The benefits of board portals extend beyond the mere digitization of paper documents. They help directors to organize meetings, manage tasks and collaborate with other members.
For instance, if director receives a message from the secretary of the company that her board papers have been uploaded to the portal, she is aware that she can dedicate time to them on the weekend or boardrights.com on Tuesday afternoon to make sure she is ahead of the meeting agenda and make note of key issues or questions. The director can also utilize the portal’s live analytics to determine how directors interact with the material ahead of the meeting and see how much time they’re spending on each section or document.
This is particularly helpful for directors with a full schedule and a limited amount of time to devote to the board. A well-designed portal can be accessed from any device at any time. Because most board members already utilize their devices to access other online services it does not require a lengthy learning curve.
When evaluating different companies be sure to take into account other features. While ease of use is an important factor for most directors but it’s not only the primary one. For instance, some portals provide tools that enable directors to vote and keep records of their decisions. This reduces the time spent by the company secretary and makes it easier for the board to approve changes in between meetings.