Four Keyboards and a Mouse
The Untold Story About Your Lost IT Assets and How to Track Them Automatically
Logistical tasks can be tedious and time-consuming, and we do not always have ample time to devote to them. Additionally, in our daily lives, we are forced to cyclically perform a variety of actions, because that is how we become accustomed to them. However, in growing accustomed to such tasks and actions, we sometimes forget to ask one crucial question: why?
Fiverr IT has a logistics department in which we record and document every computer or item that our employees receive. What a logistics nightmare! We were then hit by a global epidemic, at which point computers and monitors were packed and shipped in a hurry, office items and devices were relocated to workers’ homes, and additional equipment was purchased in large quantities, which sometimes arrived at its destination without being tagged by IT.
In the aftermath of the epidemic, we realized that we did not have an accurate picture of the IT equipment in the company. Thus, we needed an easy and convenient method to collect equipment-related data. This is where JAMF comes into play.
The majority of our work is performed on Apple computers, which we manage using JAMF. This is a tool that allows us to perform regular updates and obtain information about the computers, such as their usernames and installed software, among other details. Although this is an excellent start, we are still lacking information such as how many screens the user has, or whether they use any other peripherals.
We use JAMF to run a script that checks each computer every week, tests what equipment is connected to it, and reports the results. Every piece of equipment (USB or Bluetooth) appears in JAMF, including monitors, keyboards, and mice. Moreover, by using JAMF, we can also determine whether the equipment is at home or in the office.
During this process, we realized that we had a lemon in our hands, and it was well worth making lemonade from it. One of the most annoying features of Apple computers is the notification that the mouse or keyboard battery is about to run out when there is only approximately 5% left, leaving less than an hour of actual work. When this occurs during a workday or important presentation, it is extremely frustrating.
Because the JAMF script runs on each computer and performs a test of connected accessories, we added an alert for equipment with battery percentages lower than 20%. This adjustment ensures that there is ample time to plan accordingly and recharge the accessory. In order to not disturb the user,, the message also disappears after two minutes from the screen if there is no one near the computer.
After we acquired the logistics information and our customers got full batteries, we realized that we needed to do something with this information. As a result, the JAMF data was transferred to the FRESH SERVICE system. Now, we have a complete view of the state of our employees’ equipment, both at home and at work, which is accessible with a simple keystroke. In doing so, we can plan ahead and determine which equipment will need to be replaced or reused.
What benefits have we received from this change?
This change has helped the IT department save a significant amount of time because it does not have to deal with logistics records. Instead, the whole process is automated.
With full equipment tracking, there are no more incomplete lists or errors due to incorrect serial numbers. Records are collected and transmitted electronically; thus, the identification of each piece of equipment is unique, and we know where it is located.
Additionally, user satisfaction has increased. Requesting and ordering equipment has become much easier because you can now see what equipment the user has. The battery alert also improved users’ moods, reduced pressure thresholds, and led them to engage in exercise while the mouse or keyboard was recharging.
