Paperless Meetings Solutions

Transcription

1 s Prepared by Mike Gagel, Director of Information and Education Technology Maggie Li, Executive Assistant August 2009

2 Paperless Meetings Evaluation Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...3 BACKGROUND... 5 Paperless Meetings Timeline... 6 Specifications Required... 6 Solutions Evaluated... 6 SOLUTIONS COMPARISON... 7 SOLUTION 1 Acrobat PDF Writer by Adobe (status quo)... 8 SOLUTION 2 DocuWorks by Xerox... 8 SOLUTION 3 Meeting Manager by icompass Technologies... 9 SOLUTION 4 eboard Solutions by Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) SOLUTION 5 Electronic School Board by InterCom Network COST COMPARISON RECOMMENDATION

3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3

4 Executive Summary Further to the Board s request during the April 2009 Board meeting, staff evaluated several paperless meetings solutions currently available in the market. Required specifications for the solution were considered and the following five products were selected for evaluation: 1. Acrobat PDF Writer by Adobe (status quo) 2. DocuWorks by Xerox 3. Meeting Manager by icompass Technologies 4. eboard Solutions by Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) 5. Electronic School Board by InterCom Network Each software vendor provided BCSTA with a demonstration where the different features of the solutions were showcased. Staff considered the practicality of each product, weighed its pros and cons and reviewed the cost structure. Based on the current needs and resources of our association, it is recommended that BCSTA Board continue to use the Acrobat PDF Writer solution. At no additional cost, Acrobat PDF Writer meets the needs of the Board to conduct paperless meetings and it is compatible with Elluminate, the teleconference software for our remote meeting options. While the other solutions have compelling features or additional functionality, the products are too costly and exceed the needs of the association at this time. As the association evolves technologically, the Board may want to reconsider the more advanced paperless meeting solutions to conduct committee meetings and Provincial Council meetings. Out of the solutions evaluated, Electronic School Board provides the scalability and diversity that could be suitable for our other governance meetings such as Provincial Council. However, this solution would require all councillors to have access to a laptop or netbook in order to participate in the meeting. 4

5 BACKGROUND 5

6 Background Paperless Meetings Timeline January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May-July 2009 August 2009 Board agreed to eliminate paper agendas at Board meetings Board conducted first paperless meeting using laptops and netbooks Board conducted first paperless meeting remotely using Elluminate Board requested staff to evaluate paperless solutions available in the market Staff evaluated paperless solutions Staff presents different paperless solutions and recommendations to the Board for consideration Specifications Required Paperless meeting solution Cost has to be low, can we justify purchasing a new solution comparing it to current solution (Acrobat PDF Writer)? Integration with existing technologies DocuShare, Elluminate User practicality how easy is it for our Board to adopt? Scalability ability to use with other meetings such as Provincial Council (nice feature to have for future) Solutions Evaluated 1. Acrobat PDF Writer by Adobe (status quo) 2. DocuWorks by Xerox 3. Meeting Manager by icompass Technologies 4. eboard Solutions by Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) 5. Electronic School Board by InterCom Network 6

7 SOLUTIONS COMPARISON 7

8 Solutions Comparison SOLUTION 1 Acrobat PDF Writer by Adobe (status quo) Features Pdf formatted documents Integrates directly with DocuShare Easy navigation bookmarks to each agenda item Minimal training required Cost is minimal as Acrobat Writer is already purchased and Acrobat Reader is free Works with Elluminate, just add pdf to whiteboard Consideration Lack of annotation features (ability to make notes on package) Meetings are not pre-templated Initial template creation for meeting preparation is labour intensive (no drag and drop feature) SOLUTION 2 DocuWorks by Xerox Contact Kristen Keating, Inside Solutions Specialist Xerox Canada Ltd. Toll Free: Ph: / Intelnet 8* kristen.keating@xerox.com Features Users can annotate document with highlights, post-its, comment on post-its Integrates directly with DocuShare Ability to create virtual binders Drag & drop functionality allows different types of documents to be created in the same binder Easy navigation creates hyperlinked binder index, can create drop down menu from table of contents that jump to each agenda item (can also add tabs to each document section further reinforce the virtual binder look/feel) Final document can be exported to pdf Works with Elluminate, just add pdf to whiteboard or share out DocuWorks application Consideration Very similar to current pdf solution Meetings are not pre-templated Cost (more costly than PDF-only solution, but significantly cheaper than following solutions) 8

9 Solutions Comparison SOLUTION 3 Meeting Manager by icompass Technologies Contact Jason Cacaci, Sales Manager - North America icompass Technologies T: x 118, Direct (250) x jcacaci@icompasstech.com Background Used by 400 public organizations Used by BoE: Cranbrook, Kamloops, Gold Trail Features Simplified meeting agenda generation Has meeting templates for easy creation of new meetings Has built in tracking components board correspondence, board decisions, strategic priorities Minutes are generated directly as the meeting is built Agenda packages come in html or pdf Councillor Notes in pilot ability to add comments to agenda package Works with Elluminate, just add pdf to whiteboard or share out application (just agenda package, not tracking) Consideration Cost see partnership offer below No direct integration with DocuShare, need to duplicate files in FilePro (icompass document management solution) Sophisticated solution for our agenda package needs (given that we only have 9 meetings a year) No voice over IP (VoIP), but can use Skype or conference call line Partnership Offer $10K, for setup, training & implementation No annual fee, 3-year minimum contract Promotion obligation Reference letter upon satisfaction of implementation Case study of BCSTA use 9

