The virtual boardroom portal is a results-oriented technology that complements business solutions. It meets the needs of corporate boards for effective governance.
But what types of boardroom software exist? And how do you choose the best among top 10 board portal software on the market? Let’s find out in this quick guide to boardroom portals!
Types of Software for the Board of Directors in Details
There are many different types of board management software available. These products can be used for a wide variety of needs, such as
- control of group board meetings
- document management
- and surveys.
Some types of board portal software even allow users to regulate their own boards. This makes them ideal for nonprofit organizations and businesses.
A few of the most common types of virtual board software include
- meeting planners
- online member directories
- conference minutes tools
- questionnaires and voting.
These alternatives can also streamline board communication by eliminating the benefits of physical materials for review.
In addition, the tools are also very secure, with two-factor login authentication and message encryption. You can easily create committees using the software and keep track of the number of people invited.
Some types of planner management software also integrate with society types, so you can quickly share documents and files with members of different planner groups.
Choosing the Correct Board Portal
Before you invest in new technology, you should evaluate what your board really needs and what would be nice to have. This will help you make sure you are spending wisely.
Once you’ve narrowed down your options, make sure your board portal is equipped to foster collaboration and improve governance. Let’s take a look at a few “must-have” items for boards.
- Meeting Center
Make sure you can centralize the management of meetings in the board portal.
Scheduling and running meetings should be easy. If your portal is equipped with meeting management tools, it will maximize team efficiency in the boardroom.
The board portal should contain:
- an automated meeting scheduling and notification feature;
- the ability to attach documents and surveys to meetings;
- information about upcoming meetings.
Meetings are a crucial time for the board. With automated processes in the board portal, you can focus more on preparing for them than on finding the best meeting times or manually sending out action items. That way, everyone can focus on managing and strategizing for your mission.
- Agenda Setting
Create personalized agendas in your board portal solution.
Every productive meeting begins with a detailed agenda that explains exactly what needs to be covered. Instead of relying on unintuitive word documents, use your portal to create dynamic agendas in your board portal.
Your software should allow you to
- save agendas as new templates;
- assign agenda items to individual users;
- determine how long each agenda item should take.
Meeting planning has never been easier thanks to portals that offer a dedicated agenda software program.
- Secure Document Management
Make sure you can centralize your documents in the board portal.
Your board of directors deals with a lot of documents on a daily basis. What’s more, these documents are often relevant to your strategic direction, which means they need to be protected from unauthorized users. Make sure your paperless meeting solution has a secure document management center where all the files the board needs will be stored in one place.
Board portal document management tools should
- use a familiar file-sharing format;
- offer electronic signature capabilities;
- prioritize security and privacy;
- be simple and easy to use.
- Task Manager
A key feature of the productivity portal is the task manager.
Every productive online board meeting results in a large number of tasks. Make sure everyone knows which tasks they are responsible for with your portal task manager. That way, no one comes to the next meeting asking who was supposed to finish approving the upcoming campaign budget, take pictures at a volunteer event, or complete any other important task.
Increase accountability with powerful task management features such as:
- the ability to attach tasks to a specific meeting
- ability to have administrators review tasks
Make sure everyone is doing their part and being the best board member possible. With a board portal that offers task management, you can increase everyone’s productivity without the hassle.
- Virtual Voting
Make sure you have access to virtual voting in your board portal feature set.
Your board makes important decisions every day, and paper ballots are a thing of the past. Make sure your board portal allows for virtual voting so you can count votes quickly and make decisions quickly.
With a board portal that offers virtual voting, it doesn’t matter if board members participate in person or remotely. They will be able to participate and let their votes be reflected in your board’s final decisions. In addition, anonymous voting on sensitive issues makes everyone more comfortable, ensuring that no one feels pressured or bothered to vote honestly.
Summary of the Basics
As you can now see, platforms are designed specifically to meet the needs of today’s boards of directors. All you have to do is find the right platform that offers all the tools you need at a price that is within your budget.
Nevertheless, don’t stop learning about board types, functions and effective board management techniques.
Marziano is a seasoned tech expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and multiple certifications, including CompTIA A+, Network+, and Cisco’s CCNA, he has a well-rounded and robust understanding of various aspects of technology.
