Business Tech: Monitoring Resource Usage For Efficiency

Business technology helps monitor resource usage in several ways. Firstly, it enables the tracking of equipment and resource usage, including hardware, software, raw materials, stock, and supplies. This involves regular maintenance and the registration of usage data, such as stock cards or asset registers. Secondly, business technology facilitates the monitoring of employee computer usage, including internet traffic, keystrokes, screenshots, and video recordings. This can help improve productivity, identify problems, and prevent data breaches. Additionally, business technology is essential for IT monitoring, which oversees data centers, applications, and services. IT administrators use software-based instrumentation to gather operational information, track metrics, and ensure performance, security, and availability. Furthermore, business technology helps verify if employees are using software effectively and efficiently, allowing organizations to optimize license usage and costs. Finally, business technology can be used to monitor software renewals, ensuring that companies stay on top of deadlines and budget IT spending accurately.

Monitor equipment and resource usage

Monitoring equipment and resource usage is essential for businesses to maintain efficiency and ensure they are functioning within acceptable parameters. Here are some ways in which businesses can monitor their equipment and resource usage:

Allocation of Resources

Businesses should allocate resources efficiently to meet their goals. This includes hardware and software, raw materials, stock, and supplies. An assets register, either manual or digital, can help keep track of valuable items, their acquisition dates, costs, and unique identifying numbers. Regular maintenance and adequate supply levels are crucial for efficient business operations.

Monitoring Supplies

Businesses can use stock cards or digital systems to monitor supplies. Each time goods are received or issued, accurate entries are made to track stock levels and identify when reordering is necessary. This process is similar to how households manage their budgets and expenses.

IT Monitoring Strategies

IT monitoring is crucial for overseeing data centers, applications, and services. It helps businesses maintain performance, security, and availability. Real-time alerting allows admins to address immediate issues. Software-based instrumentation, such as APIs and agents, gather data on hardware and software health, resource utilization, response times, and error rates.

Monitoring Employee Computer Usage

Employers can monitor employee computer usage through various methods, including logging software, keystroke loggers, remote monitoring software, network firewalls, and physical inspections. This can help increase employee productivity and identify problems. However, it is important to respect employee privacy and comply with relevant regulations.

Advanced Monitoring Tools

Advanced tools like packet sniffers can intercept and scan all information sent over a network, including emails, web browsing, and file transfers. Network analyzers can detect prohibited content and identify the originating workstation. Video surveillance is another common method, allowing employers to record and archive employee computer usage.

By implementing these strategies, businesses can effectively monitor equipment and resource usage, enabling them to make informed decisions, improve efficiency, and ensure the optimal utilization of their resources.

Track software usage

Tracking software usage is a critical aspect of strategic IT resource allocation and cost management for businesses. By monitoring the applications and tools that employees use, companies can make informed decisions about software purchases, licensing, and renewals, ensuring that their investments are aligned with actual usage patterns. This helps prevent unnecessary spending on unused or underutilized software licenses and ensures compliance with licensing agreements.

Software usage tracking also provides valuable insights into employee work habits, skills, and efficiency. By understanding which applications and features employees use (or don't use), employers can identify knowledge gaps and provide targeted training to improve productivity and performance. Additionally, tracking software usage can help businesses identify redundant or unnecessary software, tools, or features within specific programs, enabling them to streamline their software stack and improve efficiency.

Furthermore, software usage tracking can enhance security by detecting unapproved software downloads that may compromise the company's security. It also helps businesses comply with licensing agreements and flag the use of unauthorized software.

To effectively track software usage, businesses can utilize tools like G2 Track, which integrates with SSO and OAuth platforms to monitor software usage in real time. This enables IT managers to make informed decisions about software purchases, renewals, and cost allocation.

Additionally, non-invasive tracking solutions like WorkTime offer a safe alternative to traditional screenshots, providing insights into employee software usage while respecting privacy. WorkTime's custom tagging feature allows companies to categorize software and websites as productive or unproductive, helping to analyze employee productivity and identify time-wasting activities.

By leveraging software usage tracking tools, businesses can optimize their software resources, cut costs, and make data-driven decisions to improve overall efficiency and productivity.

Monitor employee productivity

Monitoring employee productivity is essential for the success of any organization. Here are some ways that business technology can help:

Set targets and track progress

The first step is to set clear targets for team members, which can be daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly goals. With these targets in place, it becomes easier to monitor employee progress and take corrective actions if needed.

Effective communication channels

Research shows that frequent downward communication reduces frustration and improves productivity. It helps employees understand expectations and meet them effectively. An open-door policy, where the employer is easily accessible to employees, can also help build trust and transparency.

Feedback systems

A proper feedback system is essential for monitoring productivity. Feedback helps employees identify areas for improvement, ensures they are aware of their performance, and motivates them to work harder. According to a survey, employees who received strong feedback were 12.5% more productive than those who did not.

