Recent trends in digital solutions have led to the development of numerous handy tools that facilitate board governance. Standing in the fore of these tools is the board software which has been thoughtfully programmed to assist the board of directors.
For starters, the virtual boardroom facilitates seamless communication and collaboration within the board. It goes further into providing a secure environment for board members to share relevant information, save important files, hold confidential meetings virtually, close deals, collaborate with partners, and improve governance.
However, there’s a lot of solutions out there offering the same feature set, so choosing the best tool may turn out to be difficult. To remedy that, we’ve rounded up some excellent brand models and a few resourceful tips to help you pick out the best.
How to choose board software in 2022?
Here are the top 5 things you need to look out for when choosing board meeting software in 2022.
Security
Board meetings are very sensitive, and the same goes for every document that is being generated out of the meetings. In choosing the right board portal, you need to be certain that it’s very secure to protect the confidentiality of information that will be stored in it. Every discussion held in the room, every document shared, and every resolution made should be kept private.
The job of the board management software is to guarantee absolute security. The software should have high-end encryption features to deter hackers from exercising their dubious plans. It should also enable granular permissions to protect every bit of information inside of it, and enable two-factor authentication among other high-profile security measures.
Features and functions
Board meeting software is created to enable the board of directors to simplify and effectively govern a business without limitations. For this reason, the virtual boardroom should have a special tool for minutes taking, an electronic signature tool for signing, an online attendance sheet, a tool for creating agenda, a tool for online voting, and a calendar that updates every board member on the date for the next minute.
Online survey tools are also in the mix which is faster than traditional poll systems as board members can take the surveys at the comfort of their devices and submit timely.
Ease of use
When choosing a board portal, ensure it’s easy to use for seamless adoption by board members. This way, the training and demos will be limited, and integrating the software into the existing board processes will be easier.
It doesn’t have to be too technical for the average tech user to understand. It should be intuitive and easy to navigate around. Whether you’re looking for board portals for non-profit or for profit-based businesses, they should be easy to use.
Mobile-friendliness
Any software not designed to be mobile-friendly in 2022 is not worth the patronage. Mobile users outnumber desktop users and mobile usage is more flexible than desktop. This explains why the boardroom software should be compatible with mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, offering a dedicated board meeting app for effective communication, file sharing, and meeting arrangement.
The essence of a board portal is to eliminate any obstacle in the form of in-person meetings where some members can be unavoidably absent due to travel engagements. In this case, a mobile-friendly board portal will suffice to engage members anywhere they are around the world.
24/7 support
As with all things technology, there’s bound to be some glitches midway into the usage of the software. And if that happens, you need to be sure there’s someone to attend to you pronto.
So there’s the need for unlimited client support whenever it’s demanded. When you have issues with the board software, the support should almost instantly help you via email, phone call, or chat. It should also be received round-the-clock whether the glitch occurred at 3 am or at noon.
The best boardroom software in 2022
BoardMaps
As per user reviews, BoardMaps is one of the best board meeting software out there today. It supports close to 30 different languages to incorporate a wider audience. Meetings are easily done with the BoardMaps board meeting management app which takes into focus issues raised, can generate minutes of the meeting with a template, and can track progress made by members through various tasks assigned. And best of all, board directors can choose from a list of pricing to have access to Basic and Premium features for their boards. They can also switch between plans if necessary.
iDeals
Also standing tall in the virtual data room and boardroom innovation is iDeals. Renowned for excellence in promoting board governance, due diligence, deals, and growth with technology across the business world, iDeals is a force to partner with. Its boardroom provides everything you need to effectively manage a board virtually. From secured virtual boardrooms to the safety of information stored and shared, and to other excellent features, you can never go wrong with iDeals. It takes the lead with data protection as it deploys military-grade security infrastructure on its products to guarantee maximum safety of data.
Diligent
This is another foremost brand in board management software provision. It offers everything you’ll ever need to run a virtual board meeting and raises the stakes with a special tool to track performance and monitor competitors. It prides itself as the modern board governance software provider with awesome features for secure board document management and accessible support that will rival any leading brand in the niche.
Conclusion
When choosing the right board management software in 2022, there are certain important factors you must consider as you move from one provider to the other. Security should come first, and then you can look at the feature set, ease of use, mobile-friendliness, and brand reputation. We hope that with the tips above, your choice will become way easier!