Ensuring good internal collaboration is sometimes a challenge. And when it comes to conducting team meetings remotely, everything becomes even more complicated if this practice is not in your habits. However, managing remote contacts and meetings can be very simple as long as you have the right collaborative tools and adopt good practices. 

Just because you can't meet your colleagues in a conference room doesn't mean you have to give up the conduct of your meetings. On the contrary, online meetings allow you to :

* Maintain the link with your teams even from a distance
* Ensuring the realization of your activities and projects in any situation
* Ensuring that decisions are made under all circumstances
* Keep a written record of oral exchanges, regardless of the communication system used.

We have analyzed for you a few tools that promote virtual collaboration. They all have the advantage of offering videoconferencing solutions that will facilitate contact and communication between members of your teams, especially when they work remotely.

## Zoom

_Zoom_ is a simple and intuitive video conferencing solution. Using a simple link, participants join a virtual room and take part in the meeting. The tool is interesting because it does not require any prior installation for all participants. Only the meeting organizer needs to create an account in order to generate a link for his colleagues to access the virtual room. The solution is free as long as your meeting has less than 100 participants. Due to the specific context related to COVID-19, _Zoom_ has temporarily waived the condition of its free plan that limited group meetings to 40 minutes. Another notable advantage of _Zoom_ is that it offers advanced screen sharing options.

It should be noted that the application is currently controversial in terms of data security and confidentiality. Without condemning it, it is rather a question of observing the measures that the _Zoom_ team will take to remedy the problems raised. The company's CEO, Eric S. Yuan, has already reacted to this in a press release available on their blog.

## Slack

_Slack_ is an ideal internal chat tool to ensure good remote communication. An intuitive solution favored by many start-ups and small businesses, it offers the possibility to create chat channels with several members of your team or to exchange privately with a particular colleague. You can also organize audio calls or videoconference meetings involving several members. The solution also offers the "screen sharing" feature to animate your virtual meetings.

## Microsoft Teams

_Teams_, owned by Microsoft, is a solution equivalent to Slack. This tool also provides functionality for online meetings and has the advantage of being part of the Office 365 suite. The solution also includes a high quality screen sharing system. Currently, the limit on the number of participants in a video conversation has been removed in order to open up access to the platform.

## Skype

_Skype_, another tool offered by Microsoft, is ideal for small organizations. From the application, you can generate a call link to invite participants. They will be able to join the call via this unique link. The advantage? The tool is easy to use and free of charge. With _Skype_, you can also share your screen to show your work documents to other participants.

## Whereby

_Whereby_ also allows you to create a virtual room in just a few clicks to ensure that your meetings run smoothly. Simply share the link with participants to access the videoconference. The solution is free for up to 4 participants and also allows screen sharing. No download is required, you can access _Whereby_ via a web version. For large teams, there are pro and business versions.

## Jitsi

_Jitsi_ also offers a flexible videoconferencing solution with an integrated screen sharing system. The tool is completely free of charge, does not require the prior creation of an account and guarantees high audiovisual quality. To create your virtual room, simply generate a URL and share it with all participants. The strong point of _Jitsi_? The solution is Open Source and can be hosted anywhere. In Switzerland, _SWITCH_ and _Infomaniak_ offer Jitsi hosting so that you can ensure the confidentiality of your data.

In the end, whatever solution you choose, it’s mostly about following a few rules to ensure the efficiency of your online meetings:

1. Prepare documentation to brief your team on how to conduct the online meeting, especially if your team has not yet mastered the videoconferencing system.
2. Do some tests with your colleagues before the D-Day to make sure you master the tool you have chosen.
3. Clearly define the objectives of your meetings and systematically prepare a clear agenda in order to provide a common thread for future digital exchanges.
4. Set a meeting time beforehand and make sure to stick to the schedule.
5. Invite all participants to activate their webcam during the videoconference in order to bring virtual exchanges to life and improve everyone's engagement.
6. Share your screen as soon as you refer to a working document in order to put everyone on the same page.
7. Respect each person's speaking time and speak in turn to ensure the quality of the discussions.
8. If necessary, record oral exchanges to facilitate reporting (many video tools offer this feature).
9. Write a record of the discussions, highlighting the decisions made to ensure that activities are followed up.
10. Make sure that the tasks arising from the video meeting are clear and specify their respective deadlines if necessary.

To facilitate and guarantee the effectiveness of your remote meetings, opt for a meeting management tool that you will use as the main medium for your videoconference exchanges. This way, you will be able to share your agenda and all the necessary working documents with the participants while maintaining visual contact with them, as if you were all together in one room! Your virtual meetings can also be real moments of exchange and conviviality :-)

Do you want to increase the efficiency of your online meetings?

