Intranet portal software was popularized in order to streamline company efficiency and in many cases was extended to boards of directors but has become an antiquated practice in recent years due to modern SaaS, cloud-based board portals. Intranet systems are still favored by many organizations for their efficiency gains, however, more modern tools are an improved and more progressive approach to board best practices. The technology needs of boards have substantially increased since the intranet revolution. Prescient Digital conducted a study that found out of 80% of organizations that have intranets, most users only visit the intranet about once a month. Also, 72% of users rate their intranet as fair to poor. This is mostly due to the cumbersome nature of the systems. CMSWire says that traditional intranets tend to be static, “it’s not compelling for today’s users, who are accustomed to asking a virtual assistant questions and receiving information in contextually relevant” ways. That’s why a more modern approach to streamlining board governance is a cloud-based board portal, such as Govenda. The most common problems with intranet portal software are its scalability, usability, and security.
The Mobile Margin of Intranet Portal Software
The limitations of intranet portal software salability are vast and quite troublesome for our technologically advanced lives we’ve become accustomed to living. Current users of intranets label them as disorganized and clunky without mobile capabilities. The CMSWire 2017 State of the Digital Workplace Report states “70.2 percent of respondents said that mobile enablement was a ‘very’ important tool in enabling their work.” CMSWire continues, “a static web portal populated with links that connects some but by no means all internal apps and data resources and isn’t optimized for mobile users- is no longer a viable solution to drive engagement with workers” and board members alike. The need for cloud-based apps and mobile applications for board portal software are certainly in demand in the corporate governance industry. The Govenda platform was designed on a common platform that allows its users to access their materials anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Our board portal’s full-featured app is the same for the iPad, iPhone, Android devices, Kindle, and a web browser. We’ve also taken our software one step further by allowing board materials to be accessed offline for viewing and annotating purposes.
A Counterproductive Conundrum
Intranet portal software is often unorganized which creates a counterproductive approach to board governance. Techopedia says, “uploading excessive information in an unorganized manner can be counterproductive and create confusion between employees. Additionally, if information is not organized and cannot be easily navigated, productivity will be negatively impacted.” SaaS-based board portals are much more user-friendly because of the common document library, drag and drop technology and multiple file-type uploads. Structural continues, “desktop applications, difficult navigation, unclear guidelines, and lack of connectedness…are all hallmarks of enterprise intranets.” This is exceedingly difficult for millennials who account for 38% of today’s workforce, a number that is set to increase to 75% by 2025. Boards of directors are also seeking to recruit millennials for their fresh perspectives and diverse objectivity. Starbucks began the trend by appointing Clara Shih, CEO of Hearsay Social, to its board of directors. Structural concludes, “millennials are a generation that will seek to solve problems themselves and if they’re not satisfied with the technology being offered to them, they’ll find something else to use, which can become a significant security threat as unauthorized apps and tools are used for company work.”
Safety & Security Restraints
File safety and data security is an ongoing constraint of intranet portal software. According to the IBM Security Services Cyber Security Intelligence Index report, 95% of all investigated cybersecurity incidents involved human error. Techwalla says, “while it’s true that sharing files and documents between users can boost productivity, it’s also true that sharing files puts them at greater risk.” Techopedia also says, “without appropriate security measures…private data may be accessed by an unauthorized party.” However, these security limitations are not a concern for boards of directors using a cloud-based board portal. Cloud-based board portals, like Govenda have redundant managed firewalls, SSAE-18 certification, and backup sites in disaster-neutral areas. Govenda also offers three levels of administrators to improve efficiency while controlling how much information users can view. Most importantly, cloud-based board portals provide remote wiping capabilities if a device is compromised, lost, or stolen.
A Costly Endeavor
When deciding between an intranet portal software and a SaaS-based system for your board of directors usability and security are top priorities. However, the bottom line and ongoing investment are also crucial. Not only is building an intranet portal software for your boards expensive, they are costly to update and maintain. Techopedia continues, “despite the advantages of setting up an intranet, it can be a costly procedure, as dedicated teams must be assigned tasks to set up and configure the intranet for an organization.” In stark contrast to intranet portal software, SaaS and cloud-based board portal applications are downloaded and set up in minutes instead of weeks. Intranets often include “add-on” applications users must purchase to have full functionality. Govenda customers have every feature at the tips of their fingers from the start.
Intranets aren’t just costly and time-consuming to implement, they have to be updated regularly and maintained. Techwalla states, “costs to consider regarding your intranet include software updates, server upgrades, training of new employees, and consultancy regarding intranet improvements and modifications. A company with an intranet network will also need a full-time IT staff to maintain the network, keep it connected, and deal with problems as they arise.” The extensive network supervision is just not an issue with board portal applications because updates take place in the background and rarely cause system interruptions. The cost of the board of directors’ time is also valuable. Without effective training on the intranet portal, users can actually lose the ability to do their job effectively. The usability of a board portal application, like Govenda, is unmatched with an easy to use interface.
Intranet portal software is slowly becoming a rigid implement of the past with flexible SaaS and cloud-based board portals. Modern technology that is intuitive, secure, and cost-effective encourages board collaboration and seamless guidance. Govenda is breaking board portal boundaries by catering to board members of every age, every location on the globe, and on every device. Schedule a personalized demo with us today!
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