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> _Sick of long, unproductive meetings? Two Fribourgeois propose a digital solution, WEDO, to make them efficient. Explanations._

Between three and six weeks a year: that's the time we spend on average in work meetings, according to a survey published in 2017 by the Opinionway Institute for the business consultancy firm Empreinte Humaine. According to this survey of a thousand employees in companies of various sizes and in a variety of economic sectors, nearly one out of every two sessions is considered unproductive. More than 25% of the respondents do not see the need to participate. As a result, 44% of them discreetly use their smartphone to do something else during this time (typically reading and sending emails).

This scourge has a name: Meeting madness. Antoine Sudan and David Dutch suffered from it for several years after graduating from engineering school. "Meetings are not useless in themselves," they say at the outset. "The problem is that they are poorly prepared, the agenda is not respected and you come out of them far too often without being sure of what has been decided. Amazed at the time they spent on this commendable but frustrating exercise, Antoine Sudan and David Dutch developed the WEDO web application. That was in 2014\. Today, four years and thirty updates later, this web application is used by more than a hundred organisations, municipalities and companies in French-speaking Switzerland, including Groupe Mutuel, Groupe E Connect, HES-SO Fribourg and Banque Cantonale de Fribourg.

Neither blockchain, Dropbox, nor intranet, WEDO is a collaborative platform whose layout automatically adapts to the size of the screen you use (iPhone, PC...). It is in fact an interface with a common and participative space. Very didactic, it has been designed to be within everyone's reach. Regardless of its functionalities and technical qualities, the WEDO application is based on in-depth reflection and careful analysis of the factors that make working meetings so often disappointing and time-consuming. In other words, this organizational solution has been developed to respond directly and pragmatically to certain recurring problems. One example: the agenda often remains a little vague until everyone is gathered around the table. To avoid this, WEDO offers a feature that allows you to record and schedule the items to be discussed. Once this is done, simply open the application and follow the thread of questions. No more digressing, in short.

## EASY TO KNOW WHO'S DOING WHAT

The minutes are a chore? Thanks to WEDO, it is possible to write it live. "This is one of the interesting features of our meeting management module. You have an agenda, with a series of items to be discussed, and you can add under each item blocks of information, whether they are notes, decisions or tasks to be carried out," explains Antoine Sudan. Decisions made and tasks assigned during meetings can then be recorded by the minute writer at the time. Since this information is displayed in a specific place in the module and all participants have a personal access account, it is very easy to retrieve this information later. In short, at the end of the session, everyone knows where to find the answer to the famous "who does what" question.

In addition, it is possible to export an agenda or minutes by generating a PDF file so that it can be shared, printed and signed. You can also easily create extracts from minutes, or retrieve notes through the minutes using simple keywords. Gone are the days when you had to open multiple files to get your hands on information!

"The strength of WEDO is that it covers all phases of meeting management: before, with the preparation of the agenda, during, with the taking of important notes, and finally after, with the follow-up of tasks. Indeed, in addition to our module for meeting management, we have developed another one for task management and scheduling, and both interact with each other. Therefore, you have the means to ensure a continuous and dynamic follow-up of the work. This way, you can see at any time what has been done between sessions and what remains to be done. You no longer have to wait to obtain or pass on information, nor do you have to send several confirmation e-mails or call three times to find out how much a quote will cost," says David Dutch. In addition, each user can activate synchronisation with his electronic calendar (Outlook, Google Calendar...).

## MEETINGS SHORTENED BY ONE THIRD

It is also possible to create specific spaces for certain projects, departments or work teams, so that tasks can be distributed in one click. As soon as a job is indicated as completed, the participants concerned receive immediate and automatic feedback. "All of these processes greatly speed up the processing of decisions and shorten the duration of sessions by an average of one third," says Antoine Sudan.

Solving complicated problems with a simple software: that was the challenge of the creators of WEDO. The first person they told about it - a former professor - predicted that « it would never work ». Which makes them laugh a lot today. « Luckily, our engineering mentality soon got the better of us and we refused to let it get us down ». While many young entrepreneurs start by trying to raise funds, Antoine Sudan and David Dutch decide to develop their application while working and approach their first customers in parallel. They conduct more than 300 interviews for this purpose. Right from the start, they rely on user feedback to improve their product. The first version is officially released in May 2015\. A few prospects test it. « With each new release, we surveyed our customers to find out how we could improve WEDO. And we continue to solicit their opinions and feedback. For example, some of them recently commented that they would have liked to have been able to define specific access criteria, to avoid having participants pop up with irrelevant questions on the agenda. While a General Secretary should certainly be able to modify the agenda, this is not necessarily the case for any participant. So in the latest version of WEDO, we have introduced a new tool to set up access rights very finely ».