Find out how to use WEDO to prepare, conduct and monitor your meetings remotely.

::button-primary[Schedule a live demo]{link="/demo"}


There are multiple solutions that allow you to ensure your exchanges in videoconferencing. Through this article, we offer you a comparison of 6 tools to help you select the one that best meets your needs and expectations. As a bonus, discover some practical tips that will guarantee the efficiency of your digital discussions. Collaborate efficiently, even at a distance!

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6 videoconferencing solutions to bring your team together virtually

The causes of an ineffective meeting can be multiple: poor preparation, repetition, lack of commitment from the participants, poorly defined objectives, sterile debates, endless discussions that do not lead to any decision making... so many disappointments that weaken the productivity of your work teams. 

But how can we overcome the scourge of unproductive meetings? The solution lies in the implementation of simple practices that are, to say the least, essential to the smooth running of a working session. 

## 1\. Invite participants to prepare in advance by collaborating around the agenda

To begin with, all agendas for your meetings should be set and circulated in advance. A meeting is only effective if all participants are willing to contribute to the discussion. As a team leader, invite participants to prepare their contributions in advance to ensure the quality of future discussions. The best way to achieve this goal is to start by creating a common agenda that is accessible and modifiable by all team members. This will reinforce the engagement of the participants during the meeting since they will have contributed to its elaboration beforehand. Empower your teams by giving them a voice!

In addition to making your meetings more productive, working together to prepare for your meetings will be a first step towards a more inclusive internal culture. As a team leader, be sure to value everyone's ideas and contributions. Meetings are the ideal place to shape, grow and communicate your corporate culture.

With WEDO, create your agenda and invite your colleagues to contribute to the different items with the appropriate content (files, paragraphs, private notes...). This way you can collaborate on the preparation of your next team meeting.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2020_03_1_meeting_agenda_wedo_1024x575_ae325113b3.png)

 Would you like to create collaborative agendas for your meetings? 

::button-primary[Schedule a live demo]{link="/demo"}
::button-primary[Try WEDO for free]{link="/signup"}

## 2\. Ensure that everyone takes part in the discussions and respect everyone's speaking time.

On the day of the meeting, the initiator of the meeting must assume the role of "facilitator" by encouraging free exchange among participants. Be attentive to interactions by keeping a critical and constructive eye. It is also a matter of controlling the dynamics of the meeting while keeping the initial objectives in mind to ensure that they are achieved. Sometimes, one speaker can take precedence over more introverted others. To facilitate exchanges, make sure that everyone is able to give his or her opinion. Create a pleasant atmosphere for constructive and caring discussions among your team members.

What to do concretely when one or two people dominate the conversations?

* Go around the table to ask the opinions of the more discreet participants.
* Be aware of interruptions: if someone is interrupted, make sure they can finish what they are saying.
* Promote a caring environment by reminding that everyone's contribution is essential and that there are no "stupid" ideas or questions.

This environment will be conducive to generating ideas, making decisions and building stronger relationships to move forward together towards common goals.

Ineffective meetings are often characterized by their lengthy duration. If you can't manage to limit the time each person can speak, you will lose valuable time. Keep in mind that bringing a group of employees together in the same room represents a significant cost to the company.

Creating an agenda is the first step towards respecting your employees' time. It will help you stay focused on the purpose of the meeting while avoiding unnecessary digressions.

The second step is to highlight the importance of punctuality. If a participant tends to be late for team meetings, give them your comments as an aside.

Finally, respecting everyone's time also means being able to recognize when a meeting must be cancelled or shortened. If most members are absent or agenda items have already been dealt with at another time, don't monopolize your team's precious time and let them focus on their priorities and possible upcoming deadlines.

## 3\. Take a moment to review the work that has been done and ask questions about constraints and concerns.

As a leader, take the time to recognize the work done by your team during your meetings. Plenary encouragement will enhance the value of the whole group by providing a positive and constructive dynamic. In addition, this practice will have the advantage of subtly showing the way to those who have not worked according to your expectations. Public praise will encourage them to follow the example of what has earned your recognition.

However, make sure that you adapt to everyone's personality. While most people like to be publicly praised, some people may not like public recognition.

Alternatively, invite the rest of the group to give their opinion. You may wish to include a section dedicated to participant feedback in your agenda item list. This is a great way to encourage employees to recognize the work of their colleagues. Acknowledging the work done by your team will lead to a productive dynamic while creating strong group cohesion.

