Nationwide is the world’s largest building society, run for the benefit of its 15 million members. Having used a US-based portal provider for years, Jason Wright, society secretary at Nationwide, found it wasn’t helping their board and management teams be as member-centric and effective as they could be. And so, he began his search for something that met the mark…
What prompted Nationwide to switch from their old board portal?
The issue with Nationwide's previous board management software was twofold.
Firstly, it wasn’t allowing the secretariat to operate efficiently. It would take the team around two hours to build and share board packs, all within a clunky and unintuitive platform. And they’d need to call on the customer service team to make changes to users.
“Our previous board portal solution wasted the time and efforts of highly skilled governance professionals.”
Secondly, Jason wanted a portal that did more than just publish digital board packs. He wanted a solution that helped the leadership teams collaborate better, cover the right balance of topics, and focus on their long-term plans.
How did they choose board management software that fulfilled the board and secretariat's needs?
Having been recommended Board Intelligence by peers, Jason asked to see our portal in action. From here, we worked with Jason to build a business case for internal decision-makers, and we mapped out a migration and onboarding plan that ensured a seamless switch for the secretariat and board directors alike.
“You made it very easy for us to switch board portal provider, and it was completely worth it. We’re so glad we took the plunge.”
What has been the outcome of switching board portals?
Greater autonomy, less time wasted
The team at Nationwide can now create and share packs in minutes, not hours, and they can update users and permissions without relying on external support. Tellingly, Nationwide calculated a 45% time saving when preparing for board meetings with Board Intelligence. Users also depend on the user-friendly and intuitive interface to self-help for audits and information requests, reducing the burden on the secretariat team.
“The Board Intelligence board portal could not be more intuitive. Everybody loves using it, and we’ve saved so much time.”
Better collaboration, more productive meetings
During meetings, the board get to the crux of what matters quicker, with clarification questions having already been asked - and answered - using our secure in-app annotation and chat functionality.
Focused planning – made easier
With our agenda planner tool, Nationwide have a clear view of its forward calendar of agendas for the year ahead. The analytics function makes it easy to see if they’re spending enough time on their priorities, whether they’re having balanced conversations, and if they’re considering key stakeholders.
“Agenda planner sealed the deal for us. A tool that helps us ensure consistent and balanced agendas – I’ve never seen anything else like it on the market.”
A long-term partnership
Nationwide’s switch to the Board Intelligence portal marks the beginning of a trusted relationship. The team enjoy concierge-level support from our round-the-clock product specialists and dedicated account manager, plus they benefit from our exclusive client networking events and thought leadership series.
“It’s comforting to know that Board Intelligence are always on hand to answer our questions, whether it’s governance expertise or technical support.”
