BoardDocs was designed to work over a dial-up modem connection. While the experience will be better with a high-speed Internet connection, board members and the public will be able to view and navigate the BoardDocs system successfully using a dial-up connection.

What's the difference between your two products - BoardDocs and BoardDocs LT?

BoardDocs is our flagship product and a full-featured solution. BoardDocs LT is a lesser-expensive, "lighter" version ideal for small school districts or those who want to explore going paperless without committing to a more comprehensive service offering. For a side-by-side comparison, please visit our feature matrix.

What happens if we have trouble accessing the system after hours?

All BoardDocs services feature US-based, 7 x 24 technical support, free-of-charge to all subscribers. Simply dial us toll free at 800-407-0141, press "1" and you will be connected with a BoardDocs expert that will help you with questions or any problem you may have with BoardDocs.

Our organization is legally required to withhold sensitive information from the public; does BoardDocs provide a way to handle executive content?

Yes. BoardDocs has several ways for organizations to comply with the legal requirements of document management. At the agenda item level, the document publisher can choose to withhold the entire agenda item from the public. By withholding all agenda items for a meeting, the entire meeting will be withheld from the public. With BoardDocs, our full-feature solution, document publishers have even more options. Within an agenda item, content can be designated for public access, administrative access and/or executive access. This provides additional flexibility when distributing sensitive information.

What is Web 2.0 and why should it matter to me that BoardDocs is the only eGovernance company that features it?

Web 2.0 delivers an incredibly rich user experience by seamlessly delivering custom, application-like interfaces across multiple platforms with no need to install custom software or special end-user configurations. This fast, powerful, yet easy-to-use technology moves document management away from the IT department and to the individual that actually creates and manages documents. In short, Web 2.0 recognizes the power of the individual to drive and customize their experience on the Web. Some specific examples include: the ability to right-click to get menus in a browser; allowing end users to manage a custom packet; providing a platform to allow external management and collaboration on policy development; using a Web delivered application for BoardDocs publishers; providing the ability to integrate dynamic data into existing Web sites and much more.

Our board members are not tech savvy; how can we get them to use the system?

If they can use e-mail, they can use BoardDocs. We start with an easy-to-use, web-based interface designed to reduce the number of clicks needed to access information. The most relevant information, including the current meeting, policies in production and current news are just one click away. Once a user is logged in, there is no typing necessary to use the system. To ensure success, our implementation specialist will visit on-site and work with the BoardDocs users to show them how to use the system. We have experience training hundreds of board members and know how to make end users feel comfortable with the system.

What's the implementation process like, how long does it take and can your services be customized to our district?

There are a number of things that happen prior to implementation to ensure that the process goes seamlessly. Our team does extensive research on your specific needs, so that when we come out to do the actual install/training, you get exactly what you need, customized to your district. This research process includes frequent communications with your staff - future users and the IT folks.

To highlight the process: a "first call" to the primary contact introduces the implementation team, gathers preliminary information and sets up expectations moving forward - things like - Mac or PC?; what's driving the change to paperless/BoardDocs?; background info., etc. Next, a series of e-mail communications begin, outlining the training process - things the district should be doing prior to training, both with IT and administratively. At BoardDocs, your Support Team is brought up to speed on your specific situation, and technical specifications start getting exchanged with your IT department. Available dates for training are identified; links to other customers sites (most like yours) are forwarded to you for reference, etc. Communications are then initiated with your document publisher to understand how they are doing things now, so we can best design how they can do these things easier with BoardDocs. Here we are also sensitive to the "human" needs - some clients have never even used a computer before; some are nervous about learning a new system, etc.

As we get closer to implementation, there are operations calls. For example, you send us a prior meeting and we actually build that meeting in BoardDocs and share it with you before we come on site. There are last minute "check" calls, etc. The process generally takes 4-6 weeks, then training is scheduled as soon as feasible thereafter, based on your board, administration and IT availability.

Does BoardDocs support off-line viewing of information?

Because of the dynamic nature of the information on the BoardDocs system, it is recommended that users access BoardDocs on-line, using any Internet-connected computer. By viewing information on-line you will be assured that you are reviewing the most accurate and up-to-date information.