Due to poor communication, the front-line problems of an organization may not be known to management. To avoid this, hold bilateral meetings as well as team meetings to ask colleagues about blockers that could prevent them from doing their jobs.

As a team leader, valuing transparent communication will create an environment that is conducive to problem solving. If your employees are confident, they will dare to talk openly about the obstacles they encounter in their daily work. Together, you will be able to solve them in order to reach the objectives set. So invite your colleagues to talk about their concerns: at your team meetings, go around the table regularly so that everyone can express themselves freely and honestly.

## 4\. Establish efficient monitoring of activities

Follow-up actions are probably the most important part of your team meetings as they will help you achieve your goals. At the end of the meeting, your team members need to be clear about what is expected of them. It is a matter of answering the famous question of "who does what and for when". You don't organize meetings just to discuss various subjects: the main goal is to give substance to concrete actions. The follow-up to the meeting must therefore be treated with as much attention as its preparation. At the end of the meeting, already think about the next one in order to ensure an effective follow-up.

What is the best way to ensure effective monitoring of operations?

One of the most effective methods is to make a clear note after each topic discussed in the meeting of the tasks arising from it. Also think about directly assigning your tasks in order to get your team up and running as quickly as possible.

3 tips for writing clear and punchy tasks:

* Begin with an infinitive verb to suggest action
* Be as precise as possible! Think that the task must be understood by a third person.
* Assign a person responsible for each task and specify its deadline.

WEDO combines dynamic reporting with collaborative task management. Enter your tasks directly in meetings, delegate them to your colleagues and specifying their deadlines. Your team will be able to ensure the follow-up of operations at the end of the meeting.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2020_03_2_assign_tasks_during_meeting_wedo_1024x575_6b9401c77f.png)

Would you like to create tasks directly during your meetings?

::button-primary[Schedule a live demo]{link="/demo"}
::button-primary[Try WEDO for free]{link="/signup"}

## 5\. Share the report with all participants.

To ensure the success of the follow-up process, make sure to distribute the minutes of the meeting discussions. Your team members should have quick access to support that they can rely on to complete their tasks. A team meeting will fail if participants are not clear about what they need to do after the meeting. To facilitate communication, it is essential to make sure that the minutes of your discussion are well presented: highlight the collective decisions and the tasks to be carried out. Make sure that important information stands out clearly so that it is retained by your colleagues. The record of your discussions will ultimately validate the relevance of your meeting in the eyes of the participants.

With WEDO, distribute reports to participants in just a few clicks directly from the platform.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2020_03_3_send_meeting_minute_to_assignees_wedo_1024x575_72b855da94.png)

## 6\. Seek input from team members about meeting organization

The opinion of your colleagues counts and will allow you to optimize the conduct of your meetings. If your team is convinced of the relevance of your meetings, it will be better able to deliver quality work. Nobody likes wasting time! Moreover, giving employees the opportunity to express their opinions will also help you develop an inclusive culture and ensure that all your meetings will be useful in the future. Ask your team members concretely what they think would make your meetings more effective.

Alternatively, at the end of the meeting, ask your collaborators to give your meeting a score of 1 to 3 :

* 3: this meeting is well organized and allows me to achieve my objectives.
* 2: the meeting is useful but its organization needs improvement.
* 1: I feel that I have wasted my time, this meeting was not useful to me.

Invite each participant to indicate how many points they tune with their raised fingers and quickly survey the room. Finally, ask the most sceptical participants to communicate the points of improvement they feel are necessary.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2020_03_end_of_meeting_aa13165fe0.gif)

Do you want to improve the conduct of your team meetings using a technological and easy-to-use tool? WEDO is the solution to make your meetings useful and efficient!

::button-primary[Schedule a live demo]{link="/demo"}
::button-primary[Try WEDO for free]{link="/signup"}

As a team leader, you are regularly called upon to organise meetings but are not convinced of their effectiveness? Rethink the organisation of your work sessions by observing a few key principles. Here are some tips that will improve the conduct of your meetings and the commitment of your teams. 

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6 tips for conducting an effective team meeting

> When our workload becomes substantial, getting organized on a daily basis can sometimes seem impossible. How to approach your day positively when you feel overwhelmed by the amount of work and its tasks? 

