Keeping Your Computer POS Systems In Tip Top Shape With A “New Year Computer Checklist”!
Start out the year right for your restaurant POS systems. Let’s tackle some of the most common and crucial mistakes that restaurant owners make in regard to some very basic configuration aspects of the computer system. Mistakes can severely damage a restaurant or any other retail business, not to mention the waste of time and money on repairs. Worse than that… it can frustrate your customers and staff.
Whether you already have a computer system or you’re going to configure a new one yourself — you better make sure that everything is done accordingly for your own sake.
Please don’t let me be guilty of giving you the wrong message. I don’t always recommend configuring your own computer system! I recommend letting a computer professional do it for you. But I know some of you will do it yourself no matter what I say. So this is for those of you that insist on doing your own computer installations and for everyone else to double check and make sure everything was done properly. This can help avoid major problems, be aware on the proper installations and save hours of your precious time.
So here’s your retail POS system configuration checklist for a Windows network:
1) Install a Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
The number one cause of electronic component failure is from fluctuations in electricity (up and down). A good UPS can solve this problem by regulating the power. I recommend that you at least put a good UPS on your server. And it’s a good idea to use them on all your workstations too.
2) Plugging All Cables Into the UPS
Make sure all cables that power your computer and network are plugged into your UPS. It’s also important to make sure cables that can carry electrical charges are plugged into a surge protector or UPS. For example, the phone line for your modem can fry your computer if it’s not plugged into a surge protector. So you better make sure that all cables are plugged properly. Your modem line, network cables, and power cords can cause severe damage if not plugged properly.
3) Tightening Up Security
It is advisable that you lock your server with a hard-to-decode password on all Windows accounts so that no one will be able to access it especially hackers who love to mess up servers damage your server].
4) Install Anti-virus and Anti-Spyware Software and Configure For Automatic Updates
Make sure that all your secirity tools are configured to automatically update every day, so you don’t forget.
5) Limiting Employee Internet Access
Employees will surft on anything they can on the internet. Anti-virus and anti-spyware software does help but if an employee unintentionally downloads the wrong program or accepts the wrong message, it can damage your system down. You may limit them by disabling internet browsing on their computer stations. Or another option is to password protect internet access.
For a restaurant, this is very important! In order to protect secured files from evil hands, limiting employee internet access is a must. A retail business owner has to enforce rules to protect his business as well as his profit. Otherwise, what good will a restaurant POS system do if it’s run by a misbahaved or ignorant personnel.
6) Configure Your Back Up To Run Every Night
In many situations, it’s still best to configure your back up to run automatically after work hours. Don’t forget you still need to remember to change your back up device (like tapes) every day.
7) Test Your Backup By Restoring Files Once A Month
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve talked with restaurant owners that have hard drive failure and think they have a good back up plan to restore. But when they try to restore they find it hasn’t been working for months or years. That’s why you need to do a “real” test restore once a month to make sure it’s working. By the way, you should restore to an alternate file location so your existing software won’t be affected.
So please, start checking your computer systems now and do the neccessary updates, configurations and back ups.
With over 20 years of restaruant experience, the author and Vice President of Customer Relations at POS-for-Restaurants.com, helps you use your technology to be more efficient and more profitable.