Boards work hard to recruit qualified leadership teams, but it can be a challenge to keep them engaged. Inefficient board processes can make meetings feel like a drain on directors’ valuable time, especially when administrative tasks get in the way of strategic decision-making.
The first step to boosting director engagement is to make it easy for them to access files and actively participate in meetings. Board portal software does just that with a secure, centralized platform for all core meeting management and corporate governance tasks. Purpose-built tools for document management and agenda creation save time on meeting prep, while annotation tools keep directors informed as discussions evolve.
The advantages can go far beyond workplace efficiency with tools to protect sensitive information and support best governance practices. If you’re considering using board portal software or reassessing existing systems, think about what features you need to support your board’s goals.
Read on for an overview of the key features to look for, or skip ahead to the following sections:
- Key features to look for in boardroom software
- Streamline board operations
- Enhance board collaboration and communication
- Boost productivity and decision-making effectiveness
- Simplify board meeting management
- Ensure security and document management
- Improve transparency and compliance with reporting tools
- Future trends in boardroom software and governance technology
- Important considerations when evaluating boardroom software
The first thing to consider is how board portal software can improve board operations.
Key features to look for in boardroom software
Board software includes comprehensive features for most core board operations – but not all solutions are made equal. As you compare board software, think about your board’s entire meeting lifecycle and the processes at each stage. Then, come up with a list of must-have features that support core operations.
For example, effective meeting prep will require tools like agenda builders and document management features – while voting and survey tools can simplify record-keeping. If you currently rely on tools such as Google Workspace or Microsoft Outlook to manage board processes, note what tools you use most and what features you wish were included.
Here are some key features to look out for:
- Agenda builders and document management tools for faster meeting prep
- Annotation and e-signature tools to streamline communication
- Meeting minutes, voting tools, and surveys for better meeting management
- Comprehensive reporting and security features to simplify compliance
Keep in mind that some processes, such as meeting room bookings and physical space management, may not be as common in board software. However, much of the software used to book meeting rooms and manage room usage can work effectively alongside the software you need to manage meetings. If the ability to book desks and meeting spaces is important to your board, you may need to consider what software to use alongside your main board portal.
Next, we’ll take a closer look at how the features of boardroom software can support board management processes.
Streamline board meeting prep with agenda creation tools
A common frustration among board members is when board meeting packages are difficult to access, making meeting prep difficult. Multiple email updates, version confusion, and complex document library logins can all get in the way of arriving at the meeting prepared.
The bigger hassle can be on the board administrator or corporate secretary’s side. Gathering documents from leadership teams, firming up the meeting agenda, and adding last-minute updates takes longer without the right tools to consolidate information. In turn, delays to the distribution of board packs leads to director frustration.
It’s up to the board chair and administrator to develop board operations that support efficient meeting prep. Board meeting software, like Aprio’s board portal software, includes an agenda builder and document management tools that equip board administrators to:
- Create agendas from a template or start from past meeting materials
- Add convenient links to documents in any file format
- Set controls for which meeting participants can download and edit documents
- Define time slots and presenters for each topic
- Share agendas with directors in one click, with desktop and mobile access
When the agenda is shared, directors get instant notifications and 24/7 access to documents so they can review them at their own pace and arrive at the meeting fully prepared.
Enhance board communication with a centralized platform
Some of the most important work of a board is done between meetings, where board members connect with one another to collaborate on strategic conversations, or do committee work. However, it’s not uncommon for directors to be left out of email threads by accident, or struggle to access important documents – making it difficult to maintain the pace of work.
Keeping directors engaged between meetings means ensuring everyone has the same access to the same information and is included in online discussions. Modern boardroom software supports these conversations with a centralized platform to keep discussions confidential and accessible.
Board members can use shared annotation in documents to discuss topics and decisions right alongside critical information, with document libraries to access detailed reports, strategic plans, and bylaws. When documents need approvals, board members can use e-signatures to approve right away rather than waiting for paper documents to arrive.
