How to Evaluate Online Reputation Management Software

Nicholas J Price
It's rare for companies to dedicate a single individual or department for managing the company's reputation. In most companies, the responsibility for reputation management is spread out between various departments and individuals. In some respects, that makes sense, because those individuals and departments can negatively impact the company's reputation. In another way, spreading out the accountability for reputation management means that no single person is responsible or accountable for it. That's one of the greatest benefits of online reputation management software. It provides a single platform where all parties can come together and ensure that they're covering all the bases for reputation management individually and collectively.

Online reputation management software is a tool that facilitates communication and collaboration between all the parties in a company that have responsibility and accountability for managing and protecting the company's reputation. Reputation management software is something that helps to support good governance. The right software simplifies communication and brings efficiency into the process for managing a company's reputation.

Who Is Involved in Managing the Company's Reputation?

All companies assign responsibility for legal and regulatory compliance. This can include the corporate secretary, lawyers, the audit committee and the CEO. Failure to remain in compliance causes big trouble for companies, and big trouble can have a big effect on the company's reputation.

A company's reputation is also important to shareholders. A drop in a company's reputation can quickly cause stock prices to fall. Board directors need to anticipate and address shareholder concerns about the company's reputation.

Disgruntled employees may try to retaliate against a company by seeking to destroy its good reputation. The Human Resources department is responsible for the whistleblower policy and for ensuring the rights and protections for employees to prevent potential problems that can affect the company's reputation.

The Public Relations department also has much of the responsibility for the company's reputation. They need to be careful about the wording of public announcements and statements. Public relations staff often work in concert with legal teams to help prevent problems.

The CEO and the Board President sometimes serve as the public face of the company. Anything they say could be misconstrued or misperceived, which can also cause reputational damage. In times of crisis, virtually all of these individuals and groups may be involved in a crisis management plan that's centered on protecting the company's reputation.

Diligent Corporation's software is designed as a secure platform where all parties can fulfill their responsibility to protect the corporate branding and reputation, singularly and together. If you're comparing one company's reputation management software against another, how can you be assured that you have the right software? The following questions will help you evaluate your company's software needs.

10 Things to Consider in Evaluating Reputation Management Software

  1. What are your biggest pain points when it comes to evaluating the company's reputation?
  2. What are some of your 'must-haves' in reputation management software?
  3. What are most of the Fortune 100 companies using for reputation management software?
  4. Can the software be used online or offline?
  5. Is your board concerned about security?
  6. Is the system user-friendly and intuitive?
  7. How do you rate the company's reputation and service?
  8. Will the software improve efficiency and good governance?
  9. Does it have granular controls for user permissions?
  10. Can all parties collaborate on reputation management as needed?

Finding the Best Solutions for Reputation Management

Your organization should look for a software provider who is viewed as leader in the corporate governance space to ensure that the tools that you will be using can help to manage corporate reputations. Secure board portal systems where board directors and others can communicate and collaborate on important issues like reputation management provide a safe and secure environment.

Security is a major concern for all boards that are considering adding new technology, as it should be. The right board portal features state-of-the-art security with strong encryption controls to protect against hackers that are seeking to spy, steal and extort money. All programs are fully integrated, so there's no worry about one program infecting another or devices passing viruses between them.

Boards are also concerned with usability. Many boards have members that aren't quick with learning technology. Software programs that aren't intuitive and that are difficult to learn can be huge stumbling blocks for boards. Even when programs have strong security, users may look to less secure software solutions if they perceive them to be faster or easier to use. Even one incident of using a non-secure program can put the company's reputation at risk. Diligent's programs are intuitive and require little training to master. Your directors should be able to access their programs from various mobile devices and get live support at any time.

Why You Can Trust Diligent For Your Reputation Management

On the topic of reputation, Diligent Corporation stands out as a leader in board management software solutions. Over 50% of Fortune 1000 companies trust and rely on Diligent's suite of tools to meet the increasingly difficult challenges of modern governance. Diligent and its employees have earned over a dozen awards, including The Stevie Award for 'Customer Service Team of the Year' four years in a row. In addition, Diligent Corporation was named the 'Most Customer Friendly Company of the Year,' by Best in Biz for three years in a row. Diligent's CEO, Brian Stafford, made the list of the top 100 most influential leaders in the boardroom for the second year in a row.

Innovation is an important consideration for any board that's looking for reputation management software. As a leader in innovation, Diligent launched the concept of modern governance to more accurately represent governance as it exists in today's marketplace. Modern governance is a concept that's intent on bringing board directors and leadership teams up to the speed of today's digital world. Modern governance is the practice of empowering leaders with the technology, insights and processes required to fuel good governance. The right solution for many organizations is a full-suite corporate governance solution that provides corporate governance solutions for all aspects of board governance work.

Diligent provides one, fully integrated suite of board management solutions to support all aspects of modern governance and provide your board with the right insights and analytics.
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Nicholas J. Price
Nicholas J. Price is a former Manager at Diligent. He has worked extensively in the governance space, particularly on the key governance technologies that can support leadership with the visibility, data and operating capabilities for more effective decision-making.