  
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## START WITH A FREE TRIAL

What about the price? According to a common practice in applications, it depends on the number of users. It varies between 15 and 25 francs per person per month. WEDO is available in packs of five, ten or fifteen users; above twenty, packs are sold in increments of ten additional units. The subscription covers all updates, data hosting and support, i.e. all services with the exception of change management during the first year to maximise the chances of success, which is also calculated on the basis of a flat rate depending on the size of the network. 

"But what we always offer in the first place is a free presentation of WEDO. That's why you'll find a big blue button on the homepage of our website [www.wedo.com](/) that you can click on to schedule a demonstration by booking a date at your convenience directly in our calendar," say Antoine Sudan and David Dutch, who claim that the data will only be hosted on servers located in Switzerland.

Source: original article [Le Matin Dimanche](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/article_wedo_matin_dimanche_316cb86cf5.pdf)

Sick of long, unproductive meetings? Two Fribourgeois propose a digital solution, WEDO, to make them efficient. Explanations.

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The cure for meeting madness is called WEDO

## Rights management

When you add a meeting, a new column named _Access_ will appear in the list of attendees:

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2018_10_diapositive3_1_e1540988841560_7892e6806d.png)

For each attendee, you can choose among 5 options:

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_03_diapositive2_1_7db5b841f2.png)

## 5 steps of a meeting

The five steps that structure the creation of a meeting have been improved and are as follows: 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_03_diapositive3_1_24da19b2f6.png)

Please note that changing the status of a meeting (i.e. moving from a step to another) has an impact on who can edit what. For example: an attendee who has the right to modify and add agenda items will be able to do so until the meeting agenda is validated. Only an attendee with full access rights, represented by the logo with a crown on a blue background, can modify the status of the meeting. 

## Rights according to the step

Below is a table summarizing the accesses that allow to modify the elements according to the step in which the meeting is

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_03_diapositive4_1_37b3ec51c1.png)

## 5 steps of a meeting

In previous versions, when the meeting was ended the information and decisions could still be edited but not the tasks. This feature has been improved in the current version. All information can still be edited in step 4/5: _meeting minutes in review_ until the moment the meeting minutes will be locked in step 5/5.

## Save changes made to tasks 

The tasks can be updated in the meeting minutes as long as they are not locked, i.e. until step 4/5\. We recommend you to systematically lock the meeting minutes once they have been reviewed and approved. 

## Periodic report

We have added to this version a periodic report which will be sent to you by email. By default, you will receive a weekly report every Monday morning.

To modify this parameter and manage the frequency of the periodic report, go to your _User profile > Settings > Notifications > Periodic report._

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2018_10_diapositive4_1_e1540988863763_d82e3149cb.png)

## For you to discover in this new version

* New tile design for the workspaces, checklist templates, checklists and meetings.
* The tile menu has moved from the action bar directly on the tile itself to improve the user experience.
* Improvement of certain texts to clarify the interface (for instance, for the importation of a previous meeting agenda).
* Synchronization options with the calendar have been improved.

The new version of WEDO integrates various new features such as rights management during meetings.

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Antoine Sudan and David Dutch are two friends who created WEDO after discovering the joys of working and planning meetings. 

### 

![PME Magazine](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/wp_content_uploads_2018_09_diapositive30_25efb9625e.png)

> This start-up company from Fribourg created a software designed to optimize work organization and meetings. About forty big companies are customers, among which the Groupe Mutuel. 

Before being associates, Antoine Sudan and David Dutch were two teenagers living in the Broye region and taking the train together to go to school. They dreamed of creating their own company together but they needed some work experience, so they both started to work once they got their engineering degree.

They soon discovered the surprises and disillusions of corporate life. “Collaboration was not as easy as expected, especially during meetings”, explains Antoine. “We were often missing answers and solutions to simple questions such as ‘who takes care of what’, ‘how’ and ‘for when’, regardless all the e-mails we were receiving”. Therefore, the two friends had an idea: develop a collaborative task manager to simplify work progress. They started to work on their project from of 2014.