It is not always easy to know where and how to start. To avoid being overwhelmed by stress, simply take a step back: do not jump in head first into the workload! Before starting, take the time to write, prioritize, schedule and delegate tasks. You will necessarily be more efficient and productive. But how to proceed methodically? By following four basic steps, you will approach your work day in a calm and thoughtful manner. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_10_4_etapes_pour_mieux_gerer_vos_taches_au_quotidien_cba3791351.png)

## First step: write down what you have to do

Before trying to prioritize and plan, start by checking your emails, your personal notes and the current projects you are participating in to clearly define all the work you have to do. From this global view, break down your work into different tasks, such as a bulleted list. This will help you visualize what there is to do according to each project, work group or department.

## Second step: prioritize your tasks

The second step consists in prioritizing tasks, which does not always seem easy at first sight. However, a simple method can help you. When managing different cases, it is important to distinguish between urgent and important tasks. Two adjectives not to be confused! Dwight David Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States, initiated the Eisenhower Method, which stems from his famous quote: “what is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important”. How to manage a schedule according to this method? The principle is quite simple and proposes to divide tasks into four categories. According to the Eisenhower Principle, tasks can be:

* **Urgent and important;** tasks that require immediate attention and that contribute to the achievement of your long-term goals.
* **Not urgent but important;** tasks that have a deadline set to a more or less long-term and that also contribute to the achievement of your personal goals.
* **Urgent but not important;** tasks that require immediate attention but do not contribute directly to the achievement of your long-term goals.
* **Not urgent and not important;** tasks that have no impact on your long-term goals but still need to be addressed.

This distribution of tasks, which should be established according to your goals and needs, will encourage you to work on the urgent and important tasks in priority. In sum, urgent and important tasks are the ones you should address immediately, whereas the not urgent but important tasks are to be planned. The urgent but not important tasks represent tasks linked to the goals of other people (such as tasks to do in the context of a collective project). Hence, you can delegate them to third parties as much as possible. Tasks that are neither urgent or important can be moved to a sort of “suggestion box”. These tasks are not essential at the moment, as they do not have a direct influence on your long-term goals, but they should still be kept in mind. The main idea is that tasks should be frequently reviewed, and their relevance should be analyzed to see if their status is changing.

## Third step: plan the important tasks

Once you have determined which are the most important tasks, you can then plan their achievement in the short or long-term according to their degree of urgency. You can first try to organize your week, then divide your tasks according to your working days.

For all important tasks, try to set a planning date according to your time schedule. The planning date represents the date on which you wish to complete the task. It differs from the due date, which puts an end to the deadline. When you decide to schedule your tasks, think about specifying their deadlines if you know the exact due date. 

In your work routine, you probably have tasks that recur. Try to determine which are the recurring tasks before defining their frequency: daily, weekly, monthly, annual. This will help you ensure the management of your main activities.

## Fourth step: delegate certain tasks

In your daily life, you are likely to collaborate and work in teams. Not important but urgent tasks are probably the ones you could delegate: they are not considered important in terms of your responsibilities but still need to be addressed and completed within a short period of time. These tasks could be the ones that contribute to the achievement of a collective project but that do not depend solely on you. When delegating a task to a colleague, make sure to follow up by adding, for example, a comment that explains why you assigned the task to that person in particular. You can also define a due date to make sure it will be achieved in time. Be as clear as possible in your statement to simplify collaboration. 

## With this approach, organize your time efficiently.

This method will allow you to plan your time schedule in a realistic way. Avoid overloading yourself by overestimating your daily productivity! Set clear and achievable goals. Address your tasks one by one. From one day to another, check your progress: were your planned tasks completed? If that is the case, it means that your goals were reasonable. If on the contrary, certain tasks have not been completed, try to reduce the number of tasks to achieve per day and try to evaluate the time of achievement of each of them. Good planning will reduce the number of urgent and important tasks that can be a source of stress.

To optimize your organization at work, there are many existing tools that are made to revolutionize your way of managing tasks. Find the solution that works best for you: adopt a single and flexible tool that corresponds to your way of working. This will save you time and improve efficiency.

Would you like to improve your everyday organization?

::button-primary[Schedule a live demo]{link="/demo"}

When our workload becomes substantial, getting organized on a daily basis can sometimes seem impossible. How to approach your day positively when you feel overwhelmed by the amount of work and its tasks?

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Organization: 4 steps to improve the management of your daily tasks

Although meetings are integral to a company, there are many executives and employees who complain about their length being sometimes excessive. In January, a study conducted by Doodle[^1]  revealed that Swiss employees spent an average of 5 hours per week in meetings. So how can you improve the efficiency of meetings? 

An endless meeting is often the result of poor preparation. To save time during a meeting, there are a few steps that should not be neglected. The moderator, as well as the attendees, must contribute to the elaboration of the meeting in order to plan its frame and progress. The meeting agenda, which represents the discussion thread, needs to be established according to the goals of the meeting in order to stay focused. This will help employees progress efficiently without wasting time. 

