## Terminology changes

Our terminology has been adapted. **Paragraphs** allow you to add a text box visible to all the attendees of a meeting. **Notes** are private and only visible to the user who adds them. An easy way to distinguish them is by their yellow background.

## Private notes

From now on, it is possible to add private notes to the items of your meeting agenda. This allows you to prepare your interventions for the upcoming meeting or to add private notes during the meeting. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_09_1_notes_privees_1024x575_a6cdb0cb62.png)

## Converting elements

If you wish to share your private note with the other attendees, you can simply convert it into a paragraph. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_09_2_convertir_note_en_paragraphe_1024x575_a92c2a02b7.png)

To save valuable time, you can also convert most of the other elements: 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_09_3_conversion_d_elements_1_1024x329_220931708f.png)

Please note that it is not possible to convert a task into another element! 

## Ordering items

It is possible to order all the items of the meeting. Simply drag and drop an item to reorder it. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_09_4_ordre_de_elements_1024x575_124c4c92c0.png)

## Option « Table of attendees »

If you wish to have a detailed contact list of the meeting attendees, there is an option accessible through the settings of a meeting. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_09_5_parametres_dune_reunion_1024x575_6ea65fc9df.png)

By selecting « extended table view » in the settings of the meeting, the table will appear in steps 2, 4 and 5\. The coordinates of the attendees are listed according to the information of each user’s profile. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_09_6_tableau_des_participants_1024x575_ac91837cea.png)

During the editing steps, the meeting agenda in preparation and the drafting of the meeting minutes, you can manually edit an attendee’s contact information. It is also possible to change an attendee’s function for a specific meeting. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_09_7_editer_un_participant_1024x575_ce2682d04e.png)

## Link between a task and a meeting 

Tasks created in a meeting have a link in their details pane that allows you to easily access an item of the meeting agenda. This will allow you to view the task in its context of creation. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_09_8_lien_tache_reunion_1024x575_19c86d6606.png)

## General ergonomics

### Use the new + button to easily create content. 

You can create your **Workspaces**, **Checklist templates**, **Teams** and **Users** from the + button which is found in the heading at the top of the page.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_09_9_bouton_plus_1024x575_be06c4f954.png)

### Take advantage of the shortcuts in the main menu

Three buttons have been added to the menu for an easy access to the **Workspaces** and **Checklist templates** to which you have access, as well as to the **Users** page.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_09_10_raccourcis_menu_principal_1024x575_983d87326b.png)

The main menu has been redesigned for simplicity and efficiency; and presents a new palette of colors. 

Private notes allow you to prepare your interventions confidentially during meetings. This latest update includes a new platform design and new functionalities described in the following article. 

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Add private notes to your meetings

To prepare and conduct your meetings, WEDO guides you in 5 steps: 

* **Before the meeting – Steps 1 and 2** : preparation of the agenda as a team. The writer or facilitator adds the meeting, establishes the list of items to be discussed and then invites participants to complete the agenda.
* **During the meeting - Step 3 :** the writer writes the minutes in real time. All participants can attend live note-taking.
* **Post-meeting - Steps 4 and 5 :** the writer and participants review, edit and validate the meeting minutes.

Through this article, discover some tips to conduct your meetings with WEDO taking into account the 5 proposed steps. You will see that at each step, it is possible to keep the participants informed and make them aware of their role in the preparation and follow-up of the meeting. To give substance to our explanations, we propose a concrete case study:

### The preparation and follow-up of an Executive Committee by Agathe Rost[^1], Executive Assistant 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_1_agathe_rost_assistante_de_direction_1_28994aba97.png)

## Step 1: Meeting agenda in preparation

Agathe Rost, Executive Assistant, decided to prepare the agenda for the next committee meeting in a week's time. The director of the organization, Bernard Macherel\*, sent her by email the list of topics to be discussed. Agathe goes to the workspace dedicated to the Executive Committee and adds a meeting. After entering the title, date, time, duration and location of the meeting, she focuses on the list of participants. The members of the Executive Committee workspace have been added automatically to save her precious time.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_2_etape_1_liste_des_participants_1_c9f6a790ca.png)

Agathe now wishes to manage the different access rights of the participants. For this meeting, Mathilde and Bernard have all the same rights as Agathe. The other participants will only be able to modify the agenda items in steps 1 and 3\. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_3_etape_1_fenetre_gestion_des_droits_dacces_1_ef9ce2fac2.png)

Next, Agathe wishes to add the items to the agenda. With a few clicks, she copies the list of topics previously listed by her director and pastes it into the input bar. The items are created automatically and now appear in the table of contents on the left side of the screen. Agathe can now schedule them as she pleases.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_4_ordre_du_jour_en_preparation_1_a8a936bb7b.png)

The outline of the meeting is ready. Agathe would like to inform participants to add their notes to the agenda items. To do so, she sends an email to participants directly from the platform by clicking on the **button with the envelope**.

