What is a Board Books Software?

From nonprofits to corporations, the use of board book software is quickly becoming the norm. In the past, the preparation of board books was one of those activities that took up a ridiculous amount of time and effort disproportionate to the value it was adding.

Most people would agree that preparing board books is something that does not deserve more than a few hours of anyone’s time, and yet you can ask any corporate secretary or board administrator to tell you about their fair share of board meeting induced headaches.

However, with the introduction of board book software in the early 2000s, those days are over. Using technology to digitize and automate the creation, distribution, and management of board books, companies are now seeing significant gains in productivity and efficiency, so much so that this kind of software has grown to be a permanent fixture in many tech stacks.

Benefits of a Board Books Software

Board Book Preparation and Distribution

With a board book software, secretaries and administrative staff will love that they no longer have to camp out by the printer or make a mad dash to the courier just to mail board packs on time. Now, all they have to do is simply drag-and-drop files into the board book software’s agenda builder and in a matter of minutes, the digital meeting packs are on their way to the attendees.

Board book software eliminates the need to print, photocopy, organize, and mail board packs, while ensuring that the entire document preparation process can be done entirely from the comfort of one’s desk.

Meeting Management

Board book software manages the entire meeting process from end-to-end. Not only does it take care of board book creation and distribution, but it also provides administrators and directors with a platform to run and facilitate the actual board meeting as well as manage any resulting action items or tasks.

Most board book software will have a scheduling module, a contact directory, a minute taker, an action item tracker, a set of collaboration tools, and many other features to streamline meeting management.

File Security

Not many realize that traditional paper-heavy board packs pose a threat to document security. These physical board packets and books could easily be stolen or lost, and considering the valuable information they contain, misplacing even a single sheet could potentially be disastrous for any company. The use of board book software is a smart way to manage this kind of risk.

Equipped with an arsenal of enterprise-grade security features and data encryption mechanisms, board book software like Convene completely safeguards organizations against such incidents by providing a secure platform on which directors and executives can store, manage, exchange, and access their important documents. Most board book software will even allow for files to be remotely wiped or deleted from devices for security purposes or in case of loss.

Information Flow and Accuracy

Without a board book software, accommodating any last minute changes to the meeting agenda was a huge pain for secretaries and administrative staff, as this would mean having to reproduce the board books and send them out again via courier. This made the seemingly simple task of updating board books is a time-consuming logistical nightmare, delaying directors’ access to the latest and most accurate versions of their board books and effectively creating a bottleneck in the flow of information.

Imagine that happening every time a document or agenda item had to be revised or changed. Thankfully, board book software addresses this pain point by enabling secretaries and board administrators to update board books and notify directors of any changes to the meeting as soon as they are made.

With no more logistical delays or errors with board books, directors can confidently make decisions and assessments with the assurance that their board book will always be up to date.

24/7 Document Access

By reducing board books from thick stacks of paper to single digital files, board book software allows directors to carry their important files with them in their smartphone, tablet, or laptop. From the convenience of their preferred device, they can easily review their documents, jot down notes, participate in discussions, and approve decisions wherever they are and whenever they want.

Ridding themselves of the physical burden of a bulky board pack, directors will enjoy the easy access to their meeting files, allowing them to get important work done even while out of the office or in transit.

Smart Resource Allocation

Companies have found that moving from the traditional way of preparing board books to using a board book software to digitize and automate the entire process has worked to free up valuable resources such as time, money, and manpower. With logistical concerns out of the way, secretaries and administrative staff no longer have to dedicate entire days to board meeting preparations and can now work on jobs more relevant to the company’s core business.

At the same time, using a board book software reduces the need to spend on printing, photocopying, and distribution. Using this software also cuts back on paper consumption, helping to conserve the environment.

Realizing the Benefits of Using a Board Books Software

While the benefits of using a board book software are numerous, the key is finding the right board software vendor that will help you realize all of them. Better performance and success can be achieved if this book software can be implemented seamlessly for an organization’s board.

At Convene, we are believers of the true value it adds to companies in equipping executives with a smart, simple, and secure board book software solution. Having initially created our software for the personal use of our leadership team, we understand the challenges that boards and administrators face when it comes to managing their meetings.

Contact us to learn more on how Convene can help your board with our board books software.