Field audits - Suggestions to avoid some pitfalls

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Field audits - Suggestions to avoid some pitfalls
Document ID : 000-000294 Created: 4/28/1999 Last changed on: 4/28/1999

Audits of stand alone PC's or PC's at client sites are field audits. During the field audit one or more techs collect data about each PC. The data collected is later merged into the main NetKeeper database.

Field audits can involve one or many techs and often involve traveling to remote locations. Therefore it is important that all technicians be properly trained and that the audit procedures be documented in writing, otherwise the data collected may not be reliable.

Suggestions:
Plan the audit
*-Define the data you need to collect
*-Don't collect more data than you need.
*-Make trial runs to estimate the time required per PC. Remember that user's PCs are often buried under papers, coffee mugs and other office paraphernalia.
*-Determine the unique ID that will identify the PCs. You can use node address (the Ethernet node address), serial number or barcode ID. Whatever you pick, be consistent or you will get duplicate records in your database.
*-Use node address if the PCs have network cards as this ID is automatically recorded.
*-Layout and create any required reports before doing the audit. Then test the reports before going to the field to collect the data. Designing the reports before hand will double check that you are collecting the necessary data and that the data is in a format that will fit the reporting requirements.

Creating your collection diskettes
*-Create your collection disks using the two diskette method.
*-Give the diskettes a meaningful title, for example State Audit Disks v1.0 4-10-99.
*- Write protect the two diskettes.
*-These disks are now your masters.
*-Make a master set of collection disks and copy them into directories on your network drive. The network directories will become your masters for duplication, as it is much faster to copy from a network drive or hard-drive.
*-Use good quality diskettes.
*-Store the diskettes properly, heat will damage the diskettes
*-Duplicate enough diskettes for your techs. Usually techs need one or two program diskettes and many data diskettes.
*-Label program and data diskettes using different color labels or color "dots"
*-Always write-protect the program diskette.

Training
*-Create test collection disks and a "play installation" of the software.
*-Use the test collection disks to audit PCs in your office.
*-Merge the test data and check that you are collecting the data you need.
*-Document the test procedure and distribute the document to your techs.
*-Train until everyone is very familiar with the audit procedure before you go to the field
*-Check the data for accuracy.

Executing the audit
*-Use self-adhesive "dots" in various colors to identify audited PCs, for example:
Place a green dot on audited PCs
Place a red dot on PCs that could not be audited
*-Check periodically that the data collected is correct and readable.
*-Keep all the completed data diskettes as backup until the audit is totally complete.
*-Consider using laptops to consolidate the audit data locally. Then merge the data from the laptops to the main database.

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