They can also use committee tools to work with relevant board members and stakeholders outside of main meetings. Committees can be granted access to specific documents as a group, so they can easily review necessary information without gaining unnecessary access to sensitive materials.
Aprio includes a user-friendly app to let directors access all these features and more on their mobile phones, so they can keep up with key insights whether they’re in the office or travelling. Board members can even access documents and make notes while they’re offline, and sync when they’re back online to update other directors on their feedback.
Simplify meeting management with boardroom software
Maintaining director engagement through lengthy board meetings can be a big challenge – especially without a detailed agenda to keep discussions focused. Tracking decisions can also be more difficult during remote meetings, where votes need to be recorded in one secure location.
Without tools to manage meetings, strategic discussions can get lost amid administrative hassles and derailed conversations
Boardroom software addresses these common obstacles of board corporate secretaries, executive assistants, or board governance leaders with features such as:
- Meeting tools that sync with Outlook and Google calendars to ensure board members save meeting dates
- Remote meeting tools with presentation mode for easier discussions on Zoom, Teams, and other popular video conferencing software
- Meeting minutes software that organizes minutes based on agenda templates
- Voting tools to capture motions and votes in meetings, and survey tools for board evaluations
With all minutes and motions stored in one secure, central location, board members can search through archived minutes at any time – supporting more informed decisions while keeping records of sensitive meetings protected.
Boost productivity with task management tools
Most board members have busy schedules beyond their board work. They may have a professional career, be on other boards, have kids to get to soccer – so whatever you can do to make it time-efficient to contribute to your board will help you recruit and keep quality board members.
Features like Aprio’s task management tools can help board members stay on top of tasks. Admins can assign tasks with priority levels, clear instructions, and due dates that board members can access any time. Directors get notifications and reminders on their mobile phones, and the board can see progress tracking to monitor progress and help keep directors accountable.
Many board portal tools don’t come with task management features, so if you rely on board members to do significant work outside of meetings, this may be a significant feature to look for. Beyond task management, board portal software creates productivity gains across the board with comprehensive features that reduce time spent on administrative tasks.
Consider how a credit union saw productivity gains with Aprio boardroom software:
“We evaluated several board portals, but Aprio was the right level of technology for us. It gave us exactly what we needed without overwhelming our directors. Aprio offered ease of use, excellent customer support, and room to grow, without breaking the bank—exactly what we needed for our board.” – StellerVista Credit Union
Protect sensitive data with security features
Protecting data has become one of the most important corporate governance tasks. Consider discussions around loans for a financial institution, around CEO compensation, or around crisis management – those board discussions and many others must be kept confidential.
Many IT teams tasked with data privacy set up solid systems for organizations that fall short for boards. Consider the needs of a prominent healthcare organization:
“We had two issues to address: ensuring data security and providing our board members easy access to information. Prior to choosing Aprio, we were using SharePoint. Our internal team liked it. It was secure, and had lots of functionality.
On the access side though, directors had challenges. We need very strict confidentiality with patient records and health information and the way we used SharePoint with external board members led to access issues. They would forget their password or not be able to find documents.” – Island Health Board Liaison, Louise Carlow
Boardroom software like Aprio creates the security and confidentiality boards need to protect sensitive data:
- Single sign-on and biometric authentication reduce access issues without compromising security
- Granular permissions let admins specify who can access meeting materials
- Document Digital Rights Management (DRM) allows for further control over who can edit, view, and download documents
- Remote data wiping ensures documents stay secure when directors leave, or when devices get lost
All features are supported by software certified by globally recognized security standards, including ISO 27001, SOC 2, SOC 3, HIPAA, and others. That means all board activity in Aprio is protected by strong risk management practices, industry-specific data security protocols, and threat detection.
Improve transparency and compliance with reporting tools
When admins need to pull information from multiple sources, reporting becomes a tedious task that takes hours. They may need to access a document storage tool for past meeting minutes, accounting tools for expense reports, and IT systems to track board member activity – then create the report in Excel or Tableau.