## Before the meeting – a collective preparation 

### Ask yourself the right questions and set clear goals

> _According to the survey on meetings presented by Doodle, 72% of the interviewed employees think that a good meeting goes through clearly set goals!_

Before scheduling a meeting, key questions need to be addressed: 

**What is the purpose of the meeting?** The outcome of the meeting will serve as a guideline. This preliminary question will allow you to highlight the interest of the meeting for the attendees. 

**What are the main topics to address?** The following step is to define the topics to be addressed during the meeting to achieve the desired goal. These topics will be the items of the meeting agenda.

**Who are the people involved?** A meeting with a large number of presenters is likely to drag on. It is therefore important to gather only those who are directly involved in the topics, decisions and tasks to be performed. 

**What is the estimated time for the meeting?**  According to the number of topics to be addressed, try to estimate and set the duration of the meeting and stick to it on the day of the meeting.

### Establish an organized and clear meeting agenda

> _According to the survey on meetings presented by Doodle, 67% of the interviewed employees think that a good meeting goes through a clearly established meeting agenda._

**List the different items in the meeting agenda >**  A meeting agenda consists of a list of items that resume the topics to be covered during the meeting. The establishment of a precise meeting agenda will ensure efficiency and rapidity during the meeting and will thus avoid unnecessary digressions and off-topic debates. Depending on the topics to be addressed, you can build the frame of the meeting by choosing, for example, a list of points hierarchized in different levels (ex: 1., 1.1, 1.2, 1.3,). If this organization does not seem relevant to you, you can try to group the items to address according to criteria that makes sense regarding the type of meeting: _departments or services concerned, addressed topics, topics ordered according to the interventions of different presenters, steps of the project to realize,_ etc.

**Define the role of the presenters >**  Depending on the established items, define who will speak during the meeting. In order to avoid taking attendees by surprise, schedule each person’s interventions ahead of time according to the meeting agenda. This will encourage them to prepare the meeting and will improve the efficiency and length of the discussions.

**Make the meeting agenda accessible to allow attendees to consult it >** Once the meeting agenda has been established, make sure to share it with all the attendees a few days before the meeting. A good preparation of the different interventions will contribute positively to the smooth running of the meeting. Furthermore, a previously established meeting agenda is likely to ensure a well-organized and productive meeting. The attendees will feel concerned and will not have the impression that the upcoming meeting will be wasting their valuable time.

## During the meeting – the roles of the meeting moderator and the drafter

### Progress according to the set order 

On the day of the meeting, keep the goal of the meeting in mind. The moderator of the meeting is responsible for its smooth running and must avoid any misplacements by following rigorously the pre-established meeting agenda. This will avoid the attendees to feel lost and they will be able to follow the discussions by referring to the common frame previously diffused. 

### Address the covered topics in a systematic way

The moderator of the meeting must try to facilitate the task of the meeting minutes drafter by being clear and rigorous in the way he conducts the meeting. By discussing each item of the meeting agenda in a systematic way, you will ensure a productive meeting and meeting minutes drafting while avoiding wasting time. But how can you discuss the various items of the meeting agenda in a systematic way? 

Here is a solution that considers the discussion of each item of the meeting agenda following three steps that will come out as three separate blocks of information in the meeting minutes: 

**Step 1 – the minutes of the discussions:** Every topic covered in a meeting generally leads to a discussion that will need to be transcribed in the meeting minutes > _this constitutes the first block of information of the discussed item._

**Step 2 – the result of the discussions:** The decisions and high points of the preliminary discussions should be highlighted > _this constitutes the second block of information of the discussed item._ Many employees often complain about leaving a meeting without really knowing which major decisions were made. Highlighting them will avoid that kind of uncomfortable feeling.

**Step 3 – tasks arising from the decisions:** The attendees will have to perform various tasks to reach the set goals > _this constitutes the last block of information of the discussed item._ Thanks to a clear division of tasks to perform, the attendees will be operational as soon as the meeting ends. This will avoid people forgetting what they are supposed to do from a meeting to the next. 

This method will encourage you to proceed in an efficient manner and will facilitate the drafting of the meeting minutes. Furthermore, when the attendees will have to review the meeting minutes, they will easily obtain the necessary information. Needless to say, certain items will not require such a structure and can therefore be covered far more quickly – for example by using only one of the three proposed blocks of information. 

