Continuous Improvement - User Productivity

Discover & Measure

Monitor User Processes

The first step in improving any process is to know what needs improving. However, as it turns out, knowing what is happening on a user's desktop is very difficult. Most users can not accurately remember what processes they perform in a day. New users are still learning and experienced users have entered autopilot mode - they just do it without thinking about the thousands of keys pressed or mouse button they click.

There are old school ways of monitoring user processes. You can simply sit beside the person doing the work and take notes. That works if you have one or two users and an expert who knows what to look for. Some companies have tried usability studies behind two-way glass in simulated offices. Again, this works for very specific studies and very small numbers of users. There is really only one practical way to Monitor User Processes - specialized software on the user's desktop.

Analyze User Processes

When you have collected a statistically relevant amount of user process data, then it's time to analyze. Some of the results will be obvious - the "low hanging fruit" - processes you probably would have guessed were issues. In most cases, however, the "issues" are much more widespread than many people imagine. It is common to under-estimate by five or six fold, the time users spend on certain processes. Only by consistently monitoring a wide spectrum of users will you see the true impact of inefficient user processes.

OpenSpan Desktop Analytics is the product that can be used to monitor and analyze user processes.

When we refer to inefficient processes, in many cases it is simply not possible to manually streamline the process. There are certainly significant differences in user performance when one compares the productivity of a new employee with that of a seasoned user. However, even a senior employee who is extremely familiar with all of the applications and has figured out many shortcuts soon discovers they simply cannot increase their current productivity. Only by implementing application automation software like OpenSpan Desktop Automation can enterprises experience significant productivity gains across the workforce.

Improve

Automate User Processes

If you have been in technology for more than a few years, you probably remember "macros." Record a series of keystrokes and attach the macro to a special key combination (SHFT-CTRL-S). Then whenever you needed to perform those recorded keystrokes, simply press the assigned keys. "Power users" who became proficient with macros would consistently and noticeably outperform all of the other workers.

Desktop automation has come a long way from the days of macros. No longer does one simply record and play back keystrokes. Powerful enterprise automation software like OpenSpan Desktop Automation, can easily reduce hundreds of keystrokes and mouse clicks to a single click of the mouse. But the full power of automation is seen when you include some simple .NET code to evaluate criteria and then take appropriate actions based on that criteria. (ex. if a zip code entered is between a certain range display up-sell information, or if a particular product number is entered pop up a recall notice). You get the picture.

If your organization uses lots of application (or just a few "complex" apps), then please take the time to research OpenSpan's Monitor, Analyze and Automate solutions. If you are a programmer, then download our Free IDE. It's available as a Visual Studio Plug-in or Standalone Edition. Or if you prefer, grab a cup of coffee and watch one of our webinars on demand. If you would like more personal assistance, fill out the contact us form or just give us a call. We will do our best to answer all of your questions.