Boardroom software like Aprio records all board activity and meeting minutes to create an instant audit trail for compliance reporting. Admins can choose from 9 customizable reports geared towards both compliance and regular security audits, with information including login activity, board decisions, platform usage, expense reports, and more.
That means key compliance actions and dates don’t have to derail the regular functioning of the board. Admins can spend less time on compliance reporting, and more time on supporting the board to do their best work.
Future trends in boardroom software and governance technology
Board software comes in a lot of different shapes and sizes. As technology evolves, many board software brands are developing AI powered tools to automate meeting minutes and generate analytics. While there’s lots of hype surrounding AI powered tools, many boards are hesitant to use it in boardroom processes for good reason.
For now, Aprio is holding back on AI implementation due to important risks. For example, AI implementations rely on external LLM software which increases the risk of data breaches and makes it difficult to trace how data is used and stored. Even if data stays protected, AI can blur the lines of accountability when it’s used to summarize documents or generate insights.
Both of these issues can complicate regulatory compliance, especially with standards such as HIPAA and GDPR which require careful data handling.
Important considerations when evaluating boardroom software
When evaluating board portal software, it’s important to compare not only the features themselves, but whether or not the software offers a user friendly experience – and how much support is available to administrators and board members alike.
Below are a few important ways boardroom software can support director engagement outside of individual features.
A user-friendly experience makes adoption easier
As boardroom software becomes more sophisticated, it can also become more difficult to use. Some options may be an excellent fit for tech-savvy boards, but complex software can create barriers to adoption. When this happens, board members may revert to relying on emails and other tools rather than navigating cumbersome software.
Easy to use can be one of the key factors in how successful implementation is. To evaluate ease of use, take a look at user satisfaction ratings on sites like G2 and Capterra. For example, many Aprio users intricate that its user-friendliness is a significant advantage:
“We implemented the Aprio Board platform for our directors a year ago. The on-boarding process is simple and flexible – geared specifically to busy executives, wherever they are located in the world. The Board appreciates the ease with which they can access their meeting material and historical documents from any number of platforms, at any time.” – G2 review
Quality support saves valuable time
It’s also worth noting that how much support you’ll get for onboarding, training, and using the software can have a significant impact on the time it takes to get started. Many board software solutions only offer tailored support on premium plans, leaving administrators spending hours browsing knowledge bases and training videos.
On the other hand, Aprio offers best-in-class support from former board administrators no matter what plan you choose. Boards get personalized onboarding from the start, as well as ongoing support available 24/7 via phone, email, or chat – saving valuable time when issues are urgent.
“I cannot praise the customer service of Aprio enough. Their team is simply outstanding – friendly, informative, and incredibly responsive. Aprio’s customer service is the best I’ve experienced in my entire career.” – Chief Human Resources Officer, Canadian Scholarship Trust
Simple, intuitive pricing saves money
Finally, make sure you evaluate pricing plans carefully. Many board portals only offer important features on premium plans or as add-ons – making plans more expensive than they initially seem.
Aprio’s all-inclusive pricing ensures boards get all of Aprio’s features, along with an unlimited number of committees and groups. If you don’t need all the features right away, you can hide the ones you won’t use right now and unhide them as your board’s needs evolve.
Elevate your board with powerful, purpose-built boardroom software
Boardroom software can keep directors engaged, but the best software can elevate your entire board by improving corporate governance and making existing systems more efficient. Aprio stands out with comprehensive meeting and security features, excellent customer service, and a user friendly experience that makes good governance easier.
Aprio helps organizations large and small efficiently run board and executive meetings, keep leaders up to date with governance processes and keep data secure. Governance features we hear that set us apart include reports to track board and executive task management, online voting tools, and the ability to assign granular user permissions for advanced document control.
“”Using Aprio is just good governance. It’s reliable and meets all our needs. Any problems I encounter are resolved quickly by someone I know personally, often within 30 minutes. Aprio offers excellent customer service and is always improving and listening to their customers.” – The Sterling Hall School
Ready to see why Aprio is a top choice for thousands of admins and board members? Start a conversation for a free demo to assess Aprio’s fit for your board today.
