where do you think it belongs in an
inventory?

Feedback
Some software, such as Basic Input Output System (BIOS), is embedded within an
integrated circuit. This is a special kind of software for hardware, ie somewhere
between hard and soft, called firmware. Other devices such as network and video
cards, printers and scanners, for example, require a special kind of software called
device drivers to instruct the devices how to interact with the operating system.
It is now more common to download drivers and firmware upgrades or ‘flashes’ from
the Internet and, as a consequence, there is little documentation, CDs or packaging.
However, drivers and ‘flashes’ are not software in the general sense and should be
treated as a component part of hardware. Inventory details should include any
upgrades and driver changes, where the drivers may be found on the computer
network or where they may have been saved to CD, for example. All hardware
devices of the same maker and series should be upgraded in the same way and duly
noted in the inventory.
Figure 4 shows how a 3 Com network card installed in an accounting department
PC of XYZ type, designated AD-43, could be maintained.

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 Figure 4: Inventory entry of a 3 Com network card

Maintaining a software inventory

Software is classified into two broad classes: operating system software and
application software. Application software is further broken down into sub-classes
such as office, database, software development and so forth.
Many types of application software are written to run on specific operating system
platforms. Microsoft Office XP will not run on a Linux platform unless you have
installed a Windows emulator. Therefore the inventory might need to be segregated
by platform. This is not your problem as you are only required to maintain an
inventory not create one. However, you should be aware of the ramifications of
accurately maintaining an inventory.
Detailed definition of the types of application software may need to be sought from a
supervisor. For example, are database and spreadsheet application software going
to be place in the same categories or are the various packages of Microsoft Office, eg
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, going to be placed in the same sections because they are
part of the Office suite? On the other hand, application software may be classified
by the process it performs. Different versions of application software offer different
or improved features; in most cases they are designed to work with a particular
operating system. Are these versions going to be separated or not? Depending on
the organisational guidelines, you may or may not be required to make these
decisions.
User documentation is an important and necessary resource for the productive use
of a software application package. The amount of user documentation will depend
upon the nature of the user licensing. Some years ago, commercial entities
complained to software developers that too much user documentation was
distributed to a business when multiple copies of the software were purchased. The
concept of site licensing was introduced.

Reflect
Should you record application software user documentation in a software inventory,
and if so how should you do this?

Feedback
For a large number of user licences there is a small amount of user documentation
because every user does not require the user documentation simultaneously. It is,
therefore, important that the user documentation be adequately detailed in an
inventory to comprehensively detail where the documentation is stored, to what
device it applies, the version number and if the documentation is subject to upgrade
detail.
Figure 5 shows an entry for Microsoft Windows XP.

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Figure 5: Entering details for Microsoft Windows XP operating system software
Maintaining inventory data
We have discussed what data should be entered into an inventory, what extent of
detail should be required, and defined the inventory differences between software
and hardware requirements. Now we must consider how much data is enough, and
when data should be updated. In any inventory system it is critical that the integrity
of the data be evaluated from time to time to ensure that the data is current and
valid.
Reflect
A network is a dynamic and complex system of hardware and software items and
constantly subject to change — the speed of change being determined by
organisational, statutory, security and currency needs. When should data from an
inventory be updated, archived or deleted?
Feedback
As long as a single piece of hardware or software remains in use in a network then
the item details should not be deleted from the inventory, but a decision may be
made to archive the details. It is therefore important that the people maintaining the
inventory have a good knowledge of what is used on the network. Therefore, at the
time of regular hardware and software audits it might be prudent to cull the data
held in the inventory by archiving and deleting redundant items where necessary.
Figure 6 shows that existing details can be edited. You can add or delete records to
maintain the inventory items.

36
 Figure 6: Editing existing details, adding or deleting records

Summary
We began with defining asset and inventory items and then moved on to how to
maintain a hardware inventory, where we have to consider the depth of detail
required. Next we explored how to maintain a software inventory where software is
not owned but a licence is obtained to use that software under certain conditions.
As the content of an inventory is useless unless it can be shown to be current,
factual and easily stored and retrieved, it is crucial to maintain or update all
inventory data.

