I'm responsible for managing work assignments for about 20 people across several locations, including five main offices and some field sites. Some tasks are urgent, so I need to know who's available in real-time. Unfortunately, there are times when people don't show up or their managers fail to inform me, leading to situations where I assign work to someone who's not present.
I want to avoid micromanaging, but I need a way to check if team members are logged onto their computers and when they last interacted with them. Currently, I can use the command **QUERY USER /SERVER:some_remote_computer** to check for active sessions, but the reported idle times aren't always accurate. Is there a better method using PowerShell to track this, or ways to improve the accuracy of idle time reporting?
5 Answers
Why not set up a casual team chat instead? You won't need them to constantly communicate, but their statuses could give you an idea of who's around without being intrusive.
This seems like a managerial issue more than a technical one. If it's that critical, the best bet might be reaching out to find someone to take on urgent tasks rather than monitoring everyone.
If you want to stick to PowerShell, using `Invoke-Command` might be worth a shot. It allows you to run commands on remote machines and could help with checking their session status more accurately.
That’s a valid concern. I've had issues like that too. Definitely test it out on Monday and see if you get more consistent results.
Have you considered using a ticketing system or something like Microsoft Teams? That way, you can see when tasks move to 'In Progress' and keep track of who's actually working instead of having to monitor computers directly. It reduces the need for micromanaging, too.
Totally agree. Using a system for tracking tickets would streamline everything. You can check who logged in and updated tasks, which could help avoid assigning work to someone who's unavailable.
Exactly! OP shouldn't have to manage these workers directly. If they're missing, it's really the responsibility of their manager.
I think you're a bit off track here. It’s more about establishing clear expectations and communication rather than relying purely on technology. Micromanaging won't win you any friends in the office.
I see your point, but sometimes tech can help with visibility. Still, if a person isn’t performing, their direct manager should step in.
Will this give better idle time accuracy? Sometimes it just shows "none" even when they are actually online.