There are also several options for viewing information off-line; the easiest way is to designate the current meeting for "off-line viewing" using your browser's off-line viewing option. This will allow your system to synchronize the data with the server and provide access to the current meeting while off line. Synchronization of the entire database is not practical for authenticated BoardDocs users as the amount of data contained in the BoardDocs system is large.

What happens if the Internet is down during a meeting; do we get to go home?

Many things get blamed on computer or Internet problems, but with BoardDocs canceling a board meeting will not be one of them. BoardDocs features replication technology that provides a way for board members to switch to a replicated (copied) version of the database, served up by the BoardDocs Backup Server. The Backup Server is installed on the document publisher’s laptop at your facility and can be started quickly in the event of a network failure. Authenticated BoardDocs users can then access the BoardDocs database via their browser. Because of security concerns, only the public information will be available via the browser, but the document publisher will still have access to all data and can print copies of the agenda if needed. The backup server feature is not available with BoardDocs LT or BoardDocs Standard.

What kind of attachments does BoardDocs support and how many attachments can be placed in an agenda item?

BoardDocs does not restrict the type of attachments that can be placed in the system. However, we strongly recommend attaching files in PDF (Portable Document Format) format to ensure portability, readability and maximum file compression. BoardDocs.com has a limit of 250 attachments per agenda item. BoardDocs also supports "cut and paste," "import," and "drag and drop;" while BoardDocs LT supports multiple attachments per agenda item, only one can be attached at a time.

Our IT folks are curious about the reliability of the hardware and infrastructure behind the software...

Our server array/IT configuration is unsurpassed, supported by technology partners who are regarded as the undisputed, best-in-class providers of their services. Web serving is done via a pair of clustered Sun M3000 boxes, behind a pair of F5 enterprise load-balancers, each of which is on a separate backbone. These servers are hosted at the Qwest data center in Denver, on emergency backup environmental systems 24 x 7. The redundant power generator for this center is actually a jet engine which is engaged prior to even the slightest chance of normal power failure - if the weather forecast turns ominous, for example. Data for these servers is kept on a fiber array local to the machines; two independent copies of the data are kept, one for each Sun box, and each are stored on Raid-5 configured drives, so hardware failure is extremely unlikely. Additionally, each night between 11:30 PM and about 3:00 AM, a copy of production data is moved to a NAS-attached drive also kept in a Raid-5 configuration. This backup is kept for 1 week, except for Friday's backup, which is stored for 3 additional weeks.

Does BoardDocs provide a way to distribute information not associated with a meeting like Friday packets?

Yes. With BoardDocs or BoardDocs LT BoardNews, the document publisher can manage and distribute information not associated with a meeting. Examples can include a weekly update or news items to be released to the public. News stories can be designated for the board, administrative staff or shared with the public. Recent stories are shown on the summary page and separate lead stories can be designated for the public and authenticated users.

Is there a provision to print the agenda for a meeting?

Yes. While we find that most authenticated users and administrative staff no longer print the agenda, there is an easy-to-use provision for Board members and the administration to print the agenda.

Can I print the entire packet?

Yes, although without attachments. Attachments would need to printed individually. In practice, we have found that most authenticated users will focus most of their attention on one or two agenda items and prefer to selectively print agenda items and attachments rather than print the entire agenda.

I take notes on my paper packet; can you take notes in BoardDocs?

Yes, BoardDocs features an integrated sticky note function. Locally stored notes can be categorized and managed by the authenticated end user. The notes are private to the individual user. BoardDocs supports sticky notes, highlighted text, audio notes, and even file attachments.

Do I need to have web publishing skills to get documents on the web using BoardDocs?

No. The BoardDocs document publishing software is as easy to use as a word processor. It has a similar interface and functionality to a word processor - supporting embedded files, graphics, tables, font and paragraph formatting.

BoardDocs LT features basic font and paragraph formatting and embedded files. BoardDocs supports imports from most major file formats and all versions of BoardDocs support "cut and paste." You do not have to be a computer wiz to load documents into the BoardDocs database. Documents are stored in the database in a rich text format and automatically rendered to HTML when viewed in a browser.

Does BoardDocs have a spell checker?

BoardDocs has a spell checker; BoardDocs LT does not.

Can board members and other authenticated users see the agenda before it is released to the public?

Yes. Authenticated users can view agenda items as soon as they are activated. The public will have access to agenda items at a predetermined number of days prior to the meeting.

