Which board management software has the best governance features?

TL;DR

• With government policies evolving daily, boards are going to need a far more agile governance model.
• A framework for making decisions, distributing responsibilities, and maintaining accountability are key
• Reducing noise lifts out governance matters that matter most
• Is there board management software that has it all?

What Role Does Governance Play in Board Operations?

In 2025, boards will face significant challenges to their oversight and corporate governance processes due to global disruptions such as trade tensions, economic instability, and cybersecurity threats. These are compounded by advances in AI and increased global regulation demanding greater transparency.

The stakes have never been higher, as governance failures can lead to regulatory action, shareholder litigation, reputational damage, and business disruption in our interconnected global economy.

A prime example of modern governance challenges comes from The Walt Disney Company's recent proxy contest. The Walt Disney Company prevailed in the proxy contest launched by Trian, which was focused in large part on criticizing the short-lived tenure of the company's prior CEO and the boomerang reappointment of Bob Iger to that role. After this victory, the company announced in October 2024 that a "critical priority" was to name a successor to the CEO by early 2026.

This case illustrates how the board of directors is the key element of corporate governance and how its composition affects the performance of the firm.

Today, boards need to manage:

• CEO succession planning under public scrutiny
• Activist investor pressure challenging board decisions
• Stakeholder expectations for transparent leadership transitions
• Strategic continuity while addressing governance criticisms

And with regulation and reporting requirements on the rise, from ESG to SMC&R and s172, governance can be seen as a handbrake on performance, as well as the cause of bloated board packs.

Good, strong governance in board operations can address these challenges head on if it provides the framework for making decisions, distributing responsibilities, and maintaining accountability. Organizational strategy and stakeholder interests must be at the forefront, while clear policies and processes should be focused on helping boards make informed choices, manage risks effectively, and build trust.

The good news? The right board management software will help you improve governance in your organization and strengthen its defenses in a fast-changing world.

What are the top governance-focused features?

Board reporting software supports good governance by improving the transparency, accountability, and accuracy of board operations. It helps the board function efficiently, ultimately strengthening governance.

For a board portal to truly support good governance, there are several features that stand out as essential:

1. Structured, high-quality minute writing and reporting tools. The portal should help authors produce clear, concise, and strategically focused board packs that cut through noise and enable better decision-making.
2. Audit trails and transparency: Full visibility of who accessed, edited, or shared documents leads to accountability and supports regulatory compliance.
3. Secure document management. End-to-end encryption, granular access controls, and the ability to revoke or wipe data remotely safeguard sensitive information.
4. Compliance and policy alignment. Built-in checks, templates, or prompts that align reports with governance frameworks (e.g., ESG, risk, or regulatory requirements) for consistency.
5. Collaboration features with control. Directors should be able to collaborate, comment, electronically sign and share insights securely, without diluting control or leaving sensitive data exposed.
6. Data retention and archiving. A governance-focused portal must manage document lifecycles responsibly, keeping records accessible while meeting compliance obligations.

These features improve board effectiveness while reducing administrative burdens. Board management software also features audit trails and analytics to support compliance tracking and reporting.

What are the leading governance software options?

A board portal supports the unique responsibilities and working practices of boards and governance teams. This includes recording decisions and managing approvals, to evidencing good governance and regulatory compliance.

Let’s see how the best in the business stack up.

Board Intelligence

Board Intelligence offers solutions built specifically to strengthen governance and supercharge your board. Two platforms stand out for boards wanting to enhance compliance, oversight, and decision quality: the Board Intelligence board portal and Insight Driver.

Board Intelligence board portal

Since 2008, we have been on the front lines with our clients as the evolution of corporate governance has been propelled by multiple crises and systemic shocks. Our solution comes in the form of the Board Intelligence board portal, which provides a secure environment for all board operations. It protects sensitive information and creates a clear record of board activity. Here’s how this board management software helps good governance:

Security:

• A single platform for all your organization’s critical documents and conversations.
• Control access and set granular permissions on who sees what.
• Biometric login with FaceID or TouchID on any compatible IOS/MacOS device.

Efficiency:

• Drag and drop agenda items and files; timings and page numbers will update automatically.
• Use our smart Agenda Planner, agenda templates, or simply copy another meeting.
• Collate different file formats into one document with the click of a button.
• Send tailored board notifications when you publish the pack.
• Republish late papers/amendments without losing the board’s annotations.

Optimized for virtual board meetings:

• Integration with video conference apps make remote meetings easy to join.
• Online or offline access to all board materials on apps for Windows 10 and above, macOS, iPad, and iPhone.
• Ask clarification questions and share notes with other board members ahead of meetings.
• Use e-Signatures to approve and sign documents remotely.
• Split-screen functionality lets you see both your pack and virtual meeting app side-by-side, or compare papers.

Intuitive navigation:

• Make notes with a variety of annotation tools.
• Search within your pack or entire library.
• Share links to specific pages of the pack with other board members.
• Video, phone, or face-to-face training is available.
• See at a glance what’s new or what's changed since you last read your pack.
• Industry-leading single sign-on (SSO) solution supports easy offline access and multi-boarded users.

Support services:

• True 24/7 support from BI24, our specialist support team.
• Board evaluations that harness data and expert insight to enhance your board’s conversations, decisions, and performance.

Insight Driver

Insight Driver uses AI to review board packs and extract what matters most. It highlights missing data, weak reasoning, and overlooked risks, giving directors greater confidence in the information they receive. Instead of wading through hundreds of pages, boards see clear patterns and insights aligned with their oversight role.

For governance teams, Insight Driver improves the consistency and quality of board reporting across committees and cycles. For directors, it reduces noise and focuses attention on the key issues. Combined with the portal, it strengthens governance by ensuring both the security of materials and the clarity of the content inside them.

Other platforms that focus on good governance

Choosing a board portal is not just about technology; it's about choosing a secure, reliable partner for your organization's governance. Let’s see how these compare:

Diligent

Diligent is ideal for boards that must align with strict regulatory demands. It offers secure document sharing, detailed audit trails, voting tools, board assessments, and GRC (Governance, Risk & Compliance) capabilities.

Users report that its broad feature set can feel overwhelming and some feedback notes that document edits require cumbersome downloads.

Board Intelligence accomplishes the same governance goals with a sleeker, more intuitive interface. It enables boards to access strategic insight while maintaining enterprise-grade control and clarity.

OnBoard

OnBoard delivers a user-friendly experience with features like secure messaging, e-signatures, meeting analytics, AI-generated summaries, and compliance tracking. Boards benefit from streamlined meeting workflows and visibility into governance practices.

While intuitive, deeper customization of agendas and reporting is limited, and advanced AI tools often require premium subscriptions. A few users report occasional sync glitches between devices.

Board Intelligence elevates ease-of-use with built-in strategic focus. It transforms basic data into question-led insights, ensuring boards tick governance boxes and prioritize purpose and decision quality.

BoardEffect

Widely used in non-profits, healthcare, and education, BoardEffect stands out for structured agenda management, compliance tracking, document control, and 24/7 support.

Yet, BoardEffect can feel rigid when boards require flexible workflows or enterprise-level customization. It may also lack features such as advanced reporting or seamless integrations with other software.

Board Intelligence blends the simplicity nonprofits appreciate with enterprise-caliber flexibility. Its customizable templates and adaptive reporting help boards tailor governance without losing clarity or compliance. Lucia, our AI-powered reporting tool, unlocks well-visualized and timely data with Tableau and PowerBI integrations that link real-time data dashboards directly into your papers.