Computer Monitoring Software - What to Look for?

So, you already spoke to your team about the possibility of implementing an employee monitoring software. Now, it’s time to explore your options and see which staff tracking tool you should choose. But it can be so confusing!

There are many options to review, and it’s not like you’ve had prior experience or training on tracking systems.

We understand how hard and overwhelming it can be to find the most suitable monitoring software, which is why we compiled a list of factors you should pay attention to before you pull out your credit card and make a purchase.

Simplicity

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No one wants a software that comes with a manual the size of the Game of Thrones books. Everything related to computer monitoring should be super simple - starting with the installation process. Luckily, most software installations take a few clicks nowadays.

However, once you’ve installed the software you should be able to start using it without much trouble. The PC activity monitoring software you select should be user friendly, and easy to navigate.

User friendly tools are those which are extremely simple, they have a clean design which is well-organized, and easy to navigate. To put it in one word - intuitive.

Furthermore, the main characteristic of a user friendly tool is reliability. This is why you must test out a solution before making a purchase. Unreliable computer monitoring app will keep crashing, and end up costing you time, money and patience. 

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Features

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When looking for a PC monitoring software, you must first answer a few questions:

• Why are you tracking your employees?
• What exactly do you want to track?

Only after you’ve answered these, you’ll be aware of what it is that you need from the staff tracking software. 

Now, looking at features, there are a bunch of basic and advanced characteristics you’ll face. Knowing what you need will help you rule out software with unnecessary options.

To help you out, we’ve divided some of the most common employee monitoring software components.

Basic features:

• Time tracking
• Website and app tracking
• Real-time employee monitoring
• Productivity monitoring
• Time and attendance
• Analytics dashboard
• Screenshots

Advanced features:

• Projects and tasks
• Automatic time and activity mapping
• Client login
• Payroll calculator
• Keystroke logger
• GPS tracking (more suitable for in-field positions, such as delivery people)
• Integrations
• Customization

Almost every computer monitoring software has the basic features mentioned above, so they’re pretty easy to find. However, not every tool has the advanced features we listed. Our recommendation is that you make a list of features you need and go from there, instead of shortlisting the tools and then trying to find the one that suits your needs.

Additionally, we advise that you take a good look at integrations and customization options. Your company probably already uses a set of software, and you must decide if it’s important that the employee monitoring app integrates with your toolkit. You also might want some custom options that can fit into your processes. Not every software maker is willing to make adjustments to their product, so be sure to ask about it.

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Cost

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Whether you already have an approved budget or not, you need to look at the prices. Depending on the type of software, the lowest price range is around $6 per employee/month. Most providers do give discounts for larger teams, but the price may go up if you’re looking to customize the tool, or have an on-premise installation.

Once you decide on a software, double-check for the cost of licence, installation, support, anything that might be charged extra.

You should also know that more sophisticated tools can set you back at more than $200 per employee/month. So, if you choose one of these solutions, make sure you really need all features you’re paying for.

Wrap Up

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The world of employee monitoring software is much bigger than you might think. There are countless companies and solutions which are just one click away from you.

Don’t decide on any employee monitoring software overnight. Take the time to think carefully about your options, perform a thorough research and consider everything we listed in this article before making a final decision.

Good luck!

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