How to Choose the Right Computer Monitoring Software for Your Business
As with any technological implementation, the right computer monitoring software can sometimes make all the difference to a company’s success rate. Having said that, it’s difficult to assess which exact software is the one you should go for.
To choose the right monitoring software, it’s important to get a good understanding of your needs and objectives. Once that is done, browse the market for software that is feature-packed, scalable, and can be easily integrated within your company.
Allow us to guide you toward the best computer monitoring software through our detailed guide below.
What to Expect from Computer Monitoring Software
Before you assess your needs, it is important to get a clear understanding of what you can expect from monitoring software. These software offer a range of benefits; from increased productivity to improved feedback.
Increased Productivity
Productivity gains are one of the most notable benefits of employee monitoring. In a perfect world, workers should be self-motivated and self-disciplined enough to stay focused on their jobs; and although taking an occasional breather now and then won’t hurt, allowing employees to proceed unsupervised could lead to time theft that may eventually hurt the company’s overall output.
Meanwhile, when managers don’t know what their employees are up to throughout the workday, they are left in the dark where they can’t intervene.
When this happens, monitoring staff could be the saving grace for improving the business’s productivity levels. Research has shown that when employees are aware of monitoring, they tend to perform better.
Intervention for Struggling Employees
Employee monitoring software can allow managers to view how much time their employees spend on specific tasks.
This makes it easier for the manager or supervisor to see where the employee is having trouble and provide timely help. Some employees hesitate to ask for help out of fear of seeming inefficient. Employee monitoring solutions can be really useful in such cases.
Reallocation of Resources
Numbers are crucial for any business when it comes to making decisions. Thanks to technological advancements, organizations can now more easily gather and analyze data, which is essential for their day-to-day operations.
The same logic extends to employee monitoring software, which gathers data to inform decisions.
Employee monitoring software can provide managers with crucial data about resource consumption. Managers can use this data to then reallocate resources for maximum efficiency.
Commonly Required Features from Monitoring Software
Now that we have a good understanding of some benefits that employee monitoring software can bring, let us guide you through some features that are commonly required in effective monitoring software.
Automated Screenshots
Effective monitoring software like Wolfeye can be customized to capture screenshots of employees’ desktops at random or predetermined intervals.
Website & Application Monitoring
Monitoring software can help managers get rid of distractions that may hurt their employees’ productivity. Software like Wolfeye can help view website and app usage and activity to ensure that employees are not involved in excessive time theft.
Activity Tracking
Being involved in a security breach is one of the biggest nightmares of any company. With employee monitoring software, companies can track every activity performed by employees, including keystrokes.
Data Analysis and Report-Writing
Wolfeye and similar employee monitoring software offer in-built reporting and data analysis capabilities, enabling managers to monitor and examine behavior over a period of time.
This provides them with essential opportunities for intervention and feedback.
Remote Desktop
An increasing number of employee monitoring software like Wolfeye now offer remote desktop features, letting managers track employee screens from anywhere.
This provides the company with comprehensive 360-degree monitoring data that helps them accurately assess an employee’s day-to-day productivity and behavior.
How to Choose the Right Computer Monitoring Software
Finally, in this section, we’ll discuss what you should keep in mind while choosing the right employee monitoring software for your business. As mentioned earlier, every business has different needs, but these tips will help you narrow down your search.
User-Friendliness and Integration
The success of any software rollout depends on how easy it is to use. And like any other piece of software, employee monitoring tools need need to be intuitive and work in line with your current system.
The purpose of monitoring software is to improve processes, but software that is difficult to use can actually do the reverse. Also, the best software should be able to complement your current setup instead of disrupting it.
Training and Assistance
Having top-notch training and customer support is an absolute must when introducing new software.
It is essential to have thorough training programs, fast customer service, and thorough documentation to ensure seamless integration and to fix any problems quickly. If the provider is dedicated to providing excellent support, your team will be able to confidently and easily use the monitoring software to its fullest potential.
Data Security
With data breaches happening at an alarming rate, it is critical to choose employee monitoring software that has strong security measures.
The software you choose should operate as a security guard, constantly watching out for intruders and making sure your employees’ actions are monitored safely.
Metrics
Any monitoring solution you select should be able to fulfill the basic objectives of your monitoring. A big part of this means that the software should be able to provide you with the data you need to make informed decisions.
Make sure that your chosen software is able to collect all the metrics you require.
Price
If your company has a large number of employees, even a small change in the price of employee monitoring software might significantly affect your budget.
A small business with 10 employees might not notice the difference between a few dollars in monthly subscriptions, but a large enterprise could end up spending thousands of dollars more than necessary.
Fortunately, there are software providers who are aware of this issue and provide specific tailored packages for businesses. For example, Wolfeye offers a 12-month license for one PC at $97.
Conclusion
Although any monitoring solution you implement in your company will be able to provide a certain degree of benefits, the right monitoring solution will take your business’s productivity to new heights.