In summary, the success of a company meeting is largely dependent on its preparation. By focusing on clearly set goals and on a clear meeting agenda, you will necessarily limit the length of your meetings and thus keep the attendees active and concerned. Establishing a meeting agenda can sometimes seem tedious. The trick is to create a meeting agenda template according to the different meetings that you conduct. This way, from one meeting to the next, you will only have to make a few changes to the template of the previous meeting agenda for the upcoming meeting, without having to create a new one each time. 

Do you want to facilitate the preparation and conduct of your meetings?

::button-primary[Schedule a live demo]{link="/demo"}

[^1]: To carry out the study in question, more than 6’500 professionals from the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland and the United States were interviewed. Doodle also looked at the analysis of 19 million meetings to write this report: [Read the Doodle report](https://fr.blog.doodle.com/le-point-sur-les-reunions-en-2019/)

Do your company meetings tend to drag on? In this article you will find a few tips to limit their duration! 

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How to limit the duration of a meeting?

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In the ever-evolving world of technology, staying ahead of the curve is imperative to ensure that your software remains not just relevant but also efficient and user-friendly. This is precisely why we are thrilled to announce a major overhaul of our flagship software, WEDO.

Since its inception, WEDO has undergone significant growth and transformation. Our team has continuously worked to enhance its capabilities, introducing numerous features and functionalities to meet the evolving needs of our users. However, this growth led to the obvious - **the need for a complete code rewrite to ensure the software's longevity**.

Over the past year, our dedicated team of developers has poured their expertise and energy into this project. The result is a robust and future-proof version of WEDO, poised to deliver stability and lightning-fast performance for years to come.

But that's not all. We didn't stop at just rewriting the code. Alongside this technical overhaul, we've also reimagined the user interface, making it more intuitive and user-friendly. We've refreshed the color schemes and aesthetics to give the software a modern and appealing look. Additionally, we've incorporated several enhancements suggested by our users, further tailoring WEDO to meet your needs.

The countdown has begun. We're thrilled to announce that the new version of WEDO will be officially rolled out across all user networks in December 2023. Get ready to experience a faster, sleeker, and more powerful WEDO that will empower you to achieve even more 🚀





In the ever-evolving world of technology, staying ahead of the curve is imperative to ensure that your software remains not just relevant but also efficient and user-friendly. This is precisely why we are thrilled to announce a major overhaul of our flagship software, WEDO.

New, optimized version of WEDO collaboration software

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A fresh start for enhanced performance and user experience

Two Fribourg SMEs, WEDO and [Swiss Statistical Design & Innovation](https://swiss-sdi.ch/en/home/), have won the Trophées PME 2023 contest of the Fribourg conurbation. This distinction was awarded at the awards ceremony, held last Thursday at the Forum Fribourg, in the presence of some 200 guests. This biennial competition aims to reward dynamic and creative companies based in the conurbation, as part of its economic promotion activities.

**Competition winners:**

In the SME category, WEDO won over the jury with its innovative SaaS (Software as a Service) tool for preparing meetings, tracking tasks assigned to employees and drafting minutes in real time. The company now has 15 employees.

**Watch the video portrait of WEDO**

::youtube-video{#z-X-NnLfvhg}

As for the micro-company category, Swiss Statistical Design & Innovation stood out thanks to its artificial intelligence models based on "smart data" (intelligent data processing). Founded in 2018 by three EPFL engineers, the company has developed models capable of providing strategic advice based on statistical analysis and currently employs six staff.

© _Video credits: henrik.olofsson_

In the SME category, WEDO won over the jury with its innovative SaaS tool for preparing meetings, tracking tasks assigned to employees and drafting minutes in real time. The company now has 15 employees.

WEDO video, presented by the two co-founders

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Trophée PME : discover WEDO in video

In the context of digitalization, it is essential to improve the efficiency of administrative tasks within municipalities and public administration to ensure better delivery of public services. However, these entities are often grappling with time-consuming administrative activities that can hamper productivity.

Digital transformation offers valuable opportunities to automate administrative tasks. WEDO is a major asset in this field and has a proven track record as an cloud based, high-performance municipal government software. With its user-friendly interface, it enables local authority and public service professionals to quickly create, organize and manage essential documents. This automation frees up valuable time that can be reallocated to more strategic activities.

## Efficient management of committee meetings, town council meetings and municipal assemblies

Municipal meetings play an essential role in the decision-making process within public administrations. However, organizing and keeping track of them can be time-consuming.

