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Spector360.com >>> Case Studies >>> Ajax Boiler
Monitoring Software Helps Keep a Lid On It at Ajax Boiler
The Setting
Industry: Maufacturing
Location: Santa Ana, California
Founded: 1919
Employees: ≈ 100
Ajax Boiler, Inc. designs and manufactures a comprehensive line of boiler and commercial water heating products in its 120,000-square foot, high bay, heavy craneway facility.
The company's computer network is based on Windows 2003 technology serving approximately 50 Windows 2000 and XP workstations.
The Challenge
"Ours is not a glamorous business. We're a boiler manufacturer in Southern California ... not a large showy company like expensive autos or trendy software," said President and CEO Jane Terry. "As an employer, we try to be competitive by paying attention to employee lifestyles ... we have flex time ... and our work schedule gives employees a three-day weekend every two weeks."
Despite seemingly doing all the right things to attract and keep good employees, Ajax Boiler encounters some of the negativity common to businesses everywhere. For example, almost immediately after joining Ajax Boiler around the turn of the millennium, Terry encountered an employee who made pointed and repeated "by the book" comments about the potential for sexual harassment in the workplace in general, and at Ajax Boiler in particular. It became apparent to Terry that it would be wise to take a proactive stance in the face of such commentary, and that PC activity monitoring software seemed to make sense as the cornerstone of such a posture.
Search for a Solution
While Spector 360 represented the first company experience with monitoring software, the concept was not foreign to Terry, a former software programmer seasoned by approximately a decade of work in Silicon Valley.
"I was familiar with SpectorSoft's solutions for the consumer," said Terry. "When I joined Ajax, I had been using Spector Pro at home to protect my family. I really wasn't looking for it at the time I found it ... I think someone emailed me the information ... but it got my attention. I found it very powerful while easy to use ... and affordable.
"The kids are off to college now and out of the house, but I firmly believe in the ‘right to know'. In my opinion it's more than a ‘right', it is an obligation. A parent needs to be on the alert for drugs ... depression ... suicide. I was able to learn a lot about what they were doing and ensure they were not participating in any potentially harmful activities. It was very valuable for me as a parent. With the Internet so readily available, you never really know when your child is being exposed to potentially harmful situations."
Given Terry's enthusiasm for SpectorSoft products at home, it was the proverbial ‘no-brainer' to make Spector Pro part of her business world as well. Soon after introducing Spector Pro to the Ajax Boiler workplace, Terry's due diligence made it clear Spector 360 was the best choice for a multi-user business environment.
Discoveries
Not long after purchasing and having Spector 360 installed on Ajax Boiler's PC network, Terry was startled to find something she knew existed elsewhere but certainly never hoped to deal with in her own business: industrial espionage.
"I discovered one of our engineers was doing work for the competition," said Terry. "Using Spector 360 and looking over its reports, proprietary data – another company's product information – came across my PC.
"MY COMPETITION was forwarding confidential data regarding its product line ... it was almost embarrassing."
Given the impetus provided by the apparent major infraction, Terry began monitoring "very closely." An official investigation was conducted, the actions documented, and the offender dismissed.
- While Ajax Boiler experienced several scenarios seemingly specific to its industry and employees, the company was unable to escape one of the most widespread inappropriate activities in the workplace today: accessing online pornography.
"We had complaints from some employees about porn sites being accessed," said Terry. "By reviewing Spector 360 reports, we saw it was true. When we found out that people were bringing up porn on that PC, we made the decision to put the software on ALL our PCs. Clearly, something of this nature is serious exposure and a potential liability."
- In Terry's opinion, in addition to its excellent investigative and deterrent features, Spector 360 is invaluable as a Human Resources tool.
"Not too long ago we needed to consider a reduction in force and related cost-cutting," said Terry. "That is a sensitive time, a time when we need to look at everyone's productivity and performance. With Spector 360's data, it was quite easy to conduct such a review."
- Spector 360, based on Terry's experience, is helpful in maximizing employee computer efficiency.
"During reviews, thanks to Spector 360 recordings, we can have managers critique employee work habits," said Terry. "For example, we have been able to find engineers doing calculations ‘the long way' ... working tasks less efficiently than might be possible otherwise. Spector 360 provides us with a great measure of work skills and habits."
Awareness
"All of our employees know about Spector 360. I don't believe in surprises in a business environment," said Terry. "How we operate as a company should not be a secret."
- "Initially, we prepared a monthly report based on Spector 360 data," said Terry. "We wanted folks to see WE CAN and WE WILL exercise our right to monitor. We stopped the monthly reporting because flags were no longer being registered. No personal email ... no excessive eBay ... no CNN. Everything seemed to calm down because people's work habits improved once they knew they were being monitored.
"Today, we still see a little eBay here and there, maybe the occasional checking of bank statements, things like that ... and that's ok as long as it's just a few minutes."
Working With Employees
Terry said she intended to make an official announcement regarding the advent of a new monitoring wrinkle in the Ajax Boiler workplace, but uncovering the industrial espionage case gave pause to her well-laid plans.
"Even though monitoring is discussed in our Employee Handbook," said Terry, "I was planning to reiterate the concept once we brought on Spector 360. But when I found the proprietary information moving back and forth between my company and the competitor's, I had to wait in order to fully appraise the situation."
Despite the potential ruinous ramifications of such employee abuse, the espionage activity made clear one undisputable truth at Ajax Boiler:
"Employees need to understand that if they need to do anything personal, private, or confidential on a PC, they should do it at home," said Terry. "Because with Spector 360, if they do it at work, it will get picked up."
Spector 360: The Software of Choice
Following the initial flurry of findings, Terry said she sees the continued use of Spector 360 "not so much as a hammer but as a deterrent."
"Spector 360 was so effective in its initial stages that now I only look at the recordings when I think I might have a problem," said Terry. "To this day, we don't see much inappropriate activity."
- "I wouldn't live without Spector 360," said Terry. "It's such a strong deterrent. With it, you can honestly say you are proactive. I can't imagine anyone not using it."
- "When I see an employee's attitude change, I turn to Spector 360 to check where their head is at, to see what might be going on behind the scenes," said Terry.
- "If ever in court ... I feel comfortable in assuring our attorneys we have what it takes to win," said Terry. "Spector 360 is just one more offering to show we are watching out for the employees ... that we provide a work environment that is harassment-free and overall positive."
- "Spector 360 pricing is reasonable, its performance is good, and the effort for installation and upkeep is minimal," said Terry. "At installation, it didn't require any magic, and there were no users down. It requires a few actions here and there to administer, but nothing that would cause frustration and disruption."
- Not only does Terry consider the product a winner, but she also applauded the SpectorSoft sales team.
"The sales process was very positive," said Terry. "At one point there was a licensing question and the SpectorSoft sales team worked it out quite nicely ... never any negativity."
- "I have told everyone I know — on both a professional and personal level — about SpectorSoft products," said Terry. "The world's a funny place ... there are extremes. On a recent television show, I saw a segment about a college girl who committed suicide. She had been to several websites and had logged serious concerns ... clearly life-threatening comments. Unfortunately, those involved in her life did not have anything like SpectorSoft's products to catch the problem."
"Spector 360 ideally suits my purpose," said Terry. "From spreadsheets to email, I see what's moving across the desks.
"I absolutely cannot see being in a senior management position without it. If you want to know what's going on ... if you want to see the big picture ... Spector 360 is it."
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