No More Internet Distractions: Our Home Health Aid Agency's Secret to Success

In today's fast-paced world, businesses and organizations rely heavily on the internet and technology to improve efficiency and productivity. However, sometimes the misuse of the internet can do the exact opposite leading to a decrease in efficiency and a loss of productivity. This was the case with one of our clients, a home-health-agency, who was willing to allow TrueCore to share their story.

Problem:
The home health aid agency had been experiencing a significant decline in the quality of care they were providing to their clients. Complaints from patients and their families about missed appointments, delayed care, and other issues were becoming increasingly common. However, the management team couldn't figure out what was causing the problem. They had reviewed their schedules, staffing levels, and other operational details, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

One day, the agency's Owner noticed an unusual amount of outgoing bandwidth with their internet usage. Curious about the trend, the agency decided to have their trusted service provider, TrueCore investigate the unusual trend in activity. Quickly, it was discovered that many employees were spending a considerable amount of time browsing non-work-related websites, including social media, shopping sites, gaming sites, and other similar platforms. The data showed that some employees were spending hours on the internet every day, neglecting their work responsibilities and causing delays in the agency's operations.

TrueCore shared their findings with management and it was obvious that this excessive internet usage was likely the cause of the decline in the agency's quality of care. They knew they had to take action to address the problem immediately.

One Strategy was to create an internet usage policy that clearly outlined what was and was not acceptable regarding internet usage at work. The policy would be communicated to all employees, and management would enforce it. This solution was more effective in creating a culture of accountability, but it was still challenging to monitor internet usage effectively. After the implementation of this new policy, the organization still noticed the following issues:
1. Low Employee Output: The agency's staff spent too much time browsing the internet instead of working, which led to a decrease in productivity. Tasks that should have taken a few hours were taking days or even weeks to complete. This not only caused delays in client care but also put a strain on other employees who had to pick up the slack.

2. Timeliness Issues: The employees were not finishing their assignments in a timely manner. The agency was experiencing a backlog of client care needs and a backlog of administrative tasks that needed to be completed. This led to delays in providing care and in the agency's overall operations.

3. Complaints from Other Employees: The staff who were not using the internet as much were frustrated with those who were. They felt that they were carrying the weight of the agency, while others were wasting time online. This created a hostile work environment, and it was clear that something needed to be done to improve the situation.

The inefficiencies caused by the internet misuse were hurting the agency's bottom line, and it was clear that something had to be done to fix the problem. The management team had to come up with a solution that would reduce the excessive internet usage while still allowing employees to access the internet for necessary work-related tasks.

Solution:
After discussing the problem, the agency reached out to TrueCore where the managed firewall service was suggested as a possible solution. TrueCore Technologies' advanced firewall solution provided the home health aid agency with a powerful tool to regulate and monitor employee internet usage. The firewall allowed the agency to create a dynamic allow list of available sites that employees could visit, while also blocking access to specific sites like gaming, gambling, politics, and social media.

In addition to the allow and block lists, TrueCore Technologies' team also implemented time caps for specific sites like YouTube. This feature allowed employees to access essential videos and training resources on the platform while preventing them from wasting too much time browsing non-work-related content.

The firewall also provided detailed reporting and monitoring capabilities that allowed the agency's management team to track internet usage across the organization. They could see which sites were being accessed, how much time employees were spending on each site, and identify any potential security risks or data breaches.

With TrueCore Technologies' advanced firewall solution in place, the home health aid agency was able to enforce internet usage policies effectively. Employees were aware that their internet usage was being monitored, and the dynamic allow list helped them focus on their work without feeling overly restricted.

As a result, the agency's productivity and efficiency improved significantly, and the quality of care provided to patients continued to improve. The agency's management team was pleased with the results and grateful for the partnership with TrueCore.