FAQ
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General Questions
You can see the pricing on the pricing page.
Bigdesk desktop application runs smoothly on MAC OS 10.11 and above, most Linux OS versions, all Windows computers with Windows 7 or later. There is also a web component that works in all the latest browsers (IE, Firefox, Safari, Chrome).
Yes, Bigdesk tracks work even when not connected to the Internet. The data will be uploaded to the Internet when the Internet connection is restored.
The initial setup will take around 10 minutes for the admin and 3-5 minutes for the users of the software plus a few minutes to watch training videos. After that, it takes very little time each day (a few minutes).
Yes. Bigdesk reports will give you detailed insights into which websites are being used and for how long. You can access these reports online, and can also receive them weekly by email.
Absolutely. Although some of Bigdesk’s features are only relevant to teams and not individual users, many individual users do use Bigdesk to manage their own time more effectively. Bigdesk will help you to know how long you’re spending on which tasks and stay focused on what you should be working on.
Privacy concern
For the interactive version of the software, the software does not monitor anything on someone’s computer when they’re on a break or when they’re not working. So even people working from home can be comfortable knowing that they are not being monitored during their own time. Our position on privacy is that a company has the right to know what employees are doing during work hours, and has no right at all to know what they’re doing during breaks or after working.
No, the software only records the number of keystrokes and mouse clicks, but never what exactly you type and where you click. We do not collect or own such information whatsoever!
We do not collect or own that data and nobody has access to that kind of information.
All communication to the server is secured by SSL encryption. The files on the server are encrypted to provide an extra level of security for company data. The servers are located in secure enterprise data center facilities with 24/7 monitoring and hosting support.
Yes, Bigdesk Time Tracker automatically stops tracking time when your employees don’t perform any activity for 10 minutes.
Others
Bigdesk tracks the websites and applications used while people are working. Managers can receive a report with this information. Managers can also receive a report listing potentially “poor-time-use” websites such as Facebook, and how long they were used.
Bigdesk can also take screenshots of your employees’ computers while they’re working (this is an optional feature). The process of reviewing these screenshots is extremely quick for a management or HR person. The software also tracks keyboard & mouse activity so you’ll know if people are using their computers when they say they are.
Bigdesk also provides various online and email reports to management which provide additional information on how time is spent in your business.
Absolutely. About 20% of the benefits of the software come from the monitoring features. The other 80% come from empowering your staff to manage their own time more effectively, and from providing you with higher-level insights into how time is spent in your organization. These insights will enable to you improve processes in your business so that it runs more efficiently.
For example, one major benefit is the ability to know not only which specific tasks your employees are working on, but also how much time is being spent on which projects/clients across your company. This allows for better future allocation of time, improves communication with your team, reduces the time spent in unnecessary meetings, and a host of other benefits.
You’ll see how time is being spent in your company:
- Task & Project Reports – These reports will show you which tasks & projects your people have worked on, and for how long. You can view these reports by logging into your Bigdesk account online, or you can receive these reports by email.
- Screenshots (optional feature) – You can set up Bigdesk to take screenshots of your employee’s computers and a time interval of your choice.
- Other Reports – Bigdesk has a variety of useful reports. One popular report is the “Websites and applications used” report – This report will show you how long your employees spent using which websites & applications while working. You can view this report online at any time, or can choose to receive this report weekly by email.
There are several reasons why Bigdesk is effective at tracking time accurately and other applications are not:
- Bigdesk tracks time in REAL TIME – After you’ve finished working, it’s difficult to remember accurately how much time you spent on which tasks. With Bigdesk, you don’t need to remember anything, because the time is tracked as you’re working.
- Bigdesk reminds you to track time – Other applications don’t have reminders, so users often forget to start tracking their time. Bigdesk also reminds users to stop tracking their time if they visit websites that may not be work-related (like Facebook).
- Bigdesk automatically stops tracking time when you leave the computer – If time tracking doesn’t automatically stop when you go on a break, you’ll often forget when your break began and your tracked hours won’t be accurate. Bigdesk stops tracking work time when there’s been no keyboard or mouse activity for a while and can give users the option to indicate afterward whether or not they were working during that time.
- Bigdesk has multiple methods to confirm if the time tracked was real work – These methods include screenshots taken at regular intervals, levels of keyboard & mouse activity, and which websites & applications are used.
- Bigdesk does not allow you to “double book” your time – In other words, when you allocate time to 1-3 pm you can’t allocate a second activity to that same time slot. It seems incredible but most time tracking applications allow users to apply overlapping activities to the same time slot.
Bigdesk is perfect for remote and hybrid teams alike. The visibility and metrics that companies need for remote teams are also needed for teams working in-office to help identify top performers and set benchmarks for the rest of the team.
Bigdesk’s Workday Insights provide businesses with new levels of visibility into who is working and what they are working on, all in real-time. Which can only be measured and collected by implementing a productivity and time tracking tool, like Bigdesk. This type of actionable data enables managers to feel confident that work is being completed while also giving employees the control to better manage their time and productivity.
Workday Insights – What we track:
- Active hours worked by day, week, or month
- Daily productivity levels
- Attendance reporting
- Schedule adherence
- Real-time activity tracking
- Website and app usage
- Number of projects and tasks completed
- Project timelines- hours spent on projects
- Screen capture and recordings for proof of work
- Idle minutes and seconds
There is no limit on the number of projects you can add, nor on the number of users, you can have in your team.
Yes, it is the best solution for freelancers and individuals, because now you don’t have to prove how much you have worked on a project or task, or answer such questions as: “why it took so long?”…
You can easily track your time and invite your employer to show him/her your work activity, screenshots, memos, and reports.
It also helps you to be more self-organized, efficient, and productive.