How to measure the ROI of public board management software

Making the decision to invest in any technology for your public board can be tricky, particularly if it’s hard to quantify the return on that investment. You don’t want to pay out for software that doesn’t deliver value, especially when using taxpayer money.

Have you been considering board management software and need to get the rest of the board to understand its benefits? This article outlines how to measure the ROI of board management software so you can bring a clear business case to your next public board meeting.

The Expense of Inefficient Public Board Meetings

Wasteful board processes not only cost time — they also leave your board at risk of reputational harm, lost productivity, and more.

• Lost time & cumbersome workflows: Minutes wasted here and there by staff and trustees add up to hours of waste throughout your district.
• Diminished morale: Time-consuming, manual processes drag down teams and damage engagement.
• Ineffective decision-making: Board members who lack access to the right data at the right time risk compromising decisions.
• Enhanced risks: Ineffective, antiquated processes increase the likelihood of data loss, breaches, and regulatory issues.

In contrast, streamlined digital workflows minimize risks, save time, and keep data up to date. What’s the outcome? More informed decisions, cost reductions, and greater trust with your community.

Hidden Costs of Not Having Board Management Software

Not leveraging the latest tools, public boards incur a myriad of hidden costs:

• Possible data breaches & reputational threats – Stakeholders anticipate strong data protection.
• Wrong choices – Inadequate data access results in costly mistakes.
• Material security threats – Emailing or printing confidential board packs compromises data.
• FOIA requests – Without the centralized, searchable records that come with Dess Digital Meetings, responding to requests costs time and money.
• Noncompliance with open meeting laws – Errors here mean costly civil fines.

With Dess Digital Meetings, you reduce these risks by having secure, compliant, and transparent board operations.

How to Measure the Return on Investment of Board Management Software

The ROI formula is straightforward:

(Benefit of the Software – Cost of the Software) ÷ Cost of the Software x 100 = ROI %

But whereas the cost is easy to calculate, the benefits encompass both hard savings (money, time) and soft benefits (engagement, reputation, transparency).

Hard Benefits of Dess Digital Meetings

The easiest to measure are time and cost savings:

• Meeting preparation: Streamline agenda creation, document refreshes, and distribution.
• Version control: Eliminate reprints and resend the latest files.
• Lower printing & postage expense: Fully paperless.
• FOIA request effectiveness: Search and publish materials to the community instantly.
• IT time savings: Easy admin tools mean no reliance on IT help.

For instance, Forrester research demonstrates boards are able to save 50–60% of the time normally dedicated to preparing and sharing meeting materials — hundreds of hours annually.

Soft Benefits of Dess Digital Meetings

While more difficult to quantify in dollars, soft benefits derive substantial long-term ROI:

• Enhanced perception & trust: Show commitment to best governance practices.
• Increased board engagement: Simplified tools enhance responsiveness and participation.
• Quicker reporting: Committees can report directly into the board portal.
• Improved decision-making: Up-to-the-minute access to current information results in more informative discussions.
• Better onboarding: Offer pre-induction and ever boarding resources for new members.
• Increased transparency: Post materials, stream meetings, and keep citizens engaged.
• Accessibility compliance: Functionality such as closed-captioning and text-to-speech supports inclusion.
• Policy lifecycle management: Drafting, editing, approval, and publishing — all managed in one place.
• Enhanced data security: Safeguard against data breaches that cost millions.
• Expert collaboration: With Dess, you have a partner familiar with governance, risk, and compliance.

The ROI is Demonstrated

When you take hard cost savings and combine them with soft governance advantages, the ROI of board management software becomes apparent. With issues such as cybersecurity, compliance, transparency requirements, and increased public expectations, the actual question is:

Can your board afford not to adopt digital transformation?

With Dess Digital Meetings, public boards, schools, and government agencies can cut costs, improve efficiency, and reinforce community trust — all while protecting sensitive information.