Technology and tips for keeping teleworkers productive
Keeping a telework initiative running smoothly is an ongoing effort. One IT aspect that’s important to monitor is the performance of remote workers’ systems. If performance is poor, productivity suffers.
Application management software can help. Compuware recently unveiled the latest version of its Vantage application management suite, which is aimed at helping companies glean better performance from their applications.
“Vantage is focused on understanding the level of service delivered from an IT organization to end users, and then helping the IT organization solve performance problems once they become aware of them,” says Lloyd Bloom, senior product manager at Compuware. “The purpose of Vantage 9.8 is two-fold. First, to do a better job of measuring user experience. And second, to provide better diagnostics at the back end.”
Vantage 9.8 features new monitoring mechanisms as well as greater support for J2EE analysis. In particular, the ability to more easily monitor end-user experience can be useful for supporting teleworkers. The new version of Compuware’s suite supports agent-less monitoring, which lets IT staff keep tabs on the kind of performance external Web users – such as home workers – are experiencing, without requiring those users to have preinstalled agents on their workstations.
The new monitoring capabilities are based on technology Compuware gained in its acquisition of Adlex earlier this year. Adlex has an appliance that sits in front of a Web server farm to gauge users’ application experiences and provide detailed performance analysis behind the scenes, Bloom says. “You can see everything that users are doing at all hours, and for all the applications that are being monitored,” he says.
Compuware also added tools for better diagnosing Java problems that can bog down business applications – and stall local and remote workers’ ability to get their work done. With the addition of more granular J2EE performance analysis tools, IT can drill down into a transaction to determine whether a slow JSP page is CPU- or code-intensive, running low on memory, or waiting on back-end server processing, for example.
When there’s a service delivery problem, IT can see on the Vantage dashboard what changed and whether application or system infrastructure changes caused the problem.
Meanwhile, for those just getting their feet wet with telework, Viack is offering a guide to help companies set up and manage telework programs. The 17-page guide – titled “Implementing and Managing a Telework Program: A Complete Guide to Properly Managing Telework Employees” – is aimed at helping companies determine which employees are best suited for telework roles, overcome cultural barriers, choose the right technologies and keep IT systems secure.
Viack makes collaboration tools that combine audio, video, instant messaging, joint editing and file sharing features into an integrated package that sits on users’ desktops. The vendor’s VIA3 Assured Collaboration software lets employees, colleagues, partners and vendors conduct meetings and share live information remotely.
With VIA3, managers and teleworkers can replicate the feel of in-person meetings, Viack says. Multiple employees can view and edit a document at the same time, without requiring that sensitive corporate documents reside on remote workers’ computers. In addition, presence-detection features make is easy for employees to see who is online and available – which also can help alleviate some management concerns about loss of productivity on the part of teleworkers.
In its guide, Viack recommends several steps companies should take before moving forward with a long-term telework program, including:
* Identify a telework coordinator responsible for organizing teleworker schedules, arranging proper equipment, tracking program progress and promoting the benefits of telework among employees.
* Create a formal telework policy that defines program parameters, including which positions are best suited for telework.
* Train employees and managers on telework policy, procedures and techniques for managing remote workers.
* Insist on technology tools that provide stringent security standards to ensure corporate information is not compromised from a teleworker’s computer.
* Set expectations and communicate those expectations frequently with employees in the main office and those who are working remotely.
Do you have tips of your own for managing a telework program? As always, your thoughts are welcome.
