Sound familiar? You’ve finally got the agenda in the right order with the right presenters with key motions and hit send on the email when the CFO says there’s one more item that needs to be added. Now you need to rework the timing and order and then send another email, sure to confuse at least half your directors.
Without specialized technology like board agenda software, these last-minute updates can really weigh on a board administrator team trying to get a board package and agenda out in a timely fashion.
Creating, updating and sharing board agendas shouldn’t cause headaches for your board administrators – it should be easy and fast. See why board agenda software like Aprio can help take the stress out of board meeting preparation and what to consider when choosing the right solution.
Or skip ahead to these sections:
- What is board agenda software?
- Why use board agenda software?
- How does Aprio’s board agenda software work?
- How Aprio’s board software compares to competitors
- How do you start using board agenda software?
- Empower your board with board agenda software
What is board agenda software?
We know firsthand a good board agenda makes or breaks a board meeting. And that it directly impacts how prepared and engaged board members are during a meeting.
Board agenda software simplifies the process of creating, updating, and sharing board meeting agendas. The cloud-based software offers tools for drafting agendas, attaching necessary documents and sharing the board package securely. Often they include the ability to allocate time and speakers to topics and indicate where motions will occur.
Board agenda software helps boards boost their efficiency, keep board meetings running smoothly, and keep sensitive details protected.
If overcoming agenda hassles is important to you, there are a number of board meeting software providers that offer similar capabilities, but not all are created equal. If you need help on how to compare board software, see this guide on how to evaluate board portal vendors.
Why use board agenda software?
What’s the number one reason we hear when we ask our customers why they use board management software? It drastically reduces the time it takes to create agendas, make edits and distribute them to board members.
Before using a solution like Aprio, board administrators remarked it would take significant time to gather the right documents and prepare an agenda manually. Last-minute updates and revised files would happen frequently, and result in more work for board administrator teams.
Key benefits of board agenda software include:
- Fast board agenda creation: software can help save staff significant time with an automated agenda builder that helps build and format an easy-to-follow meeting agenda that’s then easy to convert to a minutes guide.
- Consistent, quality agendas: with all the hard work that goes into a really effective agenda where key discussions and decisions happen without running overtime in the meeting, put that strong agenda approach to use again as a saved template.
- Searchable agenda archive: want to compare last year’s AGM agenda or see the previous meeting agenda? Search in one central location. Plus get access to all board-related materials from meeting minutes, agendas, notes and supplementary documents.
- Improved collaboration: board members can discuss and finalize agendas collectively with collaboration tools like chat and annotations, fostering better communication and decision-making.
- Security: with sensitive information often being part of board agendas, board agenda software ensures data is stored securely and can help you restrict access to sensitive agenda items.
- Automatic archiving: board software automatically stores past agendas and their associated documents for easy reference, creating a historical record of board decisions and discussions.
“The portal I recommend for every Board! There are many aspects of the software I appreciate but in particular is the ability to create a Board package from beginning to end in a few minutes is the greatest gift to my very busy and time-sensitive schedule. I love the agenda generator and the ability to create skeleton minutes in a fraction of the time it would otherwise take.” – Aprio Customer
How does Aprio’s board agenda software work?
Aprio’s agenda builder offers multiple ways to create a meeting agenda. For example, you can upload from a file directory, use a pre-saved template or start from scratch. You can then customize your agenda by adding topics and subtopics and easily upload board documents to each section as you need.
Once your agenda is ready to send out the board, Aprio automatically populates an email in one click to securely share and store your board package.
With Aprio, you can upload any file type including PDF, Word or Excel spreadsheets – no need to convert them ahead of time. You can also allocate specific time durations for each agenda item and a presenter to help keep your meetings on track.
Document need updating? No problem – simply remove the previous document and upload the new file in its place. And for your next meeting, you’ll save time and ensure consistency with agenda templates. Great for recurring meetings including AGMs!
“Aprio is extremely easy and straightforward to use. I love the new enhancements including agenda templates, approvals and signatures!” – Charline McKissick, Chief Human Resources Officer at Canadian Scholarship Trust
How Aprio’s board software compares to competitors
While many board agenda software capabilities are similar, how easy they are to use, the customer support you get, and the level of security are not. Here’s how Aprio stands out from our competitors:
Easy-to-use features: Compared to other solutions, Aprio’s board agenda software is straightforward for both board admins and directors to learn and use. Our user-friendly and intuitive navigation system makes access to board files, upcoming meetings, action items, and everything else board members need at their fingertips.
Unmatched expert support: From day one, we help you set up your board software and make sure you’re comfortable to start using it with personalized group and one-on-one training. And whenever you call, you’ll talk to a real person who knows firsthand the stresses and urgencies of board meeting management and communication —24/7, 365 days a year.
Industry-leading security: Not all board agenda software offers the same data protection. We offer layers of advanced security and give you the power to control access, guarantee compliance, and remotely wipe lost or stolen devices.
“New directors who haven’t seen Aprio before are immediately impressed with how quickly they can get up to speed. Aprio keeps them looped in, easily, all year round, and they offer helpful support that’s flexible, no matter how tech-savvy a director is.” – Your Neighbourhood Credit Union
How do you start using board agenda software?
Shifting from traditional methods like emailing PDFs and storing documents on shared drives to board agenda software may seem daunting. But it’s an opportunity for efficiency gain and getting away from old bad habits. It will take your board time but the right vendor will help you every step of the way.
Look for board software providers who will help you with board software setup and who offer comprehensive training for every user (not just those customers paying the top-tier price tag). Buyer beware: with some board portal vendors, you may be left to DIY.
How Aprio helps you get the most out of your board software
At Aprio, you’ll have a dedicated account manager who helps you, from day one, to set up and get the most from the technology. Unlike other vendors, with Aprio you’ll work directly with our experienced board portal administrators to set up your board library, set up users, and run your first meeting.
Next, we offer comprehensive training for your team so that everyone is comfortable using the new system. We offer personalized training sessions tailored for different user groups – from board members to administrators, with options for group and one-on-one sessions. We offer unlimited training because we know how important it is to get everyone up to speed, regardless of how tech-savvy they are or when they joined your board.
You can expect our team to show the various ways you can create a board agenda in Aprio – so you can choose the method that works best for you. We’ll also show you how to save your board agendas as templates so you can increase efficiency in preparing for each board meeting.
Finally, ongoing support is critical as you should expect questions to come up as you start using your board portal. Aprio offers unmatched expert service 24/7 from former admins who deeply understand the needs and pressures of board meeting management and prep. If you need help or have a question, you can rely on Aprio to get responsive, expert help from real people who care, any time, any day.
Empower your board with board agenda software
Creating and updating board agendas shouldn’t be a headache for board administrators. And better board agenda tools can help increase engagement and more informed decision-making.
Let us show you how board agenda software like Aprio can take the stress out of board meeting preparation, agenda creation and more. Talk to our team – we’re happy to help.
