This guide covers what to record in a Catering Equipment Register, why a spreadsheet eventually falls over for this kind of tracking, and how to keep the data reliable as the list grows.
What you record
Fields in the Catering Equipment Register
Every record in this register captures the fields below — 5 of 7 are mandatory, and a record can't be saved until they're filled in.
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Catering equipment ID
Required
- CAT-505
-
Catering equipment name
Required
- Catering equipment 1
-
Location
Required
- Building 2, Level 1
-
Last service date
Required
- 15/02/2026
-
Next service due
Required
- 15/08/2026
-
Service provider
- ACME Services
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Condition
- Good - no faults reported
Where spreadsheets break down
How spreadsheet registers fail
None of these need malice — just a busy team and a file with no safeguards built in.
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✕
No change history — there's no way to prove a row wasn't edited after it was first entered.
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✕
Incomplete records — a row can be saved half-filled, and the gap often isn't caught until you need it.
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✕
Version conflicts — two people work from different copies, and the "final" file quietly drops recent changes.
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✕
Silent formula errors — a dragged formula or broken reference changes data without anyone noticing.
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✕
No access control — anyone with the file can edit or delete any row, with no record of who did it or when.
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✕
Lost institutional knowledge — the person who maintained it leaves, and the file (or how to read it) goes with them.
Launch this register
No setup, no configuration required. TidyRegister ships with the Catering Equipment Register ready to go.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Who normally maintains the Catering Equipment Register?
Maintenance work orders, technician service reports, and supplier service schedules.
Can I import my existing spreadsheet into the Catering Equipment Register?
Yes — upload your CSV and its columns are matched to this register's fields automatically.
Can I export my data out of the Catering Equipment Register?
Yes, at any time, as a CSV — there's no lock-in.
What does the Catering Equipment Register cost?
TidyRegister is $3/week per register, with unlimited records, users and sites.