Technology Utilization shows how your teams spend time in websites and applications. Use it to see which tools get the most use, find licenses nobody is using and spot teams that may need training on an essential tool. The data gives you what you need to make renewal decisions and to check that each team has the right tools.
Technology Utilization is included with the following ActivTrak packages: Productivity Optimization and the Workforce Management + Productivity Optimization Bundle.
To access Technology Utilization, navigate to Executive Summaries > Technology Utilization. Admins and Configurators have access by default. Admins can manage access for other User Roles on the Role Access page (Settings > Access > Role Access).
This dashboard is powered by Insights, which presents processed analytics with historical context. Data refreshes on a regular schedule rather than in real time, so it’s best for spotting trends and comparing activity over time. For a complete explanation of how Live Data differs from Insights, see Understanding Live Data and Insights.
Tip: Add Technology Utilization to your Favorites for quick access.
Contents
- Requirements
- When to use Technology Utilization
- Navigating Technology Utilization
- Subscriptions
- Practical applications
- Frequently asked questions
- Learn more
Glossary: Technology Utilization
For a deep dive into each of the terms and metrics found in Technology Utilization, check out the supporting Glossary.
Requirements
Before diving in, make sure the following are configured. Taking time to set these up correctly will ensure your data is accurate and your insights are meaningful.
- Groups (or Teams): Organize your users into teams or business units that reflect how your organization actually operates. Without well-structured groups, it's difficult to pinpoint productivity gaps or understand their impact at the department or team level. If you haven't set up groups yet — or need to update your existing ones — start with Group management before moving forward.
- Goals: Define the productivity benchmarks your groups are measured against. Setting goals at the group level lets you track performance trends, spot areas of concern, and quantify the gap between current and target productivity. Goals should reflect realistic expectations for each team's role and work patterns. Set productivity goals before digging into your data.
When to use Technology Utilization
Technology Utilization turns website and application activity into answers about tool adoption. Use it to:
- See which categories, applications and sites take the most time across your organization or on a single team
- Compare usage between two time periods to catch shifts in tool adoption
- Find inactive users so you can reassign or cancel unused licenses
- Spot teams that may need training on an essential tool
- Gather usage data before subscription renewals
Navigating Technology Utilization
Overview tab
Use the Overview tab to see which applications and websites are used most across your organization or within a specific team. Category allocation varies by team function and daily responsibilities, so knowing which tools a team needs for its role makes it easier to spot deviations from the norm. This tab is a good starting point for assessing technology adoption and evaluating return on investment. Underutilization may indicate that a team needs additional training, or that a tool isn’t delivering the value you expected.
Filter settings
Use the filters at the top of the page to change what you see:
- Activity Date: The time period to analyze
- Team: Filter data by specific departments or business units
- User: Filter data by a specific worker
- Category: Limit the dashboard to one category of applications and sites
- Day Type: Limit data to either weekday or weekend activity (click More to see this filter)
Click the refresh icon ⟳ in the top right corner after making your filter selections to ensure they are applied to the dashboard.
Category Allocation %
Category Allocation % is a donut chart that shows how time is distributed across the ten categories with the highest share of activity for the selected team or organization. Each segment is labeled with the Category name and its Allocation %, and you can read the chart from largest to smallest by starting at the top and moving clockwise.
The right mix of categories depends on what a team does, so read this chart against the team’s role. In the example above, Chat & Messaging, Customer Service, and Case Management account for the largest shares, which is what you would expect from a support-focused team.
Deviations from the expected pattern are where the chart is most useful. A missing or very small core category may point to an adoption gap or work happening outside the approved tool. An unexpected category, such as Job Search at 10.3% in this example, may signal disengagement or a mismatch between role expectations and daily work. Use the Team filter to compare teams with similar functions, which should look broadly alike. To see which applications and sites make up a segment, select that category in the Category filter at the top of the dashboard.
Note: The percentages shown add up to less than 100% because the remaining time is spread across categories outside the top ten.
Top Applications/Sites by Allocation % based on Activity Date
The Top Applications/Sites by Allocation % chart ranks the applications and websites with the largest share of activity for the selected team or organization and Activity Date range. Each bar shows an application’s Allocation %, and the bubble beside it shows how many Users were active in it. Bubbles are sized by user count, so larger bubbles represent more users. To see the top applications and sites within one category, use the Category filter at the top of the dashboard.
