Board Portal Considerations for a More Effective Board
* This article is sponsored by OnBoard; a board management program that frees boards and leadership teams to make better decisions and pursue bold action. To find out more about OnBoard, visit their website or email enquire@onboardmeetings.com.
It’s all too easy to spend board meetings reviewing papers, leaving little time for strategic discussions. One way to make board more effective is to use a board management solution. Robert Barham-Brown, Head of Customer Success at OnBoard, discusses the challenges this can solve and the benefits on offer.
How much more could your board members achieve if board meetings ran more efficiently? When we talk to organisations that still rely on clunky and often fragmented systems or even on printing, emailing and other manual processes to run their board meetings, we hear about challenges such as:
- Time-consuming board pack collation and distribution — and version control headaches if a document has to be updated
- Concerns about information security — what happens if board papers fall into the wrong hands?
- Unproductive meetings — too much time spent going through papers instead of discussing strategy
For many organisations, the pandemic has thrown these challenges into stark relief as board members need to continue leading while working from home. Some have tried to digitise board meetings using a variety of software apps but have found the approach complex to manage and use.
Now imagine a solution specifically designed to make the whole process simpler and more efficient. A secure software solution that streamlines board pack preparation, enhances board governance and information security and improves collaboration and productivity. A board management solution that’s easy to use from any device — and comes with integrated video conferencing so that board members can attend from wherever they are and provide single source of all board members.
Let’s look more closely at some of the key benefits you could experience with a intelligent secure board management solution
Better board governance starts before the meeting
A board management solution can help board members get more done before the meeting begins. Look for a solution with built-in decision-making tools — like voting, surveys and e-signatures — that allow members to reach consensus, sign contracts and execute responsibilities outside of the meeting. Whatever your board’s particular needs, the board management solution should be flexible and adaptable enough to meet them.
Enhanced security via encryption and other security measures
Compared with circulating board packs in printed form or by email, sharing them using a secure software solution improves security and control. You’ll want to know your software incorporates encryption and other security measures to protect confidential papers. Ideally, it will allow permissions-based management of document access.
Where those electronic documents are stored also matters. Cloud storage will offer the greatest flexibility, but you’ll want to be confident the cloud is secure and that it meets your data sovereignty requirements.
Improved collaboration and productivity
To help board members collaborate better, choose a tool that incorporates video conferencing, so that remote attendees can join in person without switching between apps. It should also make it easy for board members to receive, read, annotate and discuss papers in advance, so that meeting time can be spent on more strategic matters.
Ready for more effective board?
OnBoard is an integrated board management solution that provides everything you need to make your board more effective.
Templates and other features help administrators create agendas and publish board packs sooner, ready for review before the meeting. The solution includes voting and other pre-meeting functionality that allows the meetings themselves to be more productive.
People can use OnBoard wherever they are — in the boardroom, at home or in any other location. They can access it securely from any device and can use it even when there’s no internet connection. Zoom video conferencing is also integrated so that members attending virtually don’t have to switch between apps — a single click gives them direct access.
OnBoard helps you keep board materials and details secure with features like end-to-end encryption and permissions-based control over document access. Documents are stored in the secure Microsoft Azure cloud in Australia.
And because OnBoard is quick to set up and intuitive to use, you can start running more effective board meetings in as little as 24 hours. It’s a complete solution that can grow with your organisation.
To find out more about OnBoard, visit their website or email enquire@onboardmeetings.com.
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