Keeping Your Organization’s Hardware and Software Inventory Accurate and

Current

The purpose of this lesson is to:

 Provide liaisons with information to keep organizations’ hardware
inventory accurate and current
 Provide clear instructions for gathering and reporting inventory
information
 Explain procedures for updating and maintaining hardware inventories

Maintaining Organization Inventory Records

It is important that complete inventory records for all computer-related hardware be

maintained at the schools, universities, colleges as well as at organizations. The
particular appearance of that inventory may vary. It may take any of these forms, as
long as the information is kept current and accurate:
 A copy of the organization’s inventory printout, with update pages added as
new equipment is added
 The Excel files
 Another database or print record designed and maintained at the school

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  Recorded using software developed for the purpose of inventory control

 An audit of all your ICT equipment:

o software version number and license numbers – which should be kept in a secure,
fireproof place for insurance purposes, preferably offsite;
o lists of passwords and permissions – kept safe and backed up off site;
o model, make and serial numbers of PCs, screens, printers, cameras, scanners,
external drives, etc; these are needed for your inventory – copy and keep offsite.

Hardware Inventory includes

 Computers
CPUs
Laptops
Servers
 Monitors
 Printers
 Removable Media Devices
 Scanners
 PDAs
 Projection Devices
Digital Projectors
LCD Panels
TVs 27 in. or larger that are used to project from computers (NOT the
TView Golds)
 Digital Cameras
 Digital Whiteboards
 Digital Tablets
 ELMO Document Cameras
 Alpha Smart Devices
A register / data base of all computer equipment used within your organization is to be established
and maintained.
- Theft of equipment is most likely to result in - Establish an inventory and implement
additional cost to the organization and could procedures for updating it.
compromise data security.
- Ensure that you have a procedure to advise
the acquisition of new hardware, the
disposal of old items, and any changes of
location.
- Periodically verify the correctness of the
inventory by checking that a sample of
hardware is physically present.
Inadequate insurance could render your - Establish an inventory and implement
organization liable to loss in the event of a procedures for keeping it up-to-date.
claimable event.
- Ensure that you periodically review the
adequacy of your insurance cover.
Shortcomings in the planning of equipment - Establish an inventory and, in conformance
replacement can make it difficult to plan ahead with your IT Plan, assign equipment for
for new technology. replacement and plan accordingly.
Where documentation is poor, or perhaps non - Record key information, especially hardware

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existent, the planning and performance of specifications and system software names
upgrades to equipment can be both time and versions.
consuming and also burdened with problems.

For Printers etc

The
Equipment type e.g. printer, scanner, router, UPS etc
ID/code
Manufacturer
Model
Serial number
Date of purchase
Cost
Supplier
Invoice
following format could form the basis of a computer inventory template or model:

Computer details Example

ID/code An identification number you give the machine – it is worth
having this permanently marked on the casing for
identification purposes in case of theft and also as a
prevention
Manufacturer e.g. Dell, Compaq, NEC, Sony, Toshiba etc
Model The manufacturers model reference e.g. Dimension 4550
Serial number The unique number of the equipment usually marked on the
back or underside.
Processor speed e.g. 2.0Ghz
Hard drive capacity e.g. 30Gb
Memory e.g. 256Mb RAM
Operating system e.g. Windows 2000 Professional, XP professional or Windows
server 2003, Windows Vista etc
Peripherals Possibly a CD Re-Writer,
Upgrade notes Any additions since the machine was purchased, e.g. more
memory, replacement hard drive etc
Date of purchase
Cost
Supplier
Invoice number
Monitor
ID
Manufacturer
Model
Serial number
Size

Keyboard
Manufacturer
Model
Serial number
Port type
Mouse
Manufacturer

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Model
Serial number
Port type

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