A computer implemented method for monitoring up-stream and down-stream software applications in a message queuing transmission system. The transmission system comprises at least one processing task that is able to read a plurality of incoming messages from at least one input queue and to write a plurality of outgoing messages into at least one output queue. The method allows for determining the number of messages in each of the input queues and the number of messages in each of the output queues, for determining the activation status of the processing task, and for gathering the results to display on a task monitor screen. The depth and status information are regularly refreshed.