Help Managing Remote Workers

Guest post by Tony Stokes of Contracting Solutions (New Media)

We are a software solutions provider specializing in Digital Media and Customer Flow Management software employing around 65 staff based here in the UK and Hong Kong.

While tracking staff members and timekeeping in our main offices is not normally an issue we are seeing an increase in the number of coders that prefer to work flexible hours from home. We started the home working scheme over 3 years ago and in general most staff members worked the required hours and were generally productive but we really had no way of recording the hours being worked by each employee. Looking around the market place we found many solutions but most were very expensive or required an on-going monthly payment dependent on the number of staff using the software.

After more searching we came across Flexi-Server Employee Attendance Software which initially we thought was quite cheap in comparison and perhaps would not fit our requirements. Nerveless we downloaded the trial and were amazed that we had it up and running in about ten minutes. Initially we only wanted to record the times that each employee was working and allow them to take breaks and work flexible hours that suited them. We found this initial requirement was very easy to configure and the web dashboard produced all of the statistics we needed.

The new CSMN office in India

During the period of setting up the initial Flexi-Server installation we were in the process of opening a new Office in India to outsource some of our extra coding requirements. We found an existing company and that fitted our requirements and asked them if they would be willing to use Flexi-Server to record each team member's hours to which they agreed. Having put this in place we then looked into the other features offered and found the most invaluable capability of recording screen shots and having them uploaded to our server, this has not only helped us monitor progress remotely but has also allowed us to spot issues and help to get them resolved.

Since then we have we have purchased a majority stake in the Indian company and have made considerable investment in a new office, extra staff and upgrades to the IT equipment. We would not have had the faith to do this remotely had we not had the monitoring, reporting and added peace of mind that Flexi-Server Productivity & Attendance Software provides.

Tony Stokes is Technical Director of Contracting Solutions (New Media), Innovators of Digital Signage, enhanced visual communications and multimedia solutions.

FlexiServer in the Spotlight

Check out the June issue of Smart Computing, a US magazine covering smart computing and consumer electronics in plain English. One of the software programs they chose to spotlight in this issue is our very own FlexiServer Productivity and Attendance Software: a "no more time-cards" business solution that tracks employee check-in and out times, whether they are working in the office or from home.

The Importance of Parental Control Software

The Internet has become an invaluable asset to us in the last decade. It has expanded our world and allowed us to access information to an extent we never imagined. Schools use the Internet and computers for many aspects of our children�s education, from research to learning games. However, all of this technology presents some common safety issues that parents constantly have to confront as well. Some of the most frequent parental fears are:

• Children coming into contact with dangerous people. Chat rooms, social media, and instant messaging are all ways that children interact with others. Unfortunately online predators lurk in these areas as well.
  
• Web pages with inappropriate content. These can be pornography sites, gambling sites, pages that are violent or promote drugs & alcohol, or include tactics for cheating.
  
• Online shopping. Kids might not always realize that it is not okay to use our credit cards to purchase products. Blocking some of these sites can help contain the problem of those unexpected charges on you monthly bill.
  
• Exposure to Cyber-bullying. Chat rooms and social networks can allow your children to talk to their friends, but even classmates can have very harmful things to say. Cyber-bullying has become a dangerous and all too common activity.
  

There are times that we as parents cannot constantly monitor whether or not our children are on the Internet for longer than they should be. If kids are old enough to stay home alone while we finish our workday, it is hard to say whether they really did only spend 30 minutes on the computer, or if they actually spent 2 hours playing or on Facebook instead of working on that English essay.

Verity child monitoring software helps parents take control of these problems. After a quick setup, Verity will begin monitoring whatever you want it to. You can block certain websites by using the domain name or keywords, preventing pages from being opened. This way kids can still do school research without going anywhere they shouldn�t. You can also set up time limits on certain programs or on the computer itself so you know your child is not spending too much time online. You can save screenshots of what your child was doing and looking at to review later, as well as viewing usage and activity reports that show how long your child is on a certain website or using specific programs. You can even have alerts sent to your email so you can check on your child from your smart phone.

Protecting our children in today�s high tech environment can be a daunting task. As fast as technology is moving and progressing, it can be nearly impossible. But with the right tools like good parental control software it becomes much more manageable. As parents, anything we can utilize to keep our kids safe and happy is worth checking out.

Video Surveillance at Home

We all know that there are some obvious benefits to using video surveillance within your home. It allows you to watch for intruders when you are away, you can monitor when your children arrive home from school, or keep an eye on the new nanny, but the list doesn't end there. Here are some additional reasons to use Eyeline Video Surveillance Software that you might not have thought of.

Daytime Pet Monitor

Have you ever had a time that you've gotten home and wondered how in the world your dog could have managed to get something off of your counter? I have. I have very small dogs, yet if I was in a hurry in the morning and happened to leave the bagels on the counter somehow they would manage to pull them off and devour them while I was gone. With EyeLine, I can go back and see. Apparently Jack Russel Terriers can jump surprisingly high when they have a mind to.

With EyeLine it easy to find out just which pup is deciding to destroy the remote, whether they are relaxing on the furniture they shouldn't be on, and see what other trouble they might be getting into while you are away.

Is Your Pet Expecting?

This may seem a bit strange to the non-animal owner, but it can be very important to know exactly when your dog, cat, or horse go into labor. Horse breeders set up constant surveillance when waiting for their mothers to deliver, as complications can result in devastating results. A friend of mine is a dog breeder and it is important for her to have the ability to check in on her mothers on a regular basis. With Eyeline she can log in and check on her pets with the web access feature from her office.

