Our Municipality decided to automate meeting and Council information management, using All Net, at the beginning of 2010. We initially charted out a training and conversion process which extended through much of the year. However, once the software was installed, we found that administration converted immediately, and Council converted, after perhaps 30 minutes of training, part-way through the year.
The members of council appreciate All Net for several reasons: it eliminated paper meeting packages for several reasons: it can be accessed anywhere they have a computer; it allows them to track activities; it allows them access to much more of the body of by-laws and policies and other important documents than they could have before; it is easier to use during meetings than was paper; and it is simple.
Administration appreciates it for its own reasons: meeting agendas can be built over time as material comes in; All Net is compatible with paper files, but it can be used – as we do – with digital file management; we can get information into the hands of Council in a complete and immediate way, notably calendar changes and new documents; All Net management is approachable and quick to address concerns.
Over all, meetings are faster and more easily managed, and information is more accessible. It is very hard for us to imagine, after one year, reverting to paper-based meetings.
In the fall of 2008 we purchased All-Net Meetings from All-Net.ca. One of the main concerns of a Municipal Council is transparency to their ratepayers. With the ability to publish the agendas online our residents are now able to view the agenda prior to the meeting and see the information that Council is basing their decisions on. It has reduced the time spent in preparation of our agenda and minutes by more than ½ and by going paperless; we have saved a small forest of trees.
This product is so user friendly our Council, with very little training, was able to maneuver around and follow the agenda during council meetings. We found by uploading our by-laws and policies to the Group Documents, it has given our Council the ability to have information at their fingertips when needed. We also use the Group Documents to upload public information that we feel the residents would want to know and link these files to both our Website and Facebook.
The user schedules is another wonderful tool. We can populate Council’s calendar with the events they are attending and it will automatically send an email to the members. The guidance and support we receive from All-Net.ca is absolutely fantastic! I remember a time when I was out of the province but needed to get something done. I called the support line after hours and received assistance within minutes. This product has proven itself countless times to be money and time well spent.
The All-Net software has transformed our council and committee meetings. Efficiency, time savings, simplicity, and paper-savings are only a few of the many benefits that we have experienced over the last 3 years of using the All-Net program. With regular updates to the software and a service level that is unmatched, Vern and his qualified team have proven their dedication to ensuring our satisfaction with the All-Net product.
| Mel - Manitoba Municipal Administrators’ Association |
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As the Executive Director of the Manitoba Municipal Administrators’ Association and as I client with firsthand experience, I can say that the All-Net Meetings program has changed the way our Association and many Manitoba Municipalities do business. The savings from time and paper alone more than pays for itself. I would recommend All-Net Meetings to any municipal government looking to reduce time, waste and improve communication amongst elected officials.
As an All-Net Meetings user I would recommend the program to any municipal organization looking to save time and money. The fact that elected officials have access to the files they need in a timely manner is priceless. Gone are the days of photocopying paper agenda packages and staff can now focus their efforts on more pressing issues.
Using All-Net Meetings has made the agenda and minutes process very easy and has freed up a lot of administrative time. The project and issue tracker features are great too. Having the ability to add documents for Council has made the meetings much more efficient. The council members have found the transition very easy as well. The staff are very professional and extremely helpful. I would highly recommend All-Net Meetings for any office.
| Robert - Town of Stonewall |
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With a busy schedule it was difficult to make all of the training sessions but I found when we began using All-Net Meetings for our Council and Committee meetings the transition was seamless and Council, administration staff and myself picked using the Program quickly and easily. The agendas and minutes are completed quicker than in the past and the task / item management feature keeps everyone up to date on the status of matters.
I have found the program to be very helpful when chairing meetings. The Program is user friendly and the support from Vern and his staff is excellent. The Program does save time, paper and frustration all around. Highly recommended.
The RM of South Norfolk made the conversion to the All-Net system in May of 2011 for their electronic meeting packages and thus far appreciate many of the features or modules that include the project updates & reporting and all users live by the calendar feature! Staff appreciates the electronic meeting minutes and easy researching of resolution numbers and content. All package correspondence is just a click away and has minimized the need to search through paper files!
The RM has recently approved the revamping of our website to All-Net and we are currently in the process of making this transition. We are looking forward to the community calendar being the focal point of this website and promoting all of the upcoming community experiences to ratepayers and potential visitors! Vern has been a tremendous support throughout this transition and his training has assisted the councilors and staff to use this system to the maximum of its capacity! Thanks All-Net
The Town and R.M of Birtle started using All-Net Meetings in the summer of 2011 and were very impressed with the capabilities of the program as well as the excellent support provided by All-Net. The endless features and user friendly applications have saved administrative time and resources. A must have for every busy office.
| Lynne - R.M of St. Francois Xavier |
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All-Net has drastically changed how paperwork flows in the office in preparation for a Council meeting. We no longer make 6 copies of every piece of correspondence for each Councillor to read. The agenda is very easy to work with. The minutes are pretty much done as we walk out of the meeting. We are saving a lot of time and paper and are very happy that we started using All-Net.
