2 minutes
This 10-item checklist to help you compare the options.
Years ago, paper board binders being heavy to lug and costly to produce and courier was a major motivator for companies to go paperless. Today, there are more modern drivers making boards adopt board portals: security and efficiency.
Emailing board documents or sharing them with free editions of software like Dropbox or Google Drive poses real security risks. On the efficiency front, many boards are seeking to best engage high-contributing directors, which means offering online convenience. And for organizational efficiency, corporate secretaries and administrators are seeking automation tools to perform their work in less time as governance demands grow. Addressing these demands has led to a whole new category of software called board portals.
In case you haven’t already used board portal software, it’s like a web application that executives and directors log into to perform their role for an organization’s board of directors. A board portal offers confidential access to board materials, past and present, and provides tools that make it easier for administrators to prepare for board meetings and conduct committee activities. Board portals also improve information flow to and among busy board members even as they travel, with the convenience of smartphone and tablet applications.
Six top benefits of board portals are:
- instant, same-time delivery of sensitive updates and document revisions to boards at any time, regardless of location;
- centralized access to meeting materials, communications, policies, bylaws and archives within a highly reliable, secure portal;
- secure online note taking and collaborating for directors, with the option of a clean swipe of all communication once the board makes a decision;
- increased efficiency to produce and distribute board books and other documents;
- increased efficiency to schedule and reschedule meetings; and
- increased security, including protection for confidential documents, and built-in safeguards to prevent accidental email transmissions.
Many different board portals available on the market. How do you choose one right for your organization? With most board portal software performing similar functions, it’s very important to evaluate service, pricing and track record with organizations similar to yours. Here’s a 10-item checklist for choosing a smart, efficient, board portal product. (You can also reference this guide.)
- Board administration and management
- Director access and collaboration
- Mobility and engagement convenience
- Security
- Getting started and adoption ease
- Technology innovation
- Reputation and service
- Support
- Affordability
- Best overall fit
Dee Sicklesteel is sales manager for Aprio, a strategic partner of CUES. Aprio is a board portal company, headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, that helps credit unions big and small to achieve transparent communication, efficient decisions and well-run board meetings.
Also by Aprio, read "Six Ways to Increase Your Board’s Transparency.”
Request a demo of Aprio's portal.
