Alternative Analysis:

Employee Monitoring Software Systems

Project 5 – BBUS 330 – Fall 2015Team 1: Megan McDaniel, Karishma Sharma, Derek Dougan, Zach Baker

CONTENT SUMMARY

> Problem Statement

> Problem Background

> Executive Summary

> Solution Statement

> SWOT Analysis

> Industry Overview

> Evaluation Criteria

> Three Alternatives

> Evaluation Criteria Matrix

> Recommendations

> Issues and Concerns Needing Clarification

> References

PROBLEM STATEMENTWhat is the problem?

A growing number of employees are using the internet for personal use (social media/online

shopping/banking) during work hours. This abuse of time is a type of theft leading to a loss in

productivity, increased labor costs and a potential decrease in profits. A crucial security concern for

any business is email being used as the primary source for sharing intellectual property. This could

result in a loss of competitive advantage.

What caused the problem?

Technology has become both a personal and professional need in our everyday lives. It has created

opportunities for global collaboration, telecommuting, and numerous business process improvements.

With the necessity of these new technologies in the work place it’s tempting for employees to use their

technologies for personal use on company time.

Why does it persist?

Sharing personal information has always been a part of work culture, as the use of technology has

developed so has are means of sharing that information. It is socially acceptable is many work

cultures to use our work devices to share our experiences with our co-workers.

Why hasn’t it been solved?

Social cyber loafing has become apart of our work culture, a change in this culture requires constant

maintenance and evaluation.

What are the objectives of a solution?

A solution would include the ability to measure employee productivity without revolting staff members

and reveal facts relevant to employee evaluations.

MORE INFROMATION ON “REFERENCE SLIDE A”

PROBLEM BACKGROUND

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Business Objective: Achieve a higher level of operational excellence by

improving employee productivity.

Business Improvement Needs:

> Increase Profitability

> Reduce Costs

> Enhance Efficiency

> Improve Competitive Advantage using Information System

> Protect Intellectual Property

Analysis: S.W.O.T., Evaluation Criteria Matrix

Recommendation: Implement SpectorSoft Employee Monitoring System

SOLUTIONS STATEMENT

Employee monitoring systems…

> detect, respond, prevent, monitor and report all activities on company

devices to corresponding managers

> detects all activities being performed including the frequency and timing of

each keystroke and change in performance within the program

> responds immediately to restricted device activity notifying both employee

and management by intercepting messages, taking screenshots. And

blocking usage

> prevent staff from being tempted to use company devices for social use

with the understanding that they are being monitored

> monitors the processes, email correspondence, Skype, IM activity,

websites, search terms, social networks, files, folders, clipboards, USB

usage and work-time network activities.

> Reports a collection of company wide and individual real-time information

including but not limited to most visited websites/applications, inactivity

reports and device usage during work time

S.W.O.T. ANALYSISStrengths:• Potential to Grow with Company• Increase in Employee Productivity• Increase in Profits• Immediate Warning of Violation of Policies• Minimizing Legal and Security Risks• Decreasing Distractions• Safeguarding Field Employees• Promoting Safety• Simplifying timekeeping• Documenting Bad Behavior

Weaknesses:• Cost of Implementation• Time of Implementation• Needs Additional Programming or Patches• Punctures a Hole in Security System while being

Implemented• Decrease in Employee Satisfaction Due to Privacy

Concerns & Working without a Social Break• Heightened Employee Stress Levels• Increasing Employee Turnover• Inhibiting Daily Work Routines

Opportunities:• Increasing Capabilities (telecommuting programs)• Management can Watch for Mistakes and Errors• Management can Acknowledge Employee

Excellence Captured by the System • Company will Learn How Employees Work Best• GPS Technology Keeps an Honest Time Card• Serving as a Training Tool for New Employees• Evaluating Performance of Employees• Analyze Existing Processes & Identify Processes to

Change

Threats:• Legal Threats from Potential Discrimination in

Surveillance • Technical Challenges in Implementing the System• Viruses can be Disguised as Employee-surveillance

Systems and Crash Network• Potential Abuse of Obtained Information by

Management• Personal Devices can be used to Elude Surveillance• Company Image to Potential Candidates (May Miss

Out on Future Talent)

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Implementation Cost (250 Computers) – Upfront costs including developer time for customization, IT Support for training, additional hardware, and over-time pay Email Monitoring – including communication pattern recognition, shadow copying of attached files, store date/time/subject/sender recipient email addresses, backup copies of deleted emailsReal-Time Monitoring – monitors time spent on user activities, aggregates statistics on application usage for a specified time interval, converts information in activity tabDeleted & Retrieved Critical Data – including shadow copying data from USB devices and keyword stokesPrint Monitoring – recording time and user that printed out documents and what particular documents were printed out and how many pages were printed. Including shadow copies.Social Media Monitoring – recording viewed profiles, message exchanges (private/public), backup copies of all files sent (images/music/video), monitors images and videos viewed.Inactivity Monitoring – records launched applications and how long user works with each of them analyzing how employees use their time.Attendance Tracking – GPS tracking of location of work phone/pc, calculating total hours and device utilization

