Certain organizations are attracted by free software when they are looking for boards portals. However, the majority of these do not offer the full range of features that help boards of directors collaborate before, during and after meetings. Certain systems also pose security risks that can expose sensitive information to hackers. These are the main reasons reputable companies who make and sell software for board management never offer their products for free.
Although free software for board members may appear appealing, it generally comes with limited functionality and doesn’t provide reliable customer support. As a result, new board members might not be properly taught on how to use the program. In the absence of proper training board members could accidentally introduce security vulnerabilities. In addition, they could not follow the best practices that will ensure good governance during their board meetings.
Unlike other free software, the board management software developed by industry experts like BoardEffect has a robust feature set that includes customer training and support. It assists meeting administrators to work faster and more effectively. It helps streamline everything from agenda preparation to precise minutes of meetings and makes the company less attractive to fishing trips and frivolous lawsuits.
Board members can organize their meetings by using a solution which allows them to save all their meeting information in a single, secure location. The system also assists them to organize their schedule and prepare for conferences. Certain versions also include features that can boost productivity by the Get More Information ability to vote online and share documents in just a few clicks.