What differentiates them from others is that no funds were raised for their project: they developed their software on their own while they were still working. Furthermore, to optimize their product, they contacted their potential customers and questioned them to have a clear idea on their needs and point of view. They conducted more than 300 interviews to develop their tool in the best possible way. The first version of the software was launched in May 2015 and was first tested with a few of their sales leads who were curious to discover its functionalities.

Their software is thus an organizational solution. It is a common and collaborative space to which everyone has access and can follow the work progress in real-time. Hence, people know exactly who is in charge of what and for when it is due. No need to make several calls or to send amounts of e-mails to give a feed-back on a project. The interface is made in a didactic manner and is within everyone’s reach. The price varies according to the number of users and is between 15 and 25 Swiss francs per month and per user. Hence, the software allows to manage meetings, tasks and check-lists at reasonable cost.

## Work progress in real-time

Nearly three years after the first launch of the software, the contractors, who are today 31 and 32 years old, have proved successful. More than 40 health facilities are among their customers, and other companies such as Groupe Mutuel. Christian Lalain, member of the IT department of the insurance company, first discovered WEDO when he was the municipal councilor of Saillon. “I wanted to find a solution to the traditional paper files on which we would stick a post-it note with essential information or updates, which would eventually end up being lost or worn down. For that reason, I installed WEDO on the municipality’s computers last year. It’s great: everyone is working on the same tool and the different working spaces structure all activity. If a person calls to make an appointment with a particular person or for an information, the person at reception can create a task and assign it to the corresponding person, who will receive a notification. She will then know exactly what to do or what to answer if the person calls back. The software thus improved communication and interaction not only among collaborators, but also with our citizens. It definitely improved the quality and efficiency of our service and increased our team spirit”. 

## Servers in Switzerland

Given the positive results observed in Saillon, Christian Lalain suggested his employer at the Groupe Mutuel to use this tool. Groupe Mutuel previously used another tool called Wunderlist, purchased by Microsoft. The start-up company from Fribourg is proud of its success and is still growing surely but slowly. “Once our first client signed, there was a second, and a third…” recalls David Dutch. “We first reduced our working time, then we became self-employed. We are now established as a LLC and our office is based in Fribourg. And we are hiring! We are planning on hiring two new collaborators this year”. The two associates started off by looking for customers before going to fairs. In Switzerland, there are very few competitors. As their servers are based in Switzerland, they can claim their 100% swiss origin, a key argument for customers who fear data theft. 

\-

Source: [Original article from PME Magazine](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/article_wedo_pmemagazine_2018_06_8bc9187094.pdf)

This start-up company from Fribourg created a software designed to optimize work organization and meetings. About forty big companies are customers, among which the Groupe Mutuel. 

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WEDO’s great success

## Monitoring of meetings in three steps

The new meeting module (version 2) just came out. It is based on the concepts of the first version but with two new major improvements:

1. Modifications are possible simultaneously by several attendees and
2. The meeting agenda is written item by item for more accuracy

The meetings are still managed in 3 phases:

* Before the meeting: preparation of the meeting agenda
* During the meeting: drafting of the meeting minutes and update of the tasks
* After the meeting: meeting minutes and traceability of the assigned tasks during the meeting

## Preparation of the meeting agenda

Once a meeting has been added, you are asked to choose the attendees and to prepare your meeting agenda item by item.

The items can be reorganized by a simple drag and drop and they are automatically numbered.

On each agenda item, 8 options are available:

* Indent, modify or delete an item.
* Add notes: notes allow you to list the information.
* Add decisions: decisions made during a meeting are clearly visible in the meeting minutes.
* Add tasks: tasks can be linked to precise items of the agenda meeting.
* Attach files: each item can have one or several files.
* Presenter: your meeting agenda is a common thread for the chair of the meeting.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2017_08_diapositive1_1c7e3a55f5.png)

Synchronization of the calendar : once the meeting agenda is prepared, an event will synchronize itself in the agenda of the attendees (compatible with Outlook, Google Calendar, etc).

## Drafting of the meeting minutes and update of the tasks

During a meeting, you will find your meeting agenda item by item with its notes, attached files and linked tasks.

You can then draft one or several paragraphs in each item with the notes system, show the decisions that were made and list the tasks to do for the next meeting.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2017_08_diapositive2_40ae870cd3.png)

The meeting agenda serves as a guide to help you structure your meeting and control the duration of the meeting.

Modification of deadlines and comments on the tasks are also automatically traced by WEDO to be included in the meeting minutes.

## Meeting minutes and traceability of tasks assigned during meetings

At the end of a meeting, the meeting minutes are accessible to all the attendees and each collaborator will automatically receive the tasks that have been assigned to him in his personal space.

