Strong governance practices are essential for any organization’s long-term success. Good governance builds transparency, accountability, and trust with customers and investors—but managing it effectively can be challenging without the right tools.
More organizations are using cloud based corporate governance software to enhance their governance processes including board governance. Software like Aprio can be used by both executive leadership teams and the board of directors to help manage corporate governance risk.
From supporting compliance to decision-making, see how governance management software offers several benefits for organizations seeking to lead with good governance. You can also skip ahead to these specific sections:
- What is corporate governance software?
- Benefit #1: Streamline compliance and risk management
- Benefit #2: Drive accountability and transparency
- Benefit #3: Boost meeting productivity
- Benefit #4: Optimize decision-making
- Benefit #5: Simplify reporting
- Cost vs. ROI: Is it worth investing in governance software?
- Key features to look for in governance software
- Comparing governance software providers
- Manage your governance risk with Aprio
- See Aprio’s corporate governance software in action
What is corporate governance software?
Corporate governance software is a centralized platform that streamlines how organizations manage board meetings, governance documents, and regulatory compliance. These digital solutions enable board members and executives to collaborate securely while maintaining detailed audit trails of all governance activities.
Modern governance software transforms traditional paper-based processes into efficient digital workflows. Instead of managing board materials through email chains, organizations can securely distribute meeting materials, facilitate document management, and ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. The platforms typically include tools for scheduling board meetings, online voting, task management, and reporting—all designed to support effective board management and compliance management processes.
Now that we’ve covered what governance software is, let’s explore the specific advantages this software provides for organizations.
Benefit #1: Streamline compliance and risk management with corporate governance software
Governance software can help simplify and automate governance processes to help ensure compliance with regulations as well as internal policies. Part of this is leveraging corporate secretary software features such as reports, activity logs and audit trails. For example, Aprio’s board portal software can help streamline policy approvals, document reviews, and compliance assessments.
The software can also deliver timely notifications, reminders and updates related to legal or compliance activities. For example, legal departments may use corporate governance software to share timely updates with the executive team.
Governance management software also provides an easy-to-access centralized repository for storing and managing company information including compliance-related documents such as regulations, policies, and procedures, as well as financial or entity management documents. The software can be used to control document access and provide version control. This supports strategic risk management—everyone has access to current policies and can help spot compliance gaps before they become problems.
Benefit #2: Drive accountability and transparency with governance software
Organizations use corporate governance software to help keep the board and executive leadership accountable while providing transparency in their operations.
Take activity logs, for example. The software automatically records every action taken within the system including tracking by IP address including logins, downloads, approvals or other activities. This transparent record of activities makes it easier to track updates, detect anomalies, and hold individuals accountable for their actions.
Governance management software also supports accountability by supporting task management. Administrators can assign specific tasks or action items to a committee or individual, along with a due date and priority levels. It not only holds individuals or groups accountable but also reduces the time and effort for administrators to ensure task completion with notifications and reminders.
Benefit #3: Boost meeting productivity with integrated corporate governance software
Governance software supports effective time management during meetings. When creating a meeting agenda, administrators can allocate time slots for each topic and assign a presenter. This ensures that important topics are adequately addressed in a timely manner, without unnecessarily extending the duration of the meeting.
Communication features such as instant messaging or chat functionality also help enable real-time communication among meeting participants. The ability to resolve a question or clarification quickly without having to interrupt the flow of the meeting can go a long way to accomplishing more during a meeting.
Many governance software solutions like Aprio also integrate with participants’ calendars. This allows for easy scheduling of meetings and automatic reminders, reducing scheduling conflicts and improving meeting attendance. For virtual meetings, participants can join in one click directly from Aprio – no matter if you use Zoom, Teams, GoToMeeting or another video conferencing tool.
Benefit #4: Optimize decision-making with governance tools
Corporate governance software can also include collaboration, communication and decision-making features to facilitate informative discussions and decisions among the leadership team or the board.
Customers use Aprio’s board management software to achieve faster and more strategic decision-making. With secure document sharing, annotations, online voting and electronic signatures, software like Aprio helps improve ongoing communication between board members and executives, as well as exchange ideas, ask questions, and provide input during the decision-making process.
Benefit #5: Simplify reporting with robust corporate governance software
Governance management software can help organizations streamline their reporting efforts. For example, it automatically tracks and documents the decisions made by leadership and the board by maintaining an audit trail of decision-making processes, including discussions, voting outcomes, and action items assigned.
