The scoring strategy that you planned in the first task largely determines how many computers you will want to run the DI Scoring Program. The number of computers can range from a minimum of 2 for a small tournament or many more for a large Regional or Affiliate tournament.
- For site-centered strategies, should probably have one computer for each site and at least a pair of computers in the scoring room.
- For detail strategies, you should have at least one pair of computers in the scoring room. Because of the additional data entry involved, even an average size tournament could benefit from having two or more pairs. As a rule of thumb, consider having 2 computers for each 50 teams performing. You may need more or less depending on the skills of your computer operators.
- For mostly manual strategies, you should have at least two computers to allow dual entry for error checking.
In addition to the computers running the DI Scoring Program, consider adding a few computers for general tracking and data entry tasks. A computer with a spreadsheet program and a copy of the team data would be useful at the main check-in table and at the Instant Challenge greeting table, as well as other sites throughout your tournament.
Finally, always have at least one spare computer to use as a backup in case a scoring room or challenge site computer fails. Prepare the backup computer as you would any additional computer (use the procedures in the Set Up Additional Computers task) with the DI Scoring Program and all required tournament files.