Tasks that were completed between two meetings will automatically appear as completed in the following meeting. The task history allows you to visualize all the modifications brought to each task with a link towards the corresponding meeting minutes. In short, WEDO offers a complete traceability of the tasks throughout meetings.

When you create a new meeting, the information of the previous meeting minutes is reused to save you time and avoid having to copy-paste and the risk of mistakes.

## Bonus

### Search

WEDO’s search tool indexes the text of all your meeting minutes through all the workspaces of your network. Simply enter one or several keywords to instantly find a specific file.

### Locking

All meeting minutes can be locked after being reviewed to ensure the traceability and reliability of your archives. 

### PDF export

A single click will allow you to export your meeting agenda and meeting minutes as PDF files. The export module will allow you to select the information you want to keep in the file. This is very practical to generate extracts of the meeting minutes.

## Conclusion and acknowledgments

This new version of the meeting module allows you to save time and money. 

Customers who use this module successfully have confirmed saving up to one hour per meeting because the meeting minutes are drafted during the meeting and not afterwards. They have also noticed that their meetings are approximatively 30% shorter than before. Meetings are better prepared, better focused and thus more effective. They have also noticed a time saving when it comes to decision-making and task management. 

We were able to integrate all the suggestions for improvement from our customers in this latest version. Hence, we would like to thank them for their helpful advice and comments. WEDO will continue to evolve to become a complete collaborative tool, intended primarily for Swiss companies. 

A revisited meeting module that saves up to one hour per meeting due to its simplicity of use and the monitoring of tasks from one meeting to another.

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Redesigned meeting module : simpler, more accurate and more efficient

This article explains how to use WEDO to follow up a meeting. The main advantages of the dynamic debriefing possible with WEDO are the following:

* Clear list of outstanding issues
* Definition of meeting responsibilities
* Employees receive their tasks directly
* No clean-up work after the meeting
* Better communication of expectations and timelines
* Simplified tracking of tasks from one week to the next

## Create a topic: name, members, color (to be done only once)

In the left menu, click **Topics**. Then, in the action bar, click **\+ Create Topic**. Choose a name and a definition for your topic and then click **Save and continue**.

Define the members who will have access to this topic. Note that you can invite people from outside your company via email address. Click **Continue**.

Finally, choose a colour for your subject. Tip: choose a colour code (meeting in blue, project in red, internal department in green, etc.). Click **Go to topic**.

As an example, I choose to create a _weekly meeting_ topic.

## List the tasks discussed in the meeting

You can now enter all the tasks discussed at the meeting directly in the Weekly Meeting topic. Here's a preview of my example:

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2015_11_diapositive1_ea8637b2ca.png)

## Define who is responsible

In the action bar, click on the **Organize** button then choose **Delegate**. The next window opens to choose a person in charge for each task:

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## Setting priorities

In the same way, click on the **Organize** button and choose **Prioritize**. The following window opens to choose a priority for each task:

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2015_11_diapositive3_e1541093385814_1024x445_72d5dd23aa.png)

## Add tasks before the meeting to be ready

Before a meeting, ask each participant to list the points to be discussed in the topic. This will help to prepare a focused agenda and start the meeting on a good footing.

## Keep track of tasks from one meeting to the next

All tasks delegated in the meeting are automatically sent to the right people. Each person in charge will be able to view what has been assigned to him/her in his/her task list. Everyone will also be able to see the progress of tasks at any time of the week by going to the Weekly Meeting topic. Here is the list of pending tasks with responsibilities and priorities.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2015_11_diapositive4_a5e9c42511.png)

Validated tasks are automatically archived to keep historical records.

## To go a little further

### Add Comments

If a comment is made at the meeting in relation to a task, you can enter it in its detail pane. This comment will remain linked to the task, allowing you to keep track of the discussion history.

### Setting deadlines

Like comments, you can add a due date to a task in its detail pane.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2015_11_diapositive5_e1541093406283_7111290320.png)

## Export a report in PDF

If you need to export a report (to archive it or send it by email), click in the action bar on the **Export** button.

Choose the information to display and click **Generate File**.

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## Conclusion

Thanks to WEDO, many companies are successfully using dynamic reporting. This approach allows employees to know their responsibilities as they leave the meeting and to control their deadlines more easily. Communication between employees is also strengthened by sharing tasks for a defined group.

Find out how WEDO can help you save more than an hour of work per meeting.