The participants are listed as recipients. Agathe takes advantage of the predefined subject and message to save time and clicks directly on **Send by email**.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_5_etape_1_fenetre_envoi_email_1_f43b0491ca.png)

## Step 2: Meeting agenda validated

On the eve of the meeting, the agenda has been completed by all participants and is normally no longer subject to change. After a brief rereading, Agathe can validate the agenda and proceed to step 2 by clicking on **Meeting agenda is ready** in the red banner at the bottom of the screen.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_6_lordre_du_jour_est_pret_1_bf5d544104.png)

Agathe finally has to add a last minute information in one of the agenda items. From the orange banner at the bottom of the screen, she **edits the meeting agenda**.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_7_etape_2_editer_lordre_du_jour_1_fadc608e95.png)

## Step 3: Meeting minutes currently written

On D-Day, Agathe returns to the previously prepared meeting. The meeting is in step 2 - Meeting agenda validated. At the bottom left of the screen, she clicks on **Start Meeting**.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_8_commencer_la_reunion_019e71f2e5.png)

Agathe begins by completing the information about the participants. She checks off the absent and excused persons. She also adds the reason for the apology in the field provided. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_9_etape_3_controle_des_presences_58eb3b17f3.png)

The meeting begins: Agathe is ready to write up the minutes of the discussions. As she writes it, she navigates easily from point to point using the table of contents and adds notes, decisions and tasks to the various points discussed. At the end of the meeting, Agathe clicks on the **End Meeting** button in the yellow banner at the bottom of the screen.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_10_clore_la_reunion_fe0d06e165.png)

## Step 4: Meeting minutes in review

A few hours after the meeting, Agathe would like to review the minutes. She returns to the Executive Committee workspace, resumes the meeting in Step 4 - Meeting minutes in review. To make corrections, she clicks **Edit Minutes** in the purple banner at the bottom of the screen. Once the changes have been made, she clicks **Finish**.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_11_etape_4_editer_le_compte_rendu_6c73d6a8e7.png)

## Step 5: Meeting minutes locked

A few days after the meeting and after a final reading, Agathe can finally move on to the last step. In order to follow up from one meeting to the next, she decides to lock the minutes. The minutes can no longer be modified. 

To do this, she clicks the **Lock meeting minutes** button in the purple banner at the bottom of the screen and follows the procedure required for locking.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_12_verrouiller_le_compte_rendu_c71e61095f.png)

Finally, Agathe sends an email to participants to inform them that the minutes have been locked. They are invited to read it again in order to ensure a follow-up from one meeting to the next. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_06_13_etape_5_fenetre_envoi_email_775e9cddb1.png)

The 5 proposed steps frame the overall conduct of a meeting and allow users to situate themselves in the process. At each step, you have the possibility to inform the participants so that they can get involved in the preparation of the agenda and in the review of the minutes. WEDO allows you to improve the management of your meetings while reinforcing the collaborative aspect. 
[^1]: Fictional characters.

#### Would you like to facilitate the preparation and conduct of your meetings? 

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

Agathe Rost, Executive Assistant, is responsible for preparing the next committee meeting. Through this article, find out how she works with WEDO.

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The preparation and follow-up of an Executive Committee

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?

## Table of contents

The table of contents facilitates the browsing through the meeting minutes. Furthermore, a single click will bring you to the item to be treated. From the table of contents, you can also:

* Decrease the indentation of an item
* Increase the indentation of an item
* Delete an item
* Drag and drop the items and/or sub-items to organize them

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_diapositive1_c190e8d7b5.png)

## Item by item

For this new version, the drafting has been redesigned: from now on, only the item to be treated will appear on the screen. Once you are done with an item, you just need to click the button with the title of the next item to be treated to progress in the drafting. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_diapositive2_2_d8f1773246.png)

## Redesigned Toolbar 

Each item and sub-item has its own Toolbar. From the **\+ button** you can:

* Attach a file
* Add a note
* Add a decision
* Create a task
* Add a sub-item to the meeting agenda
* Import tasks from the workspace

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_diapositive3_3_e41bc9c72a.png)

## The “move” button 

It is now possible to move a note, a decision, a task or a file to another item in the meeting agenda. Click the button with the **three vertical points** (1) and **Move the note** (2). A window will open with all the possible destinations. Click the item to which you wish to move your note (3). The same procedure applies to move a decision, a task or a file.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_diapositive4_3_7828884129.png)

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_diapositive5_1_68b88ca912.png)

## The pending tasks box 

Pending tasks from the workspace are now available in a box that you can access with a button. 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_diapositive6_8c12348415.png)

From the pending tasks box, it is possible to import tasks into a specific item: click the tasks to import (1) and, with the drop-down list, select the item in which you want to import the tasks (2). Then, click **Import** (3).

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_diapositive7_6e99b65c52.png)

_Info : if you would like your pending tasks to figure as an item in your meeting agenda, like in the previous version, you can simply create an item entitled “Pending tasks” and import all the pending tasks from the workspace._ 

## The 5 steps of the meeting

At all times, you can see which step of the meeting you are in. The user with all access rights can click on each step to change the status of the meeting.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_diapositive8_3f51cf7d39.png)

_Info : other buttons at the bottom of the page also allow you to switch from step to step._ 

## Display of access rights of each attendee

You can now click on the attendees of a meeting to see the distribution of access rights. Click on the attendees (1), a window will open with a list of the meeting attendees and their access rights for the current meeting (2). 