Read the bar and the bubble together. In the example, Salesforce has the highest allocation at 11.7% and is used by all 7 users, suggesting it is central to how the team works. Intercom, on the other hand, has a 5.5% allocation but only 3 users, which suggests a smaller group relies on it heavily. A tool with a high user count but low allocation indicates light, widespread use. A tool with few users and low allocation is a good candidate for a license or adoption review.
Look for paid tools that rank lower than expected, and for overlapping tools in the same category, which may be opportunities to consolidate. Unfamiliar or unapproved applications near the top also deserve a closer look. To investigate a specific tool, use the Adoption tab to see who is using it and who isn’t.
Top Changes tab
Use the Top Changes tab to understand how technology usage shifts over time. The tab compares two time periods, so you can see which categories, applications, and sites are gaining or losing share of your team’s activity. This is helpful for catching early signs of tool adoption, process changes, or shifting priorities before they show up in other metrics.
Filter settings
Use the filters at the top of the page to change what you see:
- Activity Date: The time period to analyze
- Date Comparison: The time period to compare against
- Team: Filter data by specific departments or business units
- User: Filter data by a specific worker
- Category: Limit the dashboard to one category of applications and sites
- Day Type: Limit data to either weekday or weekend activity (click More to see this filter)
Click the refresh icon ⟳ in the top right corner after making your filter selections to ensure they are applied to the dashboard.
Top Changes in Category Allocation
The Top Changes in Category Allocation chart lists categories ranked by how much their share of activity changed between the two periods. Each row shows the Allocation % Chg (bars to the right indicate an increase and bars to the left indicate a decrease), the category’s Allocation % for the Activity Date range, the Duration in hours (Hrs), and the change in the number of Active Users in that category (Users Chg). Categories with the largest increases appear at the top, and those with the largest decreases appear at the bottom.
Knowing a team’s role and the tools it needs makes it easier to judge whether a change is expected. A shift toward Chat & Messaging may be routine, while a growing share for a category like Job Search, up 2.9% in the example above, may signal disengagement. Read the Users Chg column alongside the allocation change to understand what is driving the shift. A category that gains share while losing users may mean the remaining users are spending more time in it, which points to a different story than broad adoption. Because allocation is a share of total activity, a category can also rise simply because another category fell, so check the Hrs column to confirm the change reflects real time spent.
Applications/Sites Trending Up
The Applications/Sites Trending Up chart shows the applications and websites whose share of total activity grew the most between the two periods. It includes the same columns as the category chart: Allocation % Chg, Allocation % for the Activity Date range, Duration (Hrs), and Users Chg. To analyze adoption for a particular application or site, click it to drill into the Adoption tab.
Sharp increases can reflect something positive, such as a focus on a new project or successful adoption of a tool you recently rolled out. They can also point to distraction or the arrival of an unapproved application. In the example above, Slack’s allocation rose 2.7% while its user count dropped by 2, so fewer people are spending more time in it. A new or unfamiliar site climbing the list deserves a closer look.
Applications/Sites Trending Down
The Applications/Sites Trending Down chart mirrors the Trending Up chart, showing the applications and websites that lost the most share of activity between the two periods. As with Trending Up, click any application or site to drill into the Adoption tab.
A decline is not always a problem. It may reflect the end of a project, a seasonal slowdown, or a planned move to a different tool. It becomes more meaningful when it affects a tool you depend on or pay for. Pay particular attention to the Users Chg column. In the example above, console.cloud.google. fell 1.1% and lost 6 users, which suggests a broad drop in use rather than a few people changing their habits. A steady decline in a licensed tool is a good prompt to check in with the team about training or fit before the next renewal.
Adoption tab
Use the Adoption tab for a closer look at a specific category or tool. It shows who uses an application or site, how often, and who doesn’t, so you can right-size your technology investments and gather data for subscription renewal decisions. It’s also a good place to start when the Overview or Top Changes tab raises a question about a particular tool.
Filter settings
Use the filters at the top of the page to change what you see:
- Activity Date: The time period to analyze
- Team: Filter data by specific departments or business units
- Category: Limit the dashboard to one category of applications and sites
- App or Site: Limit the dashboard to one application or website
- App or Site Detailed: Filter with more granularity to the chosen application or website
Click More to see the following filters.
- Day Type: Limit data to either weekday or weekend activity
- Duration (mins/day): Filter to an amount of time spent in an application or website
Click the refresh icon ⟳ in the top right corner after making your filter selections to ensure they are applied to the dashboard.
Adoption Summary
At the top right of the page, three summary tiles give you a quick read on adoption for your selection. Avg. Active Mins/Day shows the average time users spend in the selected tool on the days they use it. Active Users shows how many users were active during the time range, and Inactive Users shows how many were not. In the example, 32 users were active, and 21 were inactive, so roughly 40% of analyzed users didn’t use the tool during the period.
