What to Look for When Purchasing Agenda and Meeting Management Software

When shopping around for a new agenda and meeting management software vendor, there are many factors to consider. An educated decision is imperative as you consider the best tools and resources for your colleagues and residents. Here are some questions to keep in mind to help you on your quest for the right software for your municipality.

Reputation and Scalability

You want to feel comfortable that your agenda and meeting management software vendor is reputable within the industry and can scale solutions to fit your community’s needs. Whether the district has less than 1,000 residents or over one million, the vendor should provide scalable services that match demand. The right vendor knows the needs of government clerks are ever-evolving and that continued diligent research is necessary to understand the customer pain points better. No matter which vendor you choose, ensure they have earned the trust of peers who share your commitment to providing high-quality services scalable to any community size.

Seamless Integrations

As a clerk, you know better than most how many different video, document processing, and storage tools your administration uses. Zoom, Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, and Laserfiche are some of the top-used platforms. Consider if the software will or will not integrate with your other tools. Another primary consideration is accessibility. Can you and your stakeholders review agendas and meeting minutes from any desktop or mobile device? Ideally, look for an agenda and meeting management software that offers integrations with other key software tools in your tech stack. Such meaningful integrations as those with Zoom, your online code of ordinances, and your website, will save you time and expedite legislative updates to your community.

Being able to easily manage your entire legislative process within one cloud-based system, from building schedules to publishing codes of ordinances, is game-changing.

Training and Awards

There’s nothing worse than finding an agenda and meeting management software that meets your needs, only to implement it and then not know how to use it. A great vendor will offer customized, one-on-one training sessions with flexible formatting. Even better if they assign a dedicated implementation project manager focused on getting you and your co-workers comfortable running your new software. Regardless of your chosen vendor, ensure they have personalized training and outstanding technical support resources. You can find this out by asking about their support satisfaction, any awards they may have garnered, response time for support chat, and resolution rates.

Who Will You Pick?

When selecting the agenda and meeting management software right for your municipality, you have multiple factors to consider. If you can find a reputable vendor with seamless and scalable integration, personalized training, and award-winning technical support, you know you are on the right path. Want to learn more about purchasing the right agenda and meeting management software for you? Download our new checklist, Avoid Buyer’s Regret with These 22 Questions to Ask When Purchasing Agenda and Meeting Management Software.