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Removable Storage Tracking/Blocking – completely locks USB storage, created shadow copies, identifies devices connected/manufacturer code, serial number, and time/date.Restriction Alerts – alerts employees immediately, protecting against unauthorized activity, identifying specific locations determined by the administrators of the company.Website Monitoring, Filtering & Blocking – screenshot recording to monitor employee activity., keyboard capturing, search term tracking, encoded network traffic monitoring, intercepting messages sent via web messengers, monitoring activities in social networks, launched processes and applications monitoring, system events logging, whitelists and blacklists websites blocking.Live Chat/Tutorials/FAQs – guide book with commonly asked questions, skype/IM/email direct support available 24/7, FAQ sheet, download and installation support

ALTERNATIVE #1: SpectorSoft

Description of the Business: A user activity monitoring solution that enables

companies to log, retain, review and report on employee activity. Spector 360

creates a definitive record of an employee’s digital activity, and in doing so

provides organizations with the ability to see the context of user actions.

Pros:

> Offers custom pricing/programming for corporate surveillance packages

> The most comprehensive reporting system including individual reports for

performance evaluations

> For an additional cost they have a variety of other corporate support

systems available

Cons:

> Not the most cost efficient software system on the market

> Does not offer tutorials for training purposes

ALTERNATIVE #2: NetVizor

Description of the Business: NetVizor is network and employee monitoring

software that invisibly monitors your entire network from one central location!

Track workstations and users that may use multiple PC's on your network.

Pros:

> Accesses multiple web/social/software platforms

> Allows multiple screen real-time tracking for managers

> Offers user friendly alerts to employees that are not complying with

company policy

Cons:

> Does not offer mobile monitorization

> Does not offer training materials or collateral for new users

ALTERNATIVE #3: STAFFCOP

Description of the Business: StaffCop Standard is corporate security

software. StaffCop Standard allows you to monitor all activities on company

computers and prevent the unauthorized distribution of sensitive corporate

information.

Pros:

> Screenshot recording for instant notification on all devices

> Image based tracking

> USB device monitoring/recording and blocking

Cons:

> High cost

> Limited potential for other software services

EVALUATION CRITERIA MATRICTechnical Specifications

Importance Weight

SpectorSoft NetVizor STAFFCOP

Implementation Cost (250 Computers) 9% 4 .36 10 .9 1 .09

Email Monitoring 16% 10 1.6 8 1.28 10 1.6

Real-Time Monitoring 8% 10 .8 10 .8 5 .4

Deleted & Retrieved Critical Data 10% 10 1 6 .6 8 .8

Print Monitoring 4% 8 .32 10 .4 10 .4

Social Media Monitoring 5% 10 .5 6 .3 10 .5

Inactivity Monitoring 5% 10 .5 8 .4 1 .05

Attendance Tracking 8% 10 .8 4 .32 1 .08

Removable Storage Tracking/Blocking 10% 5 .5 10 1 10 1

Restriction Alerts 6% 8 .48 6 .36 10 .6

Website Filtering & Blocking 10% 10 1 7 .7 10 1

Live Chat/Tutorials/FAQs 9% 4 .36 1 .09 10 .9

Total Score 7.86 6.25 7.33

Best = 10Worst = 1

RECOMMENDATION

We recommend implementing SpectorSoft employee monitoring

system. This technology best serves the business improvement needs

while providing comprehensive surveillance with real-time monitoring

alerts for responding staff.

Supporting data:

> Relative criteria matrix score is the highest among its competitors

> Company offers custom incentives for larger organizations

> Provides services for mobile, tablet and pc devices

> On-demand additional surveillance services are available outside of

the yearly service costs

> Currently offering a free-trial for a month

ISSUES/CONCERNS MOVING FORWARD

Legal Considerations – Under federal law employers have the right to monitor but not in private locations

(bathrooms/locker rooms/break rooms)

– Under State Law you may be required to receive written consent from your employees (may

vary depending on state)

– If you monitor anyone monitor everyone to avoid selective discipline practices

– Increased potential for harassment (sexual or otherwise from social media monitoring(,

stalking, or exploitation of discovered information by managers.

Technical Considerations– Software can be run in stealth and transparent mode depending on your companies

objectives determine which mode will best serve your staff

Ethical Considerations– Infringement of privacy could lead to a loss of engagement and trust by employees and

change inter-company communications

– Present a clear sense of what is hoped to be accomplished by being forthcoming and

transparent in your communications with employees

– Clearly communicate the why’s and how’s of the monitoring technology deployment

LESSONS LEARNED

> Without a complete scope of a specific company it’s challenging to

determine the weight of importance of different aspects of a product.

