Monitoring

This article explains the term in general, see also monitor

Monitoring is the monitoring of processes. It is an umbrella term for all types of systematic recordings ( logging ), measurements or observations of a procedure or process using technical aids or other observation systems.

One of the functions of monitoring is to determine whether an observed sequence or process is taking the desired course and whether certain threshold values ​​are being adhered to, in order to otherwise be able to intervene. Monitoring is therefore a special type of logging.

Basics

In many natural sciences , the constant monitoring of natural phenomena is one of the central areas of responsibility. she serves

• the acquisition of data and knowledge,
• to test hypotheses ,
• to evaluate measures and
• a better understanding of the phenomena.

The areas of knowledge that make most use of the monitoring of natural phenomena include (in alphabetical order): aerology (e.g. ozone hole ), astronomy , biology , epidemiology , geodesy , geology , geotechnical engineering , hydrology , climatology , meteorology , oceanography , seismology and many areas of environmental protection .

In the technology is primarily concerned with the safety and the prevention of accidents . Among other things, the following are important:

• the structural monitoring , (also during construction Monitoring): bridges, power stations, dams, tunnels and pressure lines;
• the supervision of mines and industrial plants ;
• the monitoring of geotechnical phenomena: erosion or subsidence due to anthropogenic factors, soil creeping and blasting , landslides , water ingress and pit water, pinging, etc. Ä .;
• checking the integrity of GPS; it serves the safety of aviation and seafaring: RAIM (Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring);
• the monitoring of a data network, computer systems and applications for availability (error and performance management );
• Wildlife monitoring

The relevant subject areas are construction (especially statics and tunneling ), geotechnics and engineering geodesy , also avalanche science and whitewater barriers , business administration and, in general, risk management and automation technology .

In logistics, monitoring ensures more transparency, for example, to monitor stocks and to differentiate them more effectively.

Special use of the term

In logistics :

• Round trip monitoring
• Geofencing
• Temperature monitoring
• Audit trail

In the environment :

• Biomonitoring for environmental quality
  • Human biomonitoring , examination of humans for (environmental) pollutants
  • Wild bird monitoring , examination of wild birds for avian influenza ("bird flu")
  • Monitoring of a species , investigation of the abundance and distribution of the species (biology)
• Forest environmental monitoring ( forest condition report )
• Water monitoring especially for the water level of water
  • Groundwater monitoring
• Monitoring of natural hazards (see geotechnical engineering , landslides, volcanism )
• Deformation monitoring for the systematic measurement and permanent observation of changes in the shape or dimension of an object, such as B. Bridges, dams, landslides, tunnels, settlement areas, etc.
• Astronomical Monitoring (see also Novae , Variables , Survey )

For institutions:

• City monitoring
• Web monitoring
• for press , radio and television : media monitoring
• In commercial space planning / economic development: commercial space monitoring
• for displaying changes in corporate creditworthiness over time, creditworthiness monitor
• Trade: Voluntary self-regulation by manufacturers and traders in the chemicals trade in Germany (in order not to bring certain chemicals into circulation in an uncontrolled manner, for example if they pose a risk). Participation is "voluntary" in each case (in contrast to existing mandatory legal regulations in this area, such as those regulated in the Basic Materials Monitoring Act).
• Monitoring of the Federal Network Agency on the German energy market. For this purpose, the monitoring report is published annually, which offers a well-founded overview of the German electricity and gas market.
• Monitoring at credit institutions: Monitoring of a bank account or bank customer in the event of suspicious transactions by the computer system of the credit institution. The bank's money laundering officer then decides on how to proceed: 1. Further monitoring, 2. Observation as a (bank) internal suspicion or 3. Submitting an (external) suspicious transaction report to the Federal Criminal Police Office (FIU department) and the respective State Criminal Police Office (in accordance with § 11 and 14 GwG).
• Economics : observation of certain aspects (current or continuous), e.g. B. customer satisfaction through customer monitoring . (Monitoring of business issues is often confused with controlling .)

In medicine :

• Telemonitoring Monitoring of the vital data of patients in everyday life
• Patient monitoring Monitoring of a patient's vital or laboratory parameters (for example through technical monitoring , for example using an ECG monitor or ventilation monitoring , or bacteriological monitoring)

In public health

• Epidemiological surveillance or surveillance for infectious diseases
• Monitoring of diseases or mortality in general as a branch of epidemiology

In information technology :

• Application monitoring in software quality management
• Service monitoring in the course of server status monitoring
• Business activity monitoring Analysis of time-relevant business processes
• In system theory for functional systems: functional monitoring
• In audio engineering: Monitoring (audio engineering)
• Network monitoring for network and IT systems
• Condition monitoring for technical systems
• Clean room monitoring Monitoring of the conditions specifically required in a clean room such as B. temperature , humidity , air particles, flow, ...
• Monitoring an individual , e.g. B. Monitoring and tracking of his relocation through tracking transmitters; see specifically the article Monitoring

See also

• Evaluation

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Monitoring. In: Lexicon of Psychology. Spectrum of Science Publishing Company, accessed on May 29, 2018 . 
2. ↑ Efficient monitoring of materials management. In: lis-logistik.de. Retrieved August 9, 2018 . 
3. ↑ Much more than just from A to B developments and current trends in pharmaceutical and chemical logistics. In: ACHEMA.de. Retrieved June 11, 2018 .