Many people view the efficiency of board management primarily by referring to the directors themselves and how they are equipped to drive best practices and speed up decision making. But a successful and efficient board is a complex set of components that have to come together in order to be efficient. This includes focusing the structure of the board on performance, setting up regular evaluation procedures and creating a co-operative culture that encourages councils to function effectively.
An important component for achieving all this is the correct use of board management tools. Board portals are an excellent way to streamline communication and allow board members to share documents in a safe environment. This removes the need for lengthy email chains, which can result in confusion regarding versions and allows everyone to quickly access and read what they require.
It’s also important to ensure that all committees and teams are able to benefit from the same efficiencies as the board through the use of boards software in their day-to-day activities. This means that everyone has the information they require at their fingertips to make decisions swiftly, while ensuring sensitive information is protected and accessible only to the appropriate people.
This can be achieved by ensuring that all users have the ability to access the full suite of board functions, including chat and annotating tools as well as easy virtual meeting integrations, while being able to establish specific accessibility controls for each piece of information that is confidential. Memorial Health System, for instance has been able to expand its use of board software to include multiple committees as well as other internal groups, bringing additional efficiency outside of the traditional board level.