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_diapositive14_c86280b5bd.png)

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_diapositive15_07a2d15e76.png)

This can be useful if you need to modify meeting minutes but you do not have the appropriate access rights. You can then spot the attendees who have full access rights on that meeting, who will be able to change your access rights. Attendees with full access rights are represented by a logo with a crown on a blue background. 

\-

A collection of articles explains all the ins and outs of the new Meetings module.

::button-primary[Access the Help Center]{link="https://help.wedo.swiss/en/collections/3202989-meetings"}

The new version of WEDO revises the meeting module to simplify the drafting of the meeting minutes. With this article, discover the improvements this update offers!

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Meeting module : improvements that will facilitate the drafting of your meeting minutes

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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 ».

  
![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2019_01_wedo_montage_1024x525_23213decc1.png)
  
  
## 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

## 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

The latest version of WEDO has a brand new feature dedicated to taking minutes. No need to multiply documents and spend hours updating minutes after a meeting. Write your minutes in real time, validate decisions and plan the resulting actions in the same place and during the meeting. Ensure your communication from decision-making to task completion.

## Start by creating a meeting

In each workspace, you will now find a Meetings tab. The action bar allows you to **Add meeting** to it.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2017_03_diapositive1_ca5496233d.png)

In the small window that opens, give a title and plan your meeting.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2017_03_diapositive1_ca5496233d.png)

## Before the meeting: prepare your agenda

Once the meeting is created, you can add participants, write the meeting agenda, prepare tasks to be discussed, and attach files to be presented.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2017_03_diapositive2_62512669eb.png)

When you click on **Meeting agenda is ready**, it validates this document which will be available in WEDO to all participants.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2017_03_diapositive3_cc594b3ed3.png)

All your colleagues who have access to WEDO will be able to consult all the agendas that concern them in the same place. **In addition, all meetings that users attend are automatically synchronized with their Outlook (or other) calendar.**

## During the meeting: write up your minutes and update tasks

When the meeting starts, you open your previously created agenda and click **Start Meeting**. The screen will then be split in two: the left part for writing the minutes and the right part for updating the tasks in this workspace. Note that tasks previously linked to this workspace will be automatically displayed during a meeting.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2017_03_diapositive4_517abc6065.png)

Changes made to tasks are recorded throughout the meeting. When the minutes are taken and the task list is updated, you can **End the meeting**.

## After the meeting: a structured minutes and assigned tasks

A closed meeting automatically displays a beautiful minutes with all the important information from the meeting: attendees present, absent and excused, the minutes themselves, new tasks, completed tasks, changes in deadlines, comments, and more.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2017_03_diapositive5_1512c15016.png)

Each employee can view all the reports that concern him or her from any device (PC, tablet, smartphone). He automatically receives the tasks assigned to him in his personal space. The tasks are linked to their meeting so that they can quickly find the discussion that led to the task in the first place.

## Search for reports and tasks

In this new version, the search has been improved. A simple keyword allows you to find reports, tasks or activities previously discussed.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2017_03_diapositive6_e1541102903236_564dba249e.png)

## Conclusion

You save a lot of time and energy because you:

* Centralize all agendas and reports,
* Provide everyone with the level of information needed to follow up on their meetings,
* Retrieve the discussions, decisions and actions resulting from them until their execution.

The report writing module is a first step towards an ever more complete collaborative tool. More new features are planned and we would be delighted to hear your opinion on this new module. Do not hesitate to write to us.

## Also to be discovered in this version

* Checklists with key date (tasks that can be scheduled before and after the key date),
* Retractable menu,
* New enriched description for checklists and workspaces.

Perfectly controlled meetings, from decision making to the execution of the task in three steps.

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Complete module for taking minutes

This WEDO update brings a new feature: activity feed. These are chronologies that include all events, comments and notes.

The feeds exist at three levels:

* General activity feed with information about you on your network
* Feeds by topic to view the progress of sessions, projects, services, etc.
* Per person feed to track your history or that of one of your colleagues (depending on your rights)

## Overview of a topic's workflow

This is what the workflow for my "Project Zero Paper" topic looks like:

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2016_09_flux_d_activite_4dc944ad2e.png)

## Note-taking

You can see from the image above that it is possible to add notes in the workflow. This way you can write information for a topic or for your entire network quickly. Using the "Add Recipient" button, you can notify the people affected by your note. It is possible to add **people**, **topics** or checklist **templates** to the recipients.

## Usage example

I would like to inform the whole working group for the "Project Zero Paper" about the next meeting. I am writing a note to this effect. I can add addressees via the button or by entering the title of the subject preceded by an @.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2016_09_note_avec_mention_7ecec0df0e.png)

## Conclusion

Thanks to the workflows, you can keep up to date quickly and communicate even more easily with people in your network. Feel free to send us your comments and suggestions for improvement via the support in WEDO.

How can I see the progress of a topic at a glance?

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Activity feed

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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**

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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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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. 

Notes

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