Uniting Organizations with Board Collaboration Software

Today’s companies exist in a fluctuating tide of increased innovation, unavoidable change, and advancements in technology. In an effort to swiftly drive business and balance company culture, boards, executives, and employees need to lean on collaboration as an answer for true industry success. Boards of directors and executives often set the tone for a culture of collaboration through their own practices.

“Collaboration is not a “nice to have” organizational philosophy,” says Carol Kinsey Goman, Forbes contributor. “It is an essential ingredient for organizational survival and success.” Implementing the use of technology and board collaboration software to enhance collaboration at the board level and beyond is also another factor when considering business Darwinism.

Increasing digital literacy at the board level is key to a collaborative culture, especially with the plethora of board collaboration software solutions available quickly with cloud-based board portals. “Reflecting on the digital skills most relevant to individual business lines is one way boards can raise their collective understanding of technology and generate more productive conversations with management,” says McKinsey. Board collaboration software is the next wave in the ocean of innovation for boards of directors.

Properly fitted with secure messaging, file sharing, and even voting, these tools set the tone for effective governance and management while cultivating a transparent and loyal employee foundation. McKinsey continues, “Deeper board involvement provides a mechanism to cut through company politics and focus executives on the big, integrated technology investments needed as digital weaves ever further into the fabric of today’s businesses.”

Electronic Board Books, Sharing, and Annotations:

Board collaboration software and tools start with creating easy electronic board books. Oftentimes, board administrators work countless hours to prepare for board meetings. Electronic board books allow for a smooth and easy process. Upload documents and create board books in minutes instead of hours. Electronic board books are sent to directors and committee members through the secure board portal, which allows for instant meeting preparation. Board books are often lengthy and thorough, but hyperlinks allow for easy navigation. Board collaboration software enhanced with tools like electronic board books allow directors and committee members to annotate documents online and offline for optimal collaborative discussion during meetings.

Discussions:

Board collaboration software should also promote easy communication and discussion of documents and board agenda items. Govenda Discussions allows directors the ability to collaborate, clarify, and comment on these documents directly in the intuitive and secure platform. Discussions are critical for seamless communication and directly contribute to the success of any company at the board level. Board collaboration software with integrated elements like Discussions allows boards to provide more valuable guidance prior to and in between board meetings.

Presentation Mode:

Board collaboration software is important when boards and committees are out of the boardroom, but collaboration is inherently a face-to-face practice. When directors need to make presentations during board meetings regarding reports, budgets, and strategic plans, a smooth and consistent process is essential. Presentation mode allows presenters to use their device to easily present information and switch presenters directly on their device in the Govenda platform.

Voting:

Dedicated board collaboration software also brings boards of directors together outside of the boardroom. When decisions need to be made in between meetings, board and committee members can securely vote directly in the Govenda platform. Voting procedures are critical to the success of any board. With the evolution of collaborative technology, the ability for board and committee members to vote on key decisions remotely and during meetings is an optimal board collaboration tool.

Unlimited Users:

Board collaboration software allows for easy board book creation, annotations, secure discussions, and voting. However, board collaboration tools are meaningless without the ability to add unlimited users to your board portal software. Some board portal vendors charge extra money for added users. Govenda understands the collaborative needs of the board, so we allow for unlimited users and committees for our users to enhance optimal collaboration.