Delve is a program from Microsoft that works as a data visualization and discovery application that comes as part of the Office 360 suite of programs. The program utilizes machine learning and can search your company’s networks, as well as information on the internet, such as data from social media posts. Within Delve is a subsection known as Delve Analytics, which is one of the most useful parts of the program.
Delve Analytics is a tool from Microsoft that allows data gathering about time spent on various projects from Office 365 users. The information can help identify how employees are spending their time with various programs and with different activities like meetings and sending emails. One of the most interesting ways to use the program is to compare the estimated time a person expects to take on a project versus the actual time that project takes.
Experts in the field of business efficiency suggest there is a significant divide between the length of time a businessperson assumes a task will take and the actual amount of time it takes a person to complete the task. Delve Analytics is an interesting way to compare real data from employees against a set of anonymized data gathered from other users. Data gathered through Delve has shown that most office workers spend about 20 hours every week writing emails.
The official Microsoft Office blog about Delve Analytics explains that there are several different modules you can examine to see how you’re spending time. For example, there’s a “Meetings” module that…
“Will show you how much time you’re spending in meetings, which meetings are taking up the most of your time and the quality of meetings. Meeting quality metrics includes information about why specific meetings on your calendar may have been ineffective, so that you can decide things like whether to change or reduce the attendee list for certain meetings, shorten recurring meetings or cancel an ineffective meeting altogether.”
Microsoft has suggested that one of the most important parts of business is treating time as a precious and valuable resource. Delve Analytics is designed to analyze your time and help you work smarter rather than longer.
There have been some interesting comparisons of Delve to the Fitbit activity tracking device. Windows IT Pro humorously reports:
“Another description often trotted out positions Delve Analytics as the equivalent of “Fitbit for the office” because, like a health tracker, you gain if you pay attention to what to what you learn. I guess “Microsoft Band 2 for the office” does not trip off the tongue quite so smoothly.”
Delve Analytics is part of the Office E5 plan that was launched in December of 2015 and is also available for E1 and E3 plans as an add-on.
Do you have questions about the value of Delve Analytics for your business? Count on Magnet Solutions Group for expert and trusted IT advice. To learn more about our consulting and IT services professionals, contact us today.