10 Solutions Comparison SOLUTION 4 eboard Solutions by Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) Contact Diane Sandifer, EBS Account Executive eboardsolutions, Inc dsandifer@gsba.com Consideration (not viable at this time) Content will be stored in the US Advised that they are not ready to conduct business with Canada at this time Features - eboard modules: Strategic Plan Monitor, track manage and report on the organization s strategic plan to all stakeholders Strategic Plan Demo Have strategic improvement plan template Create specific action items that support strategic plans Filter action list, communicated to others in assn, determine progress Meetings Streamline agenda preparation and enhance the effectiveness of all meetings (not just board meetings) Can be used for any groups within the association/school district Meeting Demo Left menu - agenda Goal scorecard how each piece of the agenda item ties back to the strategic plan Supporting link and documents on every page Right menu Add sticky notes on each agenda item Reports meeting packet can be downloaded and printed All web based download meeting Meeting minutes attendees recorded, publish minutes right from the navigation bar Policy Publish policies, regulations and exhibits for easy access by all stakeholders Keep existing policies and manage policies Communications Improve communications with all stakeholders Documents Build an online library for easy access to important documents 10

11 Solutions Comparison Evaluation (to come in late 2009) Board self assessment and superintendent evaluation Support Telephone support Live chat User forum elearning Portal - self paced training, free webex training newsletters customer tools assessment and checklist, cost savings Questions 1. Is the eboard website a duplication of a regular website? How do we integrate the two if we have an existing website? eboard not designed to replace, but to compliment add and take away from modules as needed 2. Where are all the documents kept? On our server? Maintained by eboard solution server. Don t have any one managing the data remotely. 3. The first example, is that an administration view? Or is it the Board view? Do all the Board keep track of mover/seconder? Can toggle between different modes which have different security and permissions (admin, board, public, staff) 4. Do board members have laptops? Paperless board meetings Yes, can have personal laptops Can view on screen projected image Can conduct meeting in conjunction with Elluminate or WebEx 11

12 Solutions Comparison SOLUTION 5 Electronic School Board by InterCom Network Contact Matt Smethurst, Solutions Consultant InterCom Network P: matt@intercomnetwork.com Background Used by Abbotsford Board of Education Features Role based your role on the board or as staff dictates product functionality, e.g., building agenda items, view agenda package Date driven calendar with upcoming meetings Product can be run on local server (e.g., on BCSTA server) When revised agenda items are uploaded, they are highlighted when the board member logs in to view package Comments area allows board members to write notes that are not viewable by others Can print out agenda package (but not any attachments) Only need internet access to get to agenda package and conduct meeting No voice over IP (VoIP), but can use Skype or conference call line Voting (over and above what is available in Elluminate) Captures how each board member voted for each action item Has automated minutes builder, automatically captures voting results for minutes Public view of agenda and voting results can be displayed via 2 nd laptop and projector Cruise control - User screens are synced as the meeting progresses Cruise control can be disabled by members to explore other parts of the agenda. Members can resume cruise control to sync back to current agenda item with one button Staff author agenda items directly into the system Has meeting templates for easy creation of new meetings Built-in approval process to move agenda item through workflow (staff generates, ED approves) Consideration Voting features are a superset of what is available with Elluminate Not sure about scalability may have limitations (e.g. for PC) Cost in USD, 4-tier pricing available (Premier, Classic, Basic, Lite) 12

13 COST COMPARISON 13

14 Cost Comparison Solution Cost Pros Cons Acrobat PDF Writer by Adobe $0 Acrobat PDF Writer is already used by BCSTA Acrobat Reader is free Cost = $0! No training existing solution initial template creation for meeting preparation does not have annotation features DocuWorks by Xerox $1,590* for 10 client license $286.80/year for support DocuWorks Reader is free *Costs in CAD Cheap solution Annotation available Virtual binders similar to paper agendas Similar solution as Acrobat PDF Writer but offers virtual binder metaphor Meeting Manager by icompass Technologies $10,000 implementation fee no annual fee 3-year contract * Costs in CAD Templated meetings Tracking capabilities Annotation features under development Cost Training required for Board (end users) Promotion obligations eboard Solutions by GSBA Advised that they are not ready to conduct business with Canada at this time Electronic School Board by InterCom Network $18,900 implementation fee for Basic (tier 2) option $2,500/year for support 4-tier pricing available Reviewed features and selected Basic which best fits our needs Program and data can be kept onsite on our server Voting feature available Annotation available Cost Solution exceeds our needs (only 9 meetings per year) 14

15 RECOMMENDATION 15

16 Recommendation On the low end of the cost spectrum, two similar solutions are the Acrobat PDF Writer and DocuWorks. They can both produce PDF files, while the DocuWorks product offers the benefits of a virtual binder, which is a paperless version of our agenda packages and the ability to annotate directly in the virtual binder using post-its and highlighters. On the high end of the cost spectrum, two viable solutions are Meeting Manager and Electronic School Board both appear to be great solutions for school boards who have 2-3 meetings per month. Each solution has features which simplify the creation of meeting packages, minutes taking, and tracking of decisions during a meeting. Given the current fiscal climate and the low volume of BCSTA board meetings, we recommend that BCSTA Board continue to use the Acrobat PDF Writer solution. At no additional cost, Acrobat PDF Writer meets the needs of the Board to conduct paperless meetings and it is compatible with Elluminate, the teleconference software for our remote meeting options. If a virtual binder is appealing to board members, we would also recommend DocuWorks. As the association evolves technologically, the Board may want to reconsider the more advanced paperless meeting solutions to conduct committee meetings and Provincial Council meetings. Out of the solutions evaluated, Electronic School Board provides the scalability and diversity that could be suitable for our other governance meetings such as Provincial Council. However, this solution would require all councillors to have access to a laptop or netbook in order to participate in the meeting. 16