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WEDO for the follow-up of a meeting

Fire departments often face considerable administrative challenges. Among the main obstacles are the complex management of human resources, the coordination of operations, the collection and centralization of data, and the management of budgets and material resources. Maintaining accurate and up-to-date reporting and regulatory controls documentation also represents a significant challenge. All these administrative aspects are essential to ensure emergency services' preparedness, responsiveness, and safety.

## Interview with Christian Mauley, Captain of the protection and safety department of Neuchâtel. He talks about how the WEDO platform helps them manage their activities.

### What is your role at the protection and safety department of Neuchâtel?

I'm deputy to the commander of the Neuchâtel coastal fire defense region and project manager for the Fire Brigade Office.

### Can you describe the Neuchâtel Fire Brigade and its activities briefly?

The protection and safety department's Fire Brigade heads up the Littoral Neuchâtel fire and defense region, which includes 40 professional firefighters and 220 volunteer firefighters. Firefighters are divided into three intervention sectors.

### What are the challenges of this multi-site organization?

The challenges associated with the multi-site organization of our fire defense region are manifold, and meticulous management is required to ensure safe and efficient operation. First and foremost, one of the main concerns is the **standardization of procedures**. With five different sites spread over three intervention sectors, all teams must **follow the same protocols and operational standards**. This ensures optimum coordination during emergency interventions and avoids confusion arising from divergent practices.

Another major challenge is to **manage the differing driving rhythms between professional and volunteer firefighters** at our different fire stations. Professionals are always on call, while volunteers have a variety of off-duty commitments. This requires careful planning to ensure that the correct number of staff is always available to respond to emergency calls while respecting individual constraints. Task management and centralized communication are essential for effective coordination between rescue centers. We use WEDO to facilitate the transmission of critical information in real-time while allowing each sector to operate autonomously for tasks specific to its geographical area. Finally, information security is paramount, especially when sharing files between sites. We must protect sensitive data and operational information from unauthorized access. Strict security measures are in place to guarantee the integrity and confidentiality of our data while enabling it to be shared securely between sites.

### Before integrating WEDO, what tools did you use for collaboration and administrative management?

We took our minutes on an Excel file for our various meetings and discussions. We had a shared diary on Outlook for the availability of rescue teams, and we exchanged information by e-mail. The fire station's various procedures and team management were documented on numerous Excel files that were not accessible to everyone at all times.

### What were the limitations of using these different tools?

Information was scattered in many places, resulting in much redundancy and loss. The dispersed communication between the various layers of the hierarchy and the fire station's stakeholders, therefore, impacted project follow-up and operations' fluidity.

### How do you use WEDO today?

We use WEDO to generate all the reports for the various meetings between the protection and safety department offices, such as regional staff reports, operational staff reports, sector reports, and daily intervention section reports. Finally, WEDO enables us to have all reports in one place so that those entitled to them can consult them at any time. Meeting members can also add items to the agenda to prepare for discussion. The platform has also enabled us to improve project management and track current information within the fire station. The platform's collaborative aspect allows us to assign routine tasks to users. In real-time, We can see how tasks are progressing, track maintenance, manage orders, and process expense claims, to name a few. It is also possible to document recurring procedures, such as material preparation or ongoing training, with checklist templates that can be launched at any time.

![Firefighter software for administrative management of firefighters](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Temoignage_Christian_Mauley_2_EN_7ed196a0fe.png)

### How did team members react to the introduction of the tool?

Consolidating various tasks and information into a single program facilitated integration of the tool. Sharing themes across all strata and management bodies enables the monitoring and transmission of information. In addition, we have created a small in-house newspaper on WEDO to increase adherence to the platform. All staff can add themes concerning current projects and past interventions in this journal. They can also add information in various formats, such as photos or regional articles.

### How does WEDO contribute to the Neuchâtel's protection and safety department digitalization process?

WEDO contributes to digitalization by considerably reducing paper printouts and centralizing project documents. The main benefits are the centralization of information, increased participation, and enhanced staff skills at all levels. The participative aspect of the platform considerably reduces the number of e-mails exchanged.


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![Software for firefighter procedures and automatic dispatch of intervention-related tasks](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Temoignage_Christian_Mauley1_EN_2482933fb1.png)


Fire departments often face considerable administrative challenges. Interview with Christian Mauley, Captain of the protection and safety department of Neuchâtel.

Fire service captain testifies on the use of software for emergency services

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Management software for emergency, fire, and rescue services

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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

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. 

Meetings facilitation

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