Minutes of meetings of directors are documents that should reflect the exact events that took place during the meeting: what issues were discussed, what motions were put forward, the names of those present and absent, the results of votes, and decisions made. However, it can take a lot of effort and time to create minutes. To remedy this, modern technology provides you with software for meeting minutes that will make your job several times easier. In this article, we will take a look at the best offerings of these solutions.
What should you look for in meeting minutes tools?
To pick a quality meeting minutes software, you should rely on the following features:
- A user-friendly text editor -The minutes are a document, and therefore the tool for editing that document should be as simple and easy to use as possible
- Flexible, customizable templates – Templates are something that will save a lot of time when creating a protocol. Your provider should provide the ability to customize templates, both their structure and the ability to add your style and format, as fixed by statute
- Easy approval of meeting minutes – it usually takes a long time to approve minutes manually, but with minutes creation tools, the document can be forwarded and approved in minutes
- Easy access for all members – It is important that the software allows you to send documents to a group of people in a couple of clicks, so you can quickly send minutes to other board members after the meeting
- Audio recording, playback, and transcription – with these features, the secretary can easily record other participants’ conversations during the meeting, while taking notes, so you don’t have to worry if you missed something
Minutes of meeting software – review of the best
Below we will do a brief review of the best meeting minutes software and their features:
- Evernote Review
Evernote is a great app for those who want to make writing notes during a meeting easier. The app comes with the option of customizable templates and audio recordings. In this way, you can create minutes templates exactly as your company format provides for them, and you are guaranteed not to miss any important information from the board meeting. The program also provides the ability to send the minutes to all other participants. The provider provides both a paid and a free plan. The paid plan starts at $8 per month.
- Beenote Overview
Beenote is a tool that helps with protocol planning and note-taking, but protocol formats are limited to only three types. The provider offers three plans, among which one is free and very limited in features, the second is paid and provides several integrations, and the third, with the most extensive features. As it allows you to keep closed records of meetings and has a registry of permissions. Prices for Beenote plans start at $2 and end at $10.50 per month.
- MeetingsBoosteer Overview
MeetingsBoosteer has useful integrations with Google Calendar, iCalendar, and Outlook. Users can use it to do things like prepare, host, and document a meeting. Even regular users have pretty extensive features in this program, but premium users also have analytics and feedback features. It’s best to check the price with your vendor.
- Fellow Overview
Fellow gives users access to a large assortment of meeting templates so you can use the right format of protocols and easily distribute them between users. Fellow provides the unique ability to work together to create an agenda, and the ability to leave feedback on a board meeting. The main disadvantage is the lack of voice recording and transcription.