Use the Active and Inactive counts to gauge adoption at a glance, then use other reports on this page to see who is behind each number.
Users with Activity during Time Range
The Users with Activity during Time Range report lists each User who used the selected application, site, or category during the time range. For each user, it shows Days with Activity, Duration (mins/day), and Days since Last Activity. By default, the report is sorted by Days with Activity, so your most frequent users appear first.
This report helps you separate power users from users with lower adoption. Compare each person’s Duration to the Avg. Active Mins/Day in the summary to see who is above or below the norm for your team or organization. Frequent use and long duration suggest a tool is embedded in someone’s workflow. Someone with few days of activity or a high number of days since last activity may be drifting away from the tool, which is worth a conversation about training or fit. Power users are also a good source of feedback and can help champion the tool with their teammates.
Inactive Users during Time Range
The Inactive Users during Time Range report lists Users who had no activity in the selected application, site, or category during the time range. For each user, it shows Days since Last Activity and Last Activity Date, sorted with the longest period of inactivity first.
Use this report to identify unused licenses that can be reallocated or canceled to recoup costs. For an essential tool, the same list tells you where to focus training and enablement to drive adoption. Review the list before acting on it. Users who have been inactive for a very long time may no longer be with the organization, and generic or service accounts may appear alongside named users, so check that each entry reflects someone who should be using the tool before you remove a license.
Technology Usage Daily Trend
The Technology Usage Daily Trend chart combines two measures for the selected category, application, or site. Bars show the number of Active Users each day, and the line shows Total Hrs/Day. Together they show both how many people are using the tool and how much time they spend in it.
This chart helps you interpret the averages in the reports above. A single busy week, a holiday, or a company event can skew those numbers, and the daily view makes those peaks and valleys visible. In the example above, usage drops to zero on weekends and follows a steady weekday pattern, with one dip in active users on October 4. When the bars and line move together, usage is driven by how many people show up. When they diverge, for example, hours rise while active users fall, a smaller group spends more time in the tool. Use the pattern to spot adoption trends over time, such as a gradual increase after training or a decline ahead of a renewal.
Subscriptions
Subscribe to Technology Utilization to receive it by email on a schedule, so IT, finance, and department leaders can monitor adoption trends and upcoming renewals without logging into ActivTrak. Click the Subscribe button in the upper-right corner of the dashboard to get started. You can choose the frequency and format, add other ActivTrak users as recipients, and include external stakeholders by email address when sharing is enabled for your account.
Pro Tip: Set the Activity Date filter to a rolling option, such as Last 30 Days, before subscribing, so each email reflects the most recent period. [Confirm which rolling options are available on this dashboard.]
For step-by-step instructions, delivery options, and sharing settings, see Insights Subscriptions.
Practical applications
Right-sizing licenses
Open the Adoption tab, select the category and the application or site, then review Inactive Users During Time Range. Anyone on that list with a license is a candidate for reassignment or cancellation. Check the Technology Usage Daily Trend first so a short peak or dip doesn't mislead you.
Finding training gaps
If an essential tool shows many Inactive Users, or users well below Avg. Active Mins/Day for their team, those users may need training. Share the list with the team lead and check usage again after the training.
Tracking shifts in tool adoption
Compare two periods on the Top Changes tab to see which categories, applications and sites are growing or shrinking. Use the results to confirm that a new tool rollout is taking hold or to see when an older tool fades out.
Third-party application risk assessment
Pay special attention to AI tools and other applications that may pose data security risks. Look for:
- Previously unused applications that suddenly show high adoption
- Applications with known security issues, such as Deepseek.ai
- Usage outside normal business hours
Frequently asked questions
How do I find unused licenses?
Go to the Adoption tab and use the filters to select the category and the application or site. Then review the Inactive Users During Time Range table. Set the Activity Date filter to a period long enough to cover normal usage patterns, such as your renewal term.
How do I compare usage between two time periods?
Go to the Top Changes tab and set the Activity Date and Date Comparison filters. For example, set Activity Date to this month and Date Comparison to last month.
How do I see the top applications and sites in one category?
Go to the Overview tab and select the category in the Category filter at the top of the dashboard. The Top Applications/Sites by Allocation % panel updates to show only that category.
Why use the Technology Usage Daily Trend?
A few days of unusually high or low use can skew averages. The daily trend report shows those peaks and valleys, so you can judge whether an average reflects typical use.
Learn more