WEDO simplifies this process by making it easy to create city council agendas or any other operational meeting agendas. The web app helps schedule meetings, write meeting notes, and share them easily and securely. As a result, we structure discussions better, make decisions faster, and closely monitor their implementation. WEDO is ideal for managing all types of meeting, whether bilateral or large-scale.

![government software solutions for municipal council meetings](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Administrations_publiques_6_EN_2f16bea765.png)


## Tracking discussions and decisions of council's and areas' meetings

Traceability of discussions and decisions is a key element in the transparent management of public administration. WEDO meets this requirement by recording every discussion, every decision and every task precisely and with a time stamp. This traceability guarantees complete documentation, promoting public accountability and trust in public institutions.

Before choosing a meeting manager, communities and municipalities should ensure that the software solution in question allows the management of access rights to certain areas and meeting minutes, so that sensitive information remains confidential.


## The benefits of a collaborative task management software for municipalities and local governments

A good task manager is essential for effective supervision of all areas of the commune. In WEDO, every member can get an overview of the status of every project, task, meeting and file.

This makes it possible to make informed decisions, identify potential bottlenecks and reallocate resources to optimize overall administrative productivity.

![Software for the management of operational daily business of municipalities](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Administrations_publiques_5_EN_ac2fe2fc90.png)


### The benefits of a task manager for an area manager:

**Organization and monitoring of activities:**
A task manager enables the area manager to maintain an organized list of activities and projects underway in his or her area. This gives him or her an overview of all tasks to be completed, their status and deadlines.

**Strategic planning in the public sector :**
Area managers can use a task manager to plan short-, medium- and long-term activities in their area. This helps him or her define objectives, allocate the necessary resources and develop strategies to meet community needs.

**Distribution of responsibilities :**
Using a task manager, the sector manager can assign specific tasks to members of his team or to other departments in the commune or town hall. He can assign priorities and keep track of who is responsible for what, promoting role clarity.

**Progress tracking :**
The task manager enables the area manager to monitor the progress of projects in real time. It can quickly detect delays or potential problems, enabling corrective action to be taken quickly.

**Internal communication:**
The Area Manager can use the Task Manager to communicate with his team and other departments in the commune. He can share information, documents and updates on ongoing projects without having to send e-mails. This boosts collaboration and cohesion within the town hall.

**Reduced forgetfulness:**
By recording all tasks to be completed in a task manager, the team leader minimizes the risk of oversight or neglect. He can be sure that nothing slips through the cracks and that all responsibilities are taken care of, with precise deadlines.


### The benefits of a task manager for the employee:

**Work management:**
A municipal software helps to keep track of the tasks assigned to the employee. They can organize their activities, set priorities and avoid oversights, all of which contribute to better workload management. Municipal operations can be managed from a computer, tablet or smartphone. This compatibility means that everyone, whether in the field or in the office, can find what they're looking for.

**Project and file tracking:**
A municipality management solution enables employees to track the progress of specific projects or files on which they are not working alone. They can note milestones achieved, important information and actions to be taken, making it easier to collaborate with other colleagues or departments in the municipality.

**Priority management:**
Employees can prioritize tasks according to importance and urgency. In this way, they can concentrate on activities that are crucial to the commune, and avoid being overwhelmed by lower-priority tasks.

**Reminders and notifications:**
Task managers often offer the option of setting reminders and notifications. This ensures that the employee doesn't forget deadlines, important meetings or actions to be taken, thus contributing to better punctuality.

**Personal assessment :**
A task manager enables employees to reflect on their own performance. They can analyze their achievements, identify areas for improvement and take steps to enhance their efficiency.



## Case study: How did the commune of Saxon (CH) breathe new life into its activities with WEDO?

In this article, you'll discover how the Commune de Saxon improved internal communication between its councillors, sector managers and staff. A successful implementation, both in terms of productivity and staff motivation:

[**Read article**](https://wedo.com/blog/commune-of-saxon-a-digital-revolution-in-municipal-administration)


::button-primary[Schedule a live demo]{link="/demo"}



In the context of digitalization, it is essential to improve the efficiency of administrative tasks within municipalities and public administration to ensure better delivery of public services.

Software helping municipalities and local authorities to manage their daily operations

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Administration publique-1 (1).png

Digital transformation of public administrations

Brainstorming sessions are often the crucible of creativity, innovative ideas and free expression. Whether around a meeting table or online, these dynamic meetings can take meandering paths, exploring an impressive array of ideas often represented by multicolored sticky notes or diagrams drawn on a whiteboard. However, in the midst of all this excitement, it's essential not to lose sight of the original objective: to generate ideas, productive discussions and, above all, informed decisions.

