When it comes to technology adoption at the workplace, everyone wants change, but nobody wants to change. Technology adoption at the workplace, especially at the board level, is a major challenge to organizations working to improve communication and efficiency at the board level. Given the busy nature of board work, directors are understandably reluctant to give up the system they’ve learned how to use and struggle through a whole new way of doing things. They see lost hours of productivity that would be better spent on real work than struggling with new technology.
Resistance to technology adoption is human and predictable, but a board of directors owes it to the organization to find the most efficient way to review materials and discuss the future of the organization. Board portal solutions are important tools for achieving efficiency in the board room; organizations are making the shift because board portals offer better security and more efficiency than email and free file-sharing software. They’re purpose-built for board work and they are secure ways to keep directors updated at the click of a button. But with directors so resistant to change, technology adoption should play a big part in your purchasing decision. Any reversion to email, printed documents, or downloading board documents puts the security and confidentiality of sensitive documents at risk, so compliance is important.
What makes a board portal easier to adopt with today’s directors? With almost everyone using smartphones and tablets already, it’s about three things: familiarity, user experience, and efficiency.
- Board Portal Solutions on Familiar Technology
Board portals that work on all major tablet operating systems are a must; directors don’t have time to familiarize themselves with a new OS when they want to focus on board documents. Look for a board portal solution that’s compatible with Apple, Android, and Windows, especially as Windows Surface Pro becomes ever more popular. While board portal solutions have long focused on tablet optimization, many are now keeping smartphone optimization in mind as well.
Director training is one area where board portal solutions company differ widely, with some offering little in the way of training and others, like Aprio, offering one-on-one training for directors both when you adopt their board portal solution and when new directors are elected.
- User Experience
Board portal solutions companies should be investing in user experience if they want your business. User experience makes the difference between successful, simple board portal adoption and a struggle to convince directors. Board portal solutions companies should also listen to their clients when they plan updates to the user experience. You want your solutions provider to take feedback from their clients and incorporate it into their technology updates; for example, Aprio based its mobile-first optimization and new, intuitive browser edition on customer feedback.
- Efficiency: What Do Directors Gain
If you want directors to consistently use a board portal solution, they need to benefit. Security may be the reason you’re moving to board portals, but director compliance is easy when directors see what they gain. You can visit Aprio to learn more about the tools that make directors want to use board portal solutions.
Board portal solutions shouldn’t be a struggle to adopt if they’re well-designed, compatible across all major platforms, and directors quickly see the gains from using them. A better board portal company will quickly set your organization up with a portal that directors are eager to use.