> The larger or higher security an organization is, the greater threats

they potentially face in implementing an information management

system.

> It takes strong leaders and thorough communicators to facilitate

change within a company. They face challenges in shifting the

company culture and educating employees in the benefits of

change.

> Responsibly monitoring a modern workforce is challenging with

developing technologies.

REFERENCES

Sanchez, W. (n.d.). The Best Employee Monitoring Software of 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2015,

from http://employee-monitoring-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

Morgan, K. (n.d.). Types of Employee Monitoring in the Workplace. Retrieved November 10, 2015,

from http://www.stfrancis.edu/content/ba/ghkickul/stuwebs/btopics/works/monitoring1a.htm

Spector 360 Recon. (n.d.). Retrieved November 22, 2015,

from http://www.spectorsoft.com/

NetVizor Software Helps Resolve Most Employee Problems! (n.d.). Retrieved November 22, 2015,

from http://www.netvizor.net/

StaffCop. (n.d.). Retrieved November 22, 2015,

from http://www.staffcop.com/

The Best Employee Monitoring Software of 2016. (n.d.). Retrieved November 22, 2015,

from http://employee-monitoring-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

Employee Monitoring: How Far is Too Far? (n.d.). Retrieved November 22, 2015,

from http://www.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/articles/employee-monitoring-how-far-is-too-far/

G. Mujtaba, B. (n.d.). The Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship. Retrieved November 22, 2015,

from http://www.business.nova.edu/JAME/articles/employee-monitoring.cfm

REFERENCES

Schulman, M. (n.d.). Little Brother is Watching You: Employee Monitoring. Retrieved November 22, 2015,

from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v9n2/brother.html

Richmond, R. (2012, May 31). 3 Tips for Legally and Ethically Monitoring Employees Online. Retrieved November

22, 2015, from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/223686

Yerby, J. (2013). Legal and ethical issues of employee monitoring. Retrieved November 22, 2015,

from http://www.iiakm.org/ojakm/articles/2013/volume1_2/OJAKM_Volume1_2pp44-55.pdf

Benefits of Using Employee Monitoring Software. (2012, February 6). Retrieved November 22, 2015,

from http://www.geekbusiness.com/2012/11/benefits-of-using-employee-monitoring-software/

Alaniz, R. (2008, July 1). The Advantages and Pitfalls of Employee Monitoring. Retrieved November 22, 2015,

from http://www.fleetfinancials.com/article/story/2008/07/the-advantages-and-pitfalls-of-employee-monitoring.aspx

White, F. (2015, November 8). Employee Monitoring - Keylogger | Mobile Phone Spy. Retrieved November 22, 2015,

from http://keyloggers.mobi/employee-monitoring/

Employee Monitoring: Are You Crossing The Line? (2014, January 14). Retrieved November 22, 2015,

from http://good.co/blog/2014/01/14/employee-monitoring-crossing-line/

Patrick, E. (n.d.). Society for Human Resource Management. Retrieved November 22, 2015,

from http://www.shrm.org/publications/hrmagazine/editorialcontent/pages/cms_006514.aspx

REFERENCES

Study: Americans Spend Up To 80 Percent Of Internet Time 'Cyberloafing' (2013, February 5). Retrieved November

22, 2015, from http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2013/02/05/study-americans-spend-up-to-80-percent-of-work-time-

cyberloafing/

Moffa, M. (2013, February 6). Cyberloafing: Really an Epidemic? Retrieved November 22, 2015,

from https://www.recruiter.com/i/cyberloafing-really-an-epidemic/

Lim, V. (2009, September 16). Cyberloafing at the workplace: Gain or drain on work? Retrieved November 22, 2015,

from http://bizfaculty.nus.edu/media_rp/publications/WLzRE1422936695.pdf

REFERENCE SLIDE A

What is the problem?

> Kansas State University conducted a study that reported that 60 to 80 percent of people “cyberloaf” on the clock.

> 1/3 of employees waste 2 hours online per week (see problem background) raising productivity measurement

concerns when evaluating employee’s performance reviews.

> Email is the top place for data breaches raising security concerns and legal liability concerns for companies that

must comply with HIPAA laws, FINRA regulations and GRAMA requests

> 1/3 of U.S. corporate bankruptcies are directly caused y employee theft (estimating $1 trillion

What caused the problem?

> Growth of ecommerce

> 59% of online sales are conducted from the shoppers workplace

> 64% of employees with internet access use it for personal use

Why does it persist?

> Cyber loafing is becoming apart of work culture

> An emerging necessity

Why hasn’t it been solved?

> Legal, ethical, and technical considerations

> Potential employee morale change from a shift in company culture

What are the objectives of a solution?

> Monitor employee activity while utilizing company equipment

> Reduce legal liability, address security concerns, accurately measure productivity of employees, comply with legal

obligations, better evaluate performance reviews