AI and your board: productivity, ROI, and a free framework template

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Leveraging AI for strategic gains: increasing board productivity and measuring ROI

Staying on top of emerging issues and making sound decisions can be challenging and time-consuming for boards. AI has the potential to transform how boards operate—and often without demanding a significant investment upfront. By following a policy and structured framework, and starting small and focusing on clear-cut gains, nonprofits and small to medium enterprises can leverage AI tools relatively easily and gain time back for higher-value, more rewarding work.

So, how can your board begin to take advantage of AI and measure its impact on the board and your organisation?

The AI ‘promise’ of productivity

AI can offer your board immediate efficiency in streamlining routine tasks, allowing boards to devote more attention to complex governance matters. It can also enable your board to manage information overload, effectively navigate market shifts, and tackle real-time strategic challenges.

“For company secretaries, start small and focus on areas where AI can bring immediate benefits, such as automating board minutes, summarising lengthy reports, or enhancing agenda preparation,” suggests Dauniika Maclean of Board Administration Services.

Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, and ChatGPT are all tools that can quickly process substantial amounts of data and deliver concise summaries or recommended actions. For boards, AI can also expand the scope of decision-making by offering broader contexts and different perspectives and prompting original questions—tasks that can be useful when reading board papers.

Cost-effective transformation with AI

One of the advantages of AI is that it can take no or minimal cost to initiate.

Helen van Orton of Directorly says that AI can be affordable and transformative for nonprofits and small- to medium-sized enterprises by using free or low-cost tools such as ChatGPT or Claude. Combining free or low-cost options and showing the effectiveness of AI in an organisation’s day-to-day operations means the benefits soon become apparent.

Maclean says that adding AI features like meeting minutes or transcription within existing subscriptions on platforms such as Otter.ai or Fireflies means that there are immediate advantages for simple tasks, such as generating a minute shell before meetings.

Once boards see tangible gains—fewer manual errors, time saved on report drafting—organisations can scale investments accordingly.

Measure ROI to support AI adoption and further commitment

Calculating the return on investment helps boards to justify AI spending and refine strategies.

Van Orton says quantifying time saved by using AI can show its impact on reducing manual effort on tasks such as automating board minutes or report generation. When boards quantify improvements in accuracy, employee satisfaction, and decreased risk exposure, they build a compelling case for sustained AI adoption. Insights delivered by AI can also identify emerging opportunities or flag compliance concerns.

Gaining back time means organisations and their staff can focus on higher-value tasks, using time more wisely and constructively, offsetting any costs of AI subscriptions.

Proceed with confidence and also some caution

While the benefits of AI are exciting and potentially transformative, there also needs to be a degree of caution exercised. “User inputs may be used to train models, meaning sensitive data could be stored or analysed,” cautions van Orton. “Free versions of ChatGPT and other generic AI tools are useful for low-risk tasks but should not handle confidential governance information”. In contrast, paid tools offer tailored solutions for secure use in business contexts, with enterprise-grade encryption, data isolation, and substantial compliance with privacy laws.

With AI outputs, human oversight is still essential, says Maclean. “AI may not fully capture complex discussions, nuance, or impartiality. Review content for accuracy, and boards must consider data security and where that data ‘lives’.”

AI is a powerful assistant, but human validation remains non-negotiable.

– Dauniika Maclean

Success with AI requires strategic governance

According to van Orton, the board’s role in AI adoption is to ensure it aligns with organisational objectives while addressing ethical considerations, managing risks such as bias or misuse, and protecting data privacy. Clear policies, robust oversight, and investments in infrastructure are essential.

By fostering innovation and upskilling, AI adoption can enhance productivity while building workforce resilience and ensuring equitable outcomes.

– Helen van Orton

Effective AI integration demands careful oversight and strategic risk management. Free tools can deliver quick gains for routine tasks, while boards handling sensitive data may prefer paid, enterprise-grade solutions. Leaders can build a solid case for further AI investment by consistently quantifying time saved and operational improvements. With deliberate planning, robust policies, and a commitment to security, boards can seize AI’s transformative upsides while preserving the human touch that drives sound governance.

Further information

To start your AI journey, download the AI Framework and Policy Template for a comprehensive roadmap for responsibly integrating AI technologies within your organisation.

BoardPro is the refreshingly simple board management software that makes governance easy.