Board Profile
- Industry: Not-for-profit; Public Safety
- Headquarters: New South Wales, Australia
Objectives
- Streamline meeting preparation and collaboration across multiple committees and entities
- Find a cost-effective, user-friendly board management solution suitable for a not-for-profit organisation
- Protect confidential accreditation records with a secure, compliant board platform
Results
- Faster, more efficient board meetings enabled by centralised documents and real-time collaboration
- Enhanced security and control through robust encryption and instant access management
- Reduced administrative overhead and better value for money
Since 1947, the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) has been a trusted leader in ensuring the quality and safety of products and services in Australia. It provides independent assurance to laboratories, inspection bodies, and technical facilities. These span fields from human pathology and life sciences to food testing and building materials. As the country’s leading accreditation body, NATA’s role isn’t just to test, but to ensure those who do can be trusted — monitoring compliance with internationally recognised standards, including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Principles of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP).
The Challenge: Make Meetings More Secure and Efficient
NATA has worked behind the scenes to help clients deliver consistent service, earning their trust and confidence year after year. But sustaining that trust depends on accurate test documentation and secure information handling, among other things. Hence, as NATA’s board and executive activities expanded across multiple committees and subsidiary entities, the organisation sought a solution to support its board operations better.
“The features I was mainly looking at were site administrator rights, security, end user experience, voting ability, resolution ability, review rooms for minutes, and a document library that made it easy to find things,” said Jana Clayton, Executive Assistant and Site Administrator at NATA.
The goal was clear: to find a tool that could make their meetings more efficient and collaborative, and ensure both administrators and board members could access materials quickly and securely.
The Search for the Right Management Tool
The search began with a simple Google search, according to Clayton. But the evaluation process was far from casual.
“I wanted a platform that was good for NFP businesses,” the administrator noted. “I went through a process of elimination with where the servers were based, what sort of ISO security standards the platform had been accredited for, and how much the platform was.” She emphasised that cost was one of the driving factors of their decision.
After internal deliberation, Convene quickly stood out for its strong compliance features, including several ISO certifications, its user-friendly design, and the control it offered administrators. More importantly, NATA saw value for money. In the end, Convene became the organisation’s platform of choice, helping improve board management and governance.
The Solution: Excellent Board Governance Results from Day One
Although NATA only started using Convene in February of 2025, the platform has already delivered remarkable results, including:
Easy Onboarding and Reliable Support
First and foremost, the transition to Convene was swift and straightforward. “I had it all set up and documents loaded into the platform within a day,” Clayton shared. This ease of onboarding meant more time to focus on improving workflows rather than struggling with a steep learning curve.
Support has also been quick and dependable. “I’ve only had to reach out a couple of times, but the response was very fast,” the administrator added. Knowing that assistance was readily available gave NATA added confidence as they adapted to the new platform.
Streamlined Processes and Cost Savings
Since adopting Convene, the organisation has seen clear improvements in meeting preparation, management, and documentation. Tools like the Agenda Builder, Minutes and Note Taker, Review Rooms, and Convene Live Edit have made collaboration faster and easier for both administrators and board members who depend on accurate, current information. Having one centralised document repository also helps NATA keep information organised and easily accessible.
Users quickly embraced the platform due to its simplicity. As Clayton shared, even common tasks that used to cause delays are now resolved in minutes: “The account unlock function has been used a few times for board members who have forgotten their password — it takes five minutes to unlock their account.” The entire process is straightforward, without compromising the system’s overall security.
Beyond time savings, the platform has also delivered tangible cost benefits. By reducing administrative overhead, minimising errors, and streamlining board processes, NATA has been able to allocate resources more efficiently — achieving more with less.
Strong Security Features
Security was non-negotiable for NATA. Handling sensitive documentation from across scientific and regulatory fields meant that data protection, permissioning, and audit control had to be airtight. Convene’s security functions, like multi-level encryption and multi-factor authentication, have provided the organisation with confidence that confidential documents remain protected throughout their lifecycle.
As the main users of Convene include site administrators, board members, and executives, the ability to instantly revoke or adjust user access has been a standout factor. The administrator noted, “Being able to automatically cut someone off is very good.” With multiple committees and rotating board members, this capability ensures that only the right people have access at the right time.
Why NATA Trusts Convene
Trust is not a word NATA uses lightly. As the country’s premier accreditation authority, the organisation exists to assess credibility, reliability, and compliance, and applies the same standards to its own governance tools. Convene earned that trust by offering a platform that is secure, intuitive, and genuinely cost-effective, without overcomplicating the board experience.
As Clayton put it, “[Convene is] a cost-effective and user-friendly board management platform. All the functions without unnecessary fluff.”
That confidence has also led NATA to scale its use of Convene beyond the main board, extending the platform to subsidiaries and other committees. With Convene in place, NATA benefits from consistent, secure processes that mirror the reliability of the standards it upholds nationwide.
Support governance with confidence. Discover how Convene helps organisations uphold high standards through secure, user-friendly board management. Request a demo today.