Aprio provides an automated audit trail of key compliance actions and dates to make regulatory reporting easy. Get access to several standard reports to track board activity including attendance, login behaviour, groups, and audit reporting.
Cost vs. ROI: Is it worth investing in governance software?
While corporate governance software requires an upfront investment, most organizations see significant returns through time savings, reduced compliance risks, and improved board effectiveness.
Consider these typical cost savings:
- Administrative efficiency – Most organizations save 5-10 hours per board meeting on prep work like compiling materials and handling last-minute changes. For monthly meetings, that’s serious time savings for your admin team.
- Risk mitigation – Compliance failures and governance mistakes cost way more than software. Governance software helps you maintain proper documentation and demonstrate compliance with automated audit trails.
- Better board engagement – When materials are easy to access and processes run smoothly, board members come better prepared and make decisions faster. That strategic oversight adds real value.
- Reduced operational costs – No more security headaches from email-based document sharing, plus you’ll save on IT resources previously needed to manage multiple file-sharing systems for sensitive materials.
Many organizations consistently find that governance software delivers solid returns through efficiency gains and risk reduction.
Key features to look for in governance software
When evaluating corporate governance software solutions, focus on features that directly support the benefits outlined above. The right platform should enable board members to work more efficiently while ensuring your organization meets all legal and regulatory requirements.
Essential governance software features include:
- Secure document management with version control for organizing governance documents and maintaining audit trails
- Automated compliance tracking and reporting to streamline regulatory compliance and reduce manual effort
- Meeting agenda builders with time allocation to boost productivity during board meetings and keep discussions on track
- Online voting and e-signature capabilities for faster decision-making and approvals
- Task management to drive accountability among board members and executives
The best governance software solutions make these features easy to use and accessible to all board members, regardless of their technical expertise. Look for platforms that provide strong customer support and can adapt to your organization’s specific governance requirements.
Comparing governance software providers
With numerous corporate governance software solutions available, selecting the right provider requires careful evaluation beyond just feature lists and pricing. For a comprehensive evaluation framework and detailed vendor comparison checklist, see our complete guide on the 10 things to evaluate in board portal software.
The most important factors to consider when comparing providers include:
- Ease of use and user experience – The best governance software should be intuitive for all users, regardless of technical expertise. Request demos and evaluate whether the interface feels natural for your board members and administrators.
- Security and compliance standards – Ensure the provider meets your organization’s security requirements with features like data encryption, user authentication, audit trails, and relevant compliance certifications.
- Service and support quality – Look for vendors that offer responsive customer service, comprehensive training, and ongoing support. Since governance software is used by busy executives and board members, reliable support is crucial. Unlike other competitors, Aprio offers 24/7 support from former board administrators who truly understand corporate governance.
- Implementation and training – Consider how the vendor supports onboarding, data migration, and user adoption. The right provider should make the transition smooth and offer training resources for both administrators and board members.
- Total cost and value – Look beyond initial pricing to understand the complete cost structure, including any additional fees for features, support, or user additions. Aprio offers transparent, all-inclusive pricing with no surprise add-ons or “lite” versions. Request a quote to see how this approach can provide better value.
Manage your governance risk with Aprio’s corporate governance software solutions
Aprio combines all the essential governance features into one intuitive platform, designed specifically to address the challenges organizations face when managing board activities and compliance requirements.
Our top valued corporate governance features include:
- Online voting and electronic signatures to streamline approval processes and decisions.
- Standard reports including an automated audit trail to simplify reporting and compliance.
- Task Manager to keep executives and the board organized and accountable by tracking and assigning action items to individuals or groups.
- Customized surveys and assessments to gather valuable feedback from executives and board members including board or CEO evaluations.
- An easy-to-use Agenda Builder to streamline the creation of meeting agendas, and assign time limits and presenters to keep meetings on track.
- Advanced layers of security including granular user permissions to allow or prohibit specific users from accessing or downloading documents.
What sets Aprio apart? We deliver the security your board demands with the simplicity they deserve, backed by 24/7 support from people who’ve actually done your job.
“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
See Aprio’s corporate governance software in action – book a demo
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 activity, online voting tools, and the ability to assign granular user permissions for advanced document control.
Whether you’re looking to make a switch in board governance software or are considering adopting it for the first time in your organization, assess the fit with Aprio. Get in touch with our sales team. We’d love to learn more about your business and how we can help support your corporate governance goals.
