What steps do you take to improve the efficiency of a network?

"Improving the performance and efficiency of the network is something I spend most of my time on. I am always concerned about the network providing users with the resources they need to do their jobs effectively and efficiently. Some of the methods I use to maintain the efficiency of the network include ensuring that the hardware is up to date, using traffic monitoring tools to understand the network's performance and how it is being used, and employing new software solutions to increase the network's speed. Of these, monitoring and redirecting the traffic is the most effective tool I have. I increase efficiencies by segmenting portions of the network and redirecting traffic to the least used network segments."