Who decides what the public can see and when?

The document publisher has complete control over what agenda items the public can see and the number of days prior to the meeting the agenda will be made available to the public.

Can the senior staff build meetings in BoardDocs and wait to release them to the board?

Yes. BoardDocs supports draft agenda items and draft meetings. In this way, meetings or any portion of a meeting can be loaded into the database and accessed by the senior staff prior to them being released to the board. This feature is not supported in BoardDocs LT.

Is there a way for the cabinet and senior staff to submit agenda items into the system?

BoardDocs supports the submission of agenda items to existing meetings by senior staff via a web interface. The submitted agenda items are designated as draft agenda items until the document publisher can review them and activate them. This feature is not supported in BoardDocs LT.

Can BoardDocs be used for committee, executive or closed meetings?

BoardDocs can be used for any meeting where a formal agenda is supported. Because the document publisher controls who can access the agenda items, BoardDocs can be used for closed and executive meetings as well.

How do documents get into the BoardDocs database?

BoardDocs has an intuitive user interface that works much like a word processor. Designated document publishers can import, attach or cut and paste documents into the system. There is also a Java-based web interface for senior staff to submit items to the document publisher via BoardDocs. BoardDocs LT has a Java based web interface that allows the document publisher to load documents into the system.

How do I build an agenda with BoardDocs?

Creating an agenda is easy. BoardDocs automatically creates the agenda based on the contents of the agenda items loaded into the system.

Does BoardDocs track voting?

With BoardDocs, there is a provision to track the action or motion, who made the motion, who seconded the motion and how each board member voted. There is even a way that your board members can vote on-line. With ScoreBoard, the public can see the results of every vote automatically. BoardDocs LT does not support voting.

How do I generate and publish minutes with BoardDocs?

BoardDocs features a minutes generator that produces basic minutes based on the information in the system. Once the minutes are generated, they can be exported to a standard word processing document for further modification and formatting. The minutes can then be placed in the system to be approved by the board at a future meeting. The minutes generator is not available in BoardDocs LT.

We currently have a web-based policy solution; why should I consider using BoardDocs for policies?

BoardDocs can be configured to link to your existing policy solution. Because of its many features, however, most organizations prefer to use the BoardDocs solution exclusively. BoardDocs features a comprehensive policy development, maintenance and publication system that is tightly integrated with BoardDocs. Unlike many on-line policy services, BoardDocs allows you to publish and manage the on-line database of policies, so policies are in the manual as soon as they are approved.

Do we have to purchase laptops or computers for all of our users, for instance board or council members?

Not necessarily. To support a fully paperless governance solution, board members will need Internet connected computers at home and in the board room. The board room computers can be setup prior to each meeting or the board members can bring assigned computers to the meeting. BoardDocs does not require state-of the-art computing power, so laptops can be recycled from other uses or the school itself.

I’m currently sending agendas, minutes, board briefs, news releases and policies to the IS department for posting to our web site; do I still need to do that with BoardDocs?

No. BoardDocs will automatically post meeting agendas, a list of upcoming meetings, minutes, policies under revision, the policy manual, the procedure manual, board news and all archived documents to your organization’s BoardDocs site. There is no need to send documents to IS, IT or the Web Master for further processing.

How do the public and the press see the information in BoardDocs?

During the meeting, the public will be able to follow the agenda and the results of all action using ScoreBoard. Prior to or after the meeting, the public and the press will access all documents via the organization’s web site. By simply clicking on a link, stake-holders will have access to the BoardDocs public interface for your organization.

We have specific ways of doing things, a special work-flow and custom forms; can BoardDocs be customized for our needs?

BoardDocs can easily be customized to match the work-flow and processes of any organization. The document publisher has a great deal of control over the work-flow and the contents of the forms. The system can be further customized by our development staff to meet your unique requirements.

Our policy manual is HUGE; how do we get all of that data into BoardDocs?

If the policy manual exists in electronic form such as word processing documents it is very easy to import or cut and paste into the system. The organization’s staff can load the policy system into BoardDocs or Emerald Data Solutions can do it for a small fee. Policy manuals that exist on paper only can be scanned and loaded into BoardDocs or re-typed from scratch.

What do we do about documents that come to us on paper; can they be scanned into the system?

They can be scanned to a PDF format and attached to agenda items, news stories or policies.