Case Study: Efficient Management Meetings at Cornelsen with Boardwise
ABOUT CORNELSEN
Cornelsen is one of the leading providers of educational media in Germany. With a strong focus on innovation and digitalization, Cornelsen continuously optimizes internal processes to ensure effective corporate management. A key element of this optimization was the introduction of Boardwise for organizing executive meetings, known internally as Management Meetings.
In our conversation with Dr. Florian Schrader, Chief of Staff to the CEO, we discussed the changes and improvements Boardwise has brought to Cornelsen’s meeting processes.
THE CHALLENGE
How did you organize your management meetings before using Boardwise?
“Before Boardwise, the organization of our executive meetings was heavily dependent on manual processes. We used Excel, Word, and SharePoint, which was not only time-consuming but also prone to errors. Each agenda item had to be coordinated via email and across multiple channels. This led to a lot of bilateral coordination, follow-up questions, and occasional misunderstandings.”
Why did you choose Boardwise?
“We were contacted directly by Boardwise. After the demo, it quickly became clear that the tool would significantly simplify our processes. We were particularly impressed by how many administrative tasks could be automated.”
THE SOLUTION
What improvements have you seen since using Boardwise?
“Boardwise has made the entire planning and execution of our management meetings much more efficient. During preparation, we save a lot of time because agenda items are automatically captured and structured. We used to coordinate everything through countless emails and phone calls – that’s now completely gone.”
“Taking minutes has also become much easier. In the past, we had to manually cut and distribute sections of the minutes to different recipients. Now, all of that happens automatically through Boardwise. To-dos and decisions are clearly documented and traceable, which is a huge help.”
Is there a particular feature you value most?
“Yes, the circular resolution feature. We used to vote on circular resolutions via email, and it was hard to keep track – who had already voted? Did we forget someone? Now everything is centralized in a single list, which greatly improves transparency and efficiency.”
THE RESULTS
How has Boardwise changed your day-to-day work?
“Personally, Boardwise has saved me at least half a day of work per week – the same goes for our assistants. I can now manage the entire organization almost entirely through Boardwise, which takes a huge load off our team.”
“The tool’s adaptability has also helped us. We were able to configure Boardwise to support our existing workflows without having to change our internal processes. This made adoption within the company much easier.”
How was Boardwise received by users?
“Participants are very happy because they’re always informed and can easily submit their agenda items. At the executive level, there were some initial change processes, as some colleagues had to get used to the new way of working. But overall, the feedback is very positive.”
CONCLUSION
“Boardwise has made our management meetings more efficient, transparent, and structured. Centralized documentation, automation, and high user-friendliness have significantly reduced our administrative workload. We particularly appreciate the flexibility to adapt the tool to our specific needs. We're already planning to roll out Boardwise for our supervisory boards as well.”
With Boardwise, Cornelsen has found a solution that meets the high standards of modern corporate management while enabling seamless integration into existing processes. This positions the company well for an efficient and digital future.