This is where the need to synthesize and record all those ideas comes in the nightmare of every brainstorming report writer. In this article, we'll explore the art of writing a brainstorming report, a document that captures the outcomes of these dynamic meetings. We'll look at how to turn the constructive chaos of brainstorming into a simple, clear and actionable written report for the future.

### Step 1: Preparing for the meeting

**1. Prepare in advance:** 
Familiarize yourself with the subject of the brainstorming session and make sure you have the tools you need to take notes. For greater speed and flexibility, consider using brainstorming tools for writing like WEDO.

**2. Prepare the brainstorming agenda:** 
At this stage, the agenda will mention only the general points on which the group should reflect and come up with innovative or creative ideas. These concepts should be kept broad, to leave the door wide open for creativity. In WEDO, these broad concepts are referred to as sections, which will then be broken down by participants' ideas into themes. This pre-defined agenda provides a framework for brainstorming.

**3. Identify roles**: 
If possible, appoint a moderator and a scribe. The moderator, often standing, facilitates discussion, illustrates and notes ideas on a board or sticky notes, and encourages participants to express themselves. The scribe transcribes and synthesizes the information into a report. When visual brainstorming, the script may need to regularly take photos of the discussion board to make sure no information is missed.

### Step 2: Note-taking during the brainstorming session

**1. List ideas:** 
Create a structured list of all the ideas generated during the meeting. WEDO lets you list each idea in themes for a clear structure. Take note of all ideas, even those that seem far-fetched or off-topic. Use key words, short phrases, photos or diagrams to record information quickly. 
    
![animer un brainstorming](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Brainstorming_Od_J_EN_f618169554.png)
    

**2. Record key discussions:** 
Take note of participants' points of view, debates and important discussions. This will help give context to the ideas generated.

**3. Encourage brainstorming decision making :** Whenever a decision is made, be sure to record it in your report, along with the reasons for it. With WEDO, you can formalize decision-making with the voting module, enabling you to come to a decision transparently and fairly.

![brainstorming output with the voting feature](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Brainstorming_Od_J_EN_1_1_5fea3e77db.png)

### **Step 3: Reorganize ideas and information**

It's hard to maintain a logical flow of ideas when brainstorming. Once the brainstorming session is over, it's time to organize the information gathered.

**1. Restructure the list of ideas if necessary:** 
Take the time to reorganize and group similar ideas into the right themes to define the common thread of your report.

**2. Summarize discussions:** 
Scan your notes to identify the most relevant or influential discussions. Summarize them concisely. Don't hesitate to use colors or emojis to structure your paragraphs or categorize ideas.

![synthèse de brainstorming en ligne](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Brainstorming_lister_idees_EN_76019bb7e2.png)

**3. Highlight decisions:** 
Highlight all decisions made during the brainstorming session. In WEDO, you can decide on a decision so that it becomes official and is highlighted in your report.

### Step 4: Write the brainstorming report

Now that you've organized the information, it's time to write the report itself:

**1. Introduction:** 
Start with a brief introduction explaining the purpose of the brainstorming session, the date, the participants and the context.

**2. List of ideas:** 
Present the list of ideas generated during the brainstorming session in the form of sections and themes.

**3. Conclusions and decisions:** 
Decisions can be listed in each theme, but they can also all be duplicated and added to a special theme, summarizing all the decisions made during the meeting. This summary will delight those who need a quick overview of the meeting's outcomes.

![Synthèse des décisions](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Brainstorming_Od_J_EN_2_2745b387be.png)

**4. Action plan:** 
End the report with an action plan. Outline the next steps to be taken, the actions to be taken and the people responsible for implementing them. In a WEDO report, you can create tasks directly in the report. The task will include a description, a deadline, a responsible person and an observer if required, as well as attachments or comments. These tasks will be sent automatically to each participant's task manager, for easy project follow-up.

![Action plan brainstorming](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Brainstorming_Od_J_EN_3_c31b07dc14.png)

In conclusion, writing up the outcome of a brainstorming session requires preparation, effective note-taking and organization. WEDO software is an invaluable brainstorming tool for simplifying this process, centralizing information and facilitating team collaboration. Your brainstorming reports will become valuable documents for decision-making and future planning. It also allows you to conduct brainstorming meetings online.

Interested in this topic? In a future article, we'll be taking a closer look at the second key role in a brainstorming meeting: that of the facilitator. We'll look at the most effective methods for engaging participants and encouraging creativity.

In this article, we'll explore the art of writing a brainstorming report, a document that captures the outcomes of these dynamic meetings. 

Productivity

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