How do you maintain security and structure when dealing with grant applications and acting as an administrator for multiple boards within a company? Anne Christine found the solution in the BetterBoard Board Portal.
Customer case
Anne Christine | Secretary at Christian Nielsens Fond
"From printing all materials 4 times a year to a digital Board Portal"
Anne Christine, who has a PhD in molecular microbiology, needed a change. When the position of secretary at Christian Nielsens Fond caught her interest, she applied for the job and has now been employed since December 2019.
It turned out that her background in transferring information in biological systems was not so far removed from transferring information in IT systems and how to improve this process. This was one of the major challenges when Anne Christine started as a secretary at Christians Nielsens Fond, which receives many applications for investments or grants every year.
Investments in start-up companies
Anne Christine, who is the link between the board and applicants, creates a “onepager” for the board, which makes decisions based on the material she prepares.
One of Anne Christine’s first tasks was to find a solution for all the materials the board needs prior to a board meeting. From printing large piles of paper for each board member and sending USB sticks through the post, Anne Christine decided to find a more secure, easy and environmentally friendly solution for storing and sharing confidential material.
“It didn’t take me long to figure out that it should be BetterBoard’s board portal,” says Anne Christine and continues. “It’s in my DNA to research things thoroughly – that’s why I looked at BetterBoard’s reference list and called around to some of their current customers to hear their experiences. Everyone agreed that they were satisfied with both the use of the portal and the cooperation with the entire team behind it.”
For Anne Christine, the question wasn’t whether they should have a portal, but rather which provider to choose. After their first meeting, she quickly sensed what many of her customers had told her – credibility – and at the same time, she experienced how user-friendly and intuitive the board portal was.
A major advantage has been the ability to create the same structure in the portal as the previous folder structure on the computer.
“When you’ve always used one system and approach to information storage, it takes a great deal to change it. Therefore, it was a great advantage for me that I could create the same folder structure in the board portal and then upload all the folders directly. Obviously, when I had to start doing it all at once, it was a lot to take in. But with a little help from support, it worked – and now it’s easy,” says Anne Christine.
Easier preparation for board meetings
When we ask Anne Christine what the use of the portal has meant for her everyday life, the answer is clear: “The preparation for the board meetings has become much easier.” Anne Christine continues: “I now have the opportunity to get everything ready for the next board meetings in advance directly in the portal. After all, part of our board meetings is precisely about deciding on the applications that come in – and they always arrive right up to a deadline. Therefore, it saves me time when I can use the portal’s functions for preparation.”
One of the major benefits for Anne Christine is the ease of using the portal – the various features designed specifically for board work make the whole process simpler. When we ask more, it’s the ability to search globally in all cases and the ability to drag documents and e-mails directly into the portal, as well as the fact that their fixed agenda template is always in the portal.
What Anne Christine is most excited about is that you can send documents directly to their telephones for signature. Where she used to drive out to the individual board members to get their signature, she can now send it directly to them via the portal.
What values has it created for you and the company?
As a starting point, it was perhaps not entirely visible what value it had created for the Christian Nielsen Foundation or for Anne Christine’s work. However, it has definitely made it easier for both the board and her in her day-to-day work, and the security of storing confidential documents is also a significant factor – so on reflection, it has freed up a lot of time and therefore value.
“Unlike before, where only I had access to all previous documents, the entire board now has access to all previous documents.”
“It has definitely created more security in relation to the fact that we work with confidential documents, which are now handled securely and are encrypted. Then there’s the ability for everyone to have access to all documents and the signature option, which we actually also use for various powers of attorney outside of board work, says Anne Christine and continues, “In addition, we are pleased that we have also become more environmentally conscious, as we don’t print all materials anymore.”
The whole board is very happy – and when you’re working with people at different technical levels, it’s a huge help that support is ready to help. “We are happy with the support – and that it is there when we need it.”
Why did the choice fall on the BetterBoard Board Portal?
“It was important for us to feel that there was good chemistry and that there was a desire to meet our needs and adapt some functions that we needed. We’re somewhat of a legacy company, where trust and credibility are an important part of our DNA – and after our first meeting with BetterBoard, we could tell that we would get what was promised and that your company is built on some of the same values – “We trust what you say.” concludes Anne Christine.
I would definitely recommend it to others. The whole way we have experienced onboarding, subsequent support and all the portal’s functions, which make my work in everyday life easier, and at the same time that the board has access to everything, including the possibility to sign the documents, is a huge advantage for Christian Nielsen’s Foundation .