New Baby Monitor

For those of you with children, video surveillance is quickly becoming the popular way to check on your new baby. You can check on your sleeping child without running the risk of waking them up. Simply fire up your computer.

Outdoor Surveillance

Obviously there are times that it is nice to know whether or not someone is outside your home. However I have some friends that have a different concern - wildlife. They need to know whether or not they have a large predator around their house as they recently purchased a puppy. While they would like to let the puppy into the dog run during the day they live where mountain lions may be a problem. They use Eyeline to make sure they do not have a visitor that may not be safe while they are away.

Video surveillance is a valuable asset, regardless of whether you use it at home or in a business setting. Now it is easy and affordable to use too, giving you the ability to use it for security or simple monitoring.

Set A Time Limit On Computer Use

If your children wouldn't do anything other than play on the computer if given the chance, then the newest feature added to Verity Parental Control Software maybe exactly what you need. A new Time Limits tab has been added to Verity's Parental Controls allowing parents to set time limits on computer usage according to the day of the week or the time of day. You can also set program or website exceptions that won't count toward the allowable quota, so it will still be possible for your child to type a report in Word or practice their typing skills with KeyBlaze Typing Tutor, without eating into the allowable game time your kids crave.

Make Employees Happy with Flexibility and FlexiServer

I recently read a study on BNet looking at What makes people happy at work. The first thing on the list? Flexible work schedules. When I think about it this seems like an obvious answer. Being able to easily accommodate appointments, or working around class schedules or kids activities; I can quickly come up with a long list of reasons why a rigid 9-5 schedule just isn't the best solution for many employees out there.

So why aren't more offices allowing their employees a flexible work schedule? There are some where it might be difficult, like at a bank, a teller really can only work banking hours when the doors are open for customers to come in. But in an office environment it is more likely that there is resistance from management because having everyone at their desks at the same time makes it easier to ensure that work is getting done and everyone is putting in their hours. If that is the only thing holding managers back from letting someone work, say, Sunday through Thursday instead on the typical Monday through Friday, then there is an easy solution. Using a software program like FlexiServer attendance software for logging information about computer activity and monitoring hours worked based on computer logon and logoff times, managers can more confidently allow employees to work flexible schedules or from remote locations. FlexiServer also provides reports to help management gauge productivity without needing to be a first hand witness to an employee's time spent at their desk. So why not let a software program monitor employee hours for you instead of watching the clock and filling out timesheets?

FlexiServer Creates a More Efficient Work Environment

The Center for Pain Control business manager Peter Graf was having difficulty managing his employees� computer usage. The Center, which makes it possible for patients to avoid a hospital stay for surgical procedures while helping them to manage pain, has just over twenty employees. Graf wanted to ensure that each employee was using their computer systems efficiently. This is a very real concern for businesses considering how much money businesses are losing due to non-work related internet browsing.

Graf immediately turned to NCH Software, since he had successfully used products of theirs in the past. He came across FlexiServer employee computer usage monitoring software, which he now uses to double-check hours worked, view application use by staff, and to restrict programs and internet sites on necessary computers. �FlexiServer is easy to use and set up,� said Graf.

Using FlexiServer to monitor employees has finally given him the opportunity to get some real work done. �I run a report once a month to see where employees spend most of their time. This freed up more time for actual work,� said Graf. Before FlexiServer, Graf manually entered the hours of every employee into an Excel spreadsheet.

Graf�s favorite feature is the ability to prohibit employees from using programs and internet sites that they shouldn�t be using during work hours. He can also pinpoint which sites viruses were picked up on, and generate reports on employees� start and end times.

FlexiServer software automatically logs employee time and attendance. It features tools for quality assurance monitoring and reporting, and works with home or remote employees. FlexiServer gives managers the confidence they need to know that work is getting done without needing to micro-manage. The monitoring features are non-invasive and respect the employees' need for privacy, allowing them to enter private mode when necessary, while creating a paper trail that can be referenced if needed.

Announcing Verity Parental Control Software

This week we added a brand new program to our ever-growing range of software, this time a little something for the family. Verity Parental Control Software is now available and completely free, giving parents more confidence and peace of mind. By monitoring a child's computer activity both online and off parents can rest easy that they can always look back at what their kids are doing on the computer without needing to hover and watch over their shoulder.

After a quick setup, Verity will begin logging the programs being used and the websites visited. Activity is tracked by user, program, keystrokes, mouse clicks, and screenshots and can be monitored through a password-protected web interface. Additional parental controls allow you to block specific websites and applications.

So if you are looking for a quick and easy way to track computer activity in your household you should give Verity a try, and be sure to let us know what you think.

Employee, Interruped - Internet use in Today's Workplace

Are you reading this blog at work? It's a fair question when you look at the statistics of how many "cyberslackers" there are out there: a new breed of employees who use company internet connections for personal use.

The internet has completely changed the business landscape over the last 10 years, and with it, the day-to-day roles of employees. As more and more of us have begun engaging with the internet�s information playground on a daily basis, there is the increasing temptation to get your Facebook fix before you hit those spreadsheets. With all the benefits the internet affords businesses, the trade-off is a loss in employee productivity which, in turn, can result in a loss of company profit. To combat this potential downturn, many businesses are taking measures to keep tabs of their employees on the clock, monitoring computer usage, emails, phone calls, and even keystrokes, all in the name of retaining employee productivity. When you think about the potential losses (upwards of $350,00 per business), it begins to make sense, even though if you listen closely enough, you can hear George Orwell crying somewhere far, far away.

In the interest of putting employee internet usage into perspective, we've put together the above infographic. If you're interested in the potential benefits of monitoring your employee's computer use, then take a look at FlexiServer attendance software and download the free trial to test drive the computer-use monitoring features.

Now get back to work!