There are a lot of pros and cons when it comes to monitoring your employees online. We’ve put together an honest and transparent list of arguments for and against this practice. And if you decide it is something you want to pursue, we’ve provided some tips for a smooth implementation process. The case for monitoring There are a number of reasons why monitoring your employees’ activities on company devices is a good idea. Doing so can help you: Protect your organisation from data theft or harm – because careless or disgruntled employees may leak or steal your data.Ensure you have a harassment-free workplace – because cyber-harassment (sexual or otherwise) happens among employees.Ensure staff are complying with policies – such as not downloading illegal programs or spending time on websites with illegal or hostile content.Provide evidence in case of a lawsuit – heaven forbid this happens, but if an employee participates in illegal activities using your business’s computers, monitoring can provide evidence of who was involved. The sad fact of the matter is that many business owners who begin monitoring their employees often end up discovering that their staff members aren’t focused solely on the company’s success. Arguments against employee monitoring Of course, there are some potential downsides to monitoring that you should be aware of as well. These include: Productivity loss – monitoring can put a damper on employee morale and you may see the distrust lead to productivity losses.Lost privacy and lawsuits – you’ll likely learn personal details of your employees that you would’ve never known about had you not monitored them. You may discover their political or religious views, sexual orientation, or medical problems. This could potentially open up your business to privacy or discrimination issues if you or your management team acts negatively based on any of this information. Monitoring guidelines to follow If you decide to monitor your employees, here are a few tips you should follow. 1. Create written policiesWhen you decide to monitor your employees, ask yourself: Am I doing this for security purposes? Is it to ensure your employees aren’t wasting time on social media? If your monitoring policies are too strict, you could create an atmosphere of distrust. Set guidelines for acceptable use of email, social media, web browsing, instant messaging, and downloading software and apps. Also, make sure to include how monitoring will be carried out and how data will be secured or destroyed. 2. Tell your employeesIt’s important to inform your employees about the scope of your monitoring policies. If they find out you’re doing it without their knowledge, you could face legal issues. By being transparent and open, you may actually see a boost in productivity by deterring employees from wasting time on the web. When you tell your employees, explain why you’re doing it and the risks your business faces from misuse of digital assets. Reassure them you’re not doing it to spy on their personal life, but to create a compliant and law-abiding workplace. Because their activities will now be less private, encourage your staff to keep their personal communication to their smartphones. Also, provide a copy of your written policy to employees to read and sign. 3. Get the right technology toolsYou don’t need to know every little employee activity, so look for apps and software that alert you of the most relevant problems so you can focus on more important tasks. If implemented correctly, employee monitoring makes your business more secure and productive. For more information about security and other IT support tools, contact Multi IT & Telephony Solutions today or call us on 011 435 0450

Imagine going back to the office after a long vacation, only to be greeted by a messy workstation. Frustrating, isn't it? If your enterprise wants to start a new year working with clean, organised technology, this IT hardware checklist is just what you need. ✓ Clean up your computer components Wipe your monitor with clean, static-free fabric; remove excess dirt from your mouse’s exterior; and tidy up your keyboard with compressed air. Don’t forget your computer tower! Dust buildup can block your computer’s air vent and affect its performance. Ensure that your workstation is getting adequate ventilation and isn’t directly exposed to sunlight and other heat sources. ✓ Manage your cables If you’re not giving your computers’ cables the attention they deserve, now’s a good time to do so. Other than wiping the thick coat of dust off of computer cables, consider using cable management solutions that unclutter and untangle messy wires. These don’t just organise and secure your cables, they also help ensure your PCs run quieter and are less prone to overheating as a result of blocked air vents. Planning to relocate or upgrade in the near future? Organising your computers’ cables now makes future relocation and upgrading processes much easier. ✓ Review and update your inventory Keeping an inventory of all your hardware helps you manage hardware life cycles and purchases, identify items that are near their end of life, and ensure you avoid duplicate purchases of items already in stock. Your inventory list should include all owned and leased devices: PCs and laptops, printers and scanners, tablets and smartphones, and modems and other network hardware. Update all your assets’ serial numbers and keep track of their respective users and location. ✓ Printer maintenance Clean the interiors and exteriors of your printers, including paper trays, which are sure to have accumulated dirt from years of use. You should also repair and/or replace parts and accessories such as print heads and cartridges that are no longer in good condition. Should you decide to do a complete printer maintenance, check for the latest software updates for your printers and install them immediately. ✓ Implement a hardware policy This is also a good time to create a technology guideline that your employees can follow to ensure they work efficiently. These guidelines reduce the need to spend on unnecessary repairs, keeping the succeeding year’s checklist shorter. With clear instructions on the proper use, replacement, and storage of your hardware and devices, you’ll be better able to manage your hardware for years to come. With a more organised IT hardware inventory, you have one less thing to worry about. Want to get more in-depth hardware management advice? Call our experts today on 011 435 0450 or Contact Us to find out more.

If you’ve ever received what looked like a personalised email from a huge corporation, there’s a good chance it was actually written using an email automation platform. This technology saves time and money while strengthening customer relationships, and contrary to popular belief, it is well within most SMB budgets. What is email automation? Usually included in customer relationship management (CRM) software, email automation centres around the idea of integrating your business data into emails to customers and prospects. This allows you to draft templates with placeholders for names, addresses, and other variables that the platform will match with individuals from your email list. What’s more, you can personalise how and when your emails go out to clients. Automatically inserting customer data into an email is great, but it still requires that you draft the content that surrounds it and hit Send. Email automation grants you the ability to create templated emails that are automatically merged with client data and sent when certain conditions are met. Examples of email automation To really get an idea of how valuable this solution is, it’s important to see what it looks like in action. Say you own an e-commerce site that sells complementary goods, such as golf clubs and golf balls. You could create a campaign wherein anytime someone buys a set of clubs, pre-written emails automatically go out one month later on how high-quality golf balls improve your handicap. You’re not limited to two-step workflows either. Take a look at this example: Step 1: Send a personalised email with a special offer on golf balls for existing customers.Step 2: Send a follow-up based on how customers interacted with the offer email:If a customer cashed in on the offer, send a thank you email.Step 3: Follow it up with a similar offer three months later.If a customer visited the promo page but didn’t convert, send a promotional email for another type of product, like golf bags.Step 3: Follow it up with either a thank you email or another promo for golf clothes.If a customer didn’t even open the email, send a survey email asking about their interests.Step 3: Follow it up with email campaigns based on what they selected. Email automation means there’s no need to micromanage your customer relationships. As long as you define the path to purchase for high-volume products, you can program workflows to nurture customers and prospects automatically. For as little as a couple of hundred Rands per month, your customer outreach campaigns can compete on the same level as your corporate counterparts with little effort from your team. Throw an expert IT provider into the mix and you have the ability to blow the competition out of the water. To learn more, contact us today on 011 435 0450!