Training and development

A well-trained workforce is more efficient and effective. Regular training ensures employees are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their jobs and stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technology.

Rewards and recognition

Recognizing and rewarding employees for their efforts can boost morale and productivity. When employees feel valued and appreciated, they are more motivated to achieve set targets.

Performance management systems

A robust performance management system helps track employee performance and identify areas where productivity can be increased. It provides insights into individual employee contributions and overall team performance.

Employee monitoring software

With the rise of remote work, employee monitoring software has become increasingly popular. These tools can track employee activity, including screen recordings, emails, keystrokes, and even video recordings. While these tools provide valuable insights, employers should be cautious about the ethical and legal implications of invasive monitoring. It is essential to balance the need for monitoring with employee privacy and comfort.

Monitor security and compliance

Compliance monitoring is a continuous process that ensures businesses adhere to internal policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements. It involves the surveillance, review, and analysis of an organization's performance and risk indicators, enabling teams to identify areas of non-compliance and take corrective action to prevent costly violations. Compliance monitoring is often considered an important part of an organization's compliance management system and overall cybersecurity posture.

• Automation: Technology enables automation of compliance monitoring processes, generating audit-ready reporting and intuitive dashboards. This frees up time and resources for businesses, allowing them to focus on strategic initiatives while also ensuring compliance.
• Real-time Data: Business technology provides real-time data and analytics, allowing organizations to identify potential security threats and respond promptly. This helps maintain data protection and privacy, which is critical for compliance and building customer trust.
• Reporting and Decision-Making: Technology generates reports and provides data visualization through dashboards, charts, and graphs. This aids in compliance monitoring by offering a comprehensive overview for stakeholders and facilitating decision-making.
• Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): SIEM is a security solution that helps organizations identify and address potential security threats and vulnerabilities. It provides real-time monitoring and analysis of system logs, events, and network traffic. SIEM solutions can be managed by internal IT teams or outsourced to cybersecurity experts.
• Compliance Management Software: Compliance monitoring software automates the process of tracking regulatory requirements and ensuring compliance. It helps businesses stay up-to-date with regulatory changes, monitor their compliance status, and detect any gaps or violations.
• Network Monitoring: Network monitoring tools help organizations oversee network activity, including traffic sources, patterns, and performance. They can also be used to monitor requests for websites or internet data during scheduled times, helping employers understand how employees use their computer time.
• Employee Training: While not directly a technology, employee training programs are crucial for compliance monitoring. By educating employees on the importance of compliance and their roles in maintaining it, businesses can create a culture of compliance and reduce the risk of violations.

By leveraging these technological tools and strategies, organizations can effectively monitor security and compliance, ensuring they meet regulatory requirements, protect sensitive data, and maintain customer trust and confidence.

Monitor resource usage through IT systems

IT systems are essential for businesses to monitor resource usage. They provide an array of benefits, from tracking software renewals and employee productivity to optimising application performance and cost savings.

Software Usage Tracking

IT systems can be used to monitor and analyse the software applications employees access and how frequently they use them. This is done by collecting data from user activity records, application logs, and SSO or OAuth platforms. By tracking software usage, businesses can identify unnecessary programs and reduce expenses. It also helps businesses determine the exact number of software licenses needed, ensuring compliance with licensing agreements and preventing the use of unauthorised software.

IT Monitoring Strategies

IT monitoring is essential for overseeing and guiding data centres and their applications and services. IT administrators and business leaders use IT systems to track metrics and ensure that the IT organisation maintains its required level of performance, security, and availability. Real-time alerting allows admins to respond promptly to issues that could harm the business.

Resource Monitoring

Resource monitoring is a critical component of cloud cost optimisation. It involves tracking resource usage, such as CPU, memory, and storage utilisation. By monitoring resource utilisation, businesses can optimise the use of application resources and ensure applications have the necessary resources to run efficiently.

Application Monitoring

Application monitoring software measures application performance, security, and compliance. It sends alerts when performance baselines are not met and provides insights into the root causes of performance issues. Additionally, it uses automation to resolve detected issues before they impact the end-user experience.

Digital Experience Monitoring

This type of monitoring gathers performance metrics such as load time, response time, uptime, and downtime from the user interface on the end-user device. It helps understand user behaviour and enables prompt troubleshooting and resolution of frontend issues.

Database Monitoring

Database monitoring involves sampling the performance of SQL queries or procedures, providing insights that can help optimise database performance and identify potential issues.

Availability Monitoring

Availability monitoring tracks the actual availability of application and hardware components. This is important because applications can generate performance data even when they are not accessible to the end user.

Performance Monitoring

Performance monitoring measures response time and real-time application data to identify issues such as slow database queries, increased network latency, and CPU spikes.

Security Monitoring

Security monitoring detects security vulnerabilities and threats, such as phishing and malware scams or unauthorised access attempts. It helps organisations protect sensitive data and comply with industry regulations.

Frequently asked questions