What is a Board Portal?

A board portal is specialist governance software that safely and securely delivers digital board packs to directors and their organisation’s secretariat. Automated and streamlined they allow better collaboration, facilitate enhanced discussions and decision-making, as well as help everyone in the organization to agree on the strategic direction of the business.

They also help save time and money by decreasing printing, couriering email and meeting preparation costs. The capability to access the board’s documents and send messages via an encrypted, private in-app messenger ensures that board members can be connected to each other at all times, even when they’re not in the office. They can prepare for meetings and sign documents online or within the app and use the video conferencing feature for virtual meetings if they are unable to attend in person.

What to look for in the board portal

When selecting a board portal vendor, you should ask potential vendors to provide demonstrations and, thorough troubleshooting articles on their website. They should also be able give you a ESG due diligence comprehensive quote that includes all up-front and ongoing costs. Pricing models may vary and be determined by a flat fee per feature or the number of users, therefore it’s essential to compare the different models.

Security is the main requirement for a top-quality board portal. It should secure all data in transit and in rest and have granular control of access and authentication rights. Additionally, it should have a disaster recovery plan that includes an uptime guarantee. Additionally, it should regularly undergo external audits to ensure security, availability integrity, privacy and availability.