The advantages of portals for board members extend beyond the mere digitization of paper documents. They help directors to prepare for meetings, manage tasks and collaborate with other members, empowering them to uphold and improve governance in specific ways.

For example, when directors receive a message from the company secretary telling her that her board papers have been loaded onto the portal, she knows she can dedicate time to them over the weekend or on Tuesday afternoon to be ahead of the agenda and to note key questions or issues. You can also utilize real-time analytics on the portal to see how directors use the material prior to the meeting and how long they spend on each piece of paper or document.

This is especially helpful for directors with a busy schedule and are unable to devote to the board. A well-designed and designed board sites portal can be accessible at any time, from any device. And, because most board members are already using the devices they’re familiar with for other online services and services, it doesn’t require any significant learning curve to navigate.

While ease of use is a major consideration for most directors when choosing board collaboration software There are other aspects that are equally important to consider when evaluating various vendors. Some portals, for example allow directors to vote and keep a record of their decisions. This saves time for the secretary and lets the board make changes between meetings.