Board portals: Maximizing impact for board teams

Excerpted from Diligent Institute's How to Use a Board Portal Effectively course.

Board portal software is a secure platform for sharing documents, scheduling meetings, voting and collaborating, all within an easy-to-use interface designed to support governance and productivity. When packaged together, these features enable board members, administrators and other company leaders to manage meetings, collaborate and access the right information at the right time.

Nearly 65,000 companies worldwide use board portals today. That number represents a significant adoption rate since the technology’s advent in the early 2000s and the many ways providers have innovated to meet boards’ needs.

Supporting core governance processes

Board teams, such as corporate secretaries and general counsel, use board portals to securely distribute board materials, coordinate meeting logistics, maintain recordkeeping and facilitate secure board communication. By providing a secure, compliant solution for board documentation, communication and reporting, board portals help board teams foster a transparent environment where board members can securely work together and collaborate.

Corporate secretaries and general counsel can maximize the value of board portals by using them to streamline governance operations, enhance compliance and support board effectiveness. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Centralize and manage board materials: Upload and organize board books, meeting agendas, minutes, reports and reference materials in one place. This reduces administrative burden and ensures directors always access the most current versions.
• Simplify meeting preparation: Use templates and scheduling tools within the portal to plan meetings efficiently. Automate notifications, RSVPs and agenda distribution to save time and avoid coordination errors.
• Ensure regulatory and governance compliance: Use built-in tools to track voting, record approvals and generate audit-ready documentation. Many portals offer digital signatures and compliance features that support regulatory filings and internal policy adherence.
• Protect sensitive information: Enable strong access controls, encryption and user permissions to safeguard confidential board data and documentation. Board teams should manage these settings closely and ensure directors follow secure usage protocols.
• Facilitate secure board communication: Promote the use of secure messaging and discussion threads to keep board communications off email and within the secure platform. This protects privilege and maintains a clear, centralized record.
• Track board activity and engagement: Monitor logins, document views and engagement metrics to identify if directors are reviewing materials and participating actively. This insight can inform follow-ups or training needs.
• Maintain an accurate document archive: Keep a structured and searchable repository of board and committee records. This makes it easier to prepare for audits, respond to legal requests or onboard new directors.
• Train and support directors: Offer onboarding sessions and periodic refreshers to help directors use the portal effectively. Provide ongoing support for any technical or procedural issues that arise.

The opportunities of AI

There is a wealth of AI tools available for board administrators that can help to streamline board portal operations, reduce legal risks and enhance board materials. Together, these tools support board admins in creating consistent, clear materials in an efficient manner, allowing them to focus more of their time on important and complex matters, such as legal reviews and actively supporting the board.

Review the below table to see examples of AI tools that can support board administrators:

AI tool

Description

Automating document creation

AI, such as Diligent Smart Minutes, can support the creation and drafting of board materials, such as meeting agendas and meeting minutes, ensuring consistency and accuracy.

Board meeting preparation

AI can help corporate secretaries organize and distribute board materials, summarize past meeting minutes and suggest agenda items based on historical data or emerging issues.

Transcription and note-taking

AI can summarize notes and transcribe, freeing up board administrators to be engaged and alert in board meetings. Diligent’s Smart Minutes solution, part of the GovernAI suite of AI tools, can generate relevant and high-quality drafts of minutes from typed notes, board materials or transcripts, to be uploaded and securely stores in the board portal.

Summarizing reports, meetings and other critical documents

AI can summarize key findings and critical documents, providing key takeaways in an efficient manner. Diligent’s Action Tracker can turn shorthand notes, meeting minutes and materials into actionable next steps and deliverables.

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