Cooperative Partnerships Contribute to Sustainability, Growth

Partnerships are key to sustainability and relevance in a constantly changing industry. The National Information Solutions Cooperative’s platinum status as a TNBA member is an example of this idea.

Through its state-level ties, NISC works to serve telephone service providers, several of whom are TNBA members. As an information technology provider, NISC develops and supports software along with processing services and hardware that benefit its clients across the country. Its software products include solutions for accounting, billing, mapping and engineering. TNBA, in turn, is a member of NISC and uses its Call to Order meeting app, which allows users to securely access reference materials, documents and agendas.

“For any business operation or association, it makes sense to evaluate methods and applications to streamline processes and to work smarter, versus harder. I heard about NISC’s Call to Order and knew a few of our members were familiar with it and/or were using it for their own board meetings,” says TNBA Executive Director Carrie Huckeby.

The cloud-based application can be accessed anywhere using a web browser, and participants can view documents and information dating back months, saving them the hassle of shuffling through separate emails. Users can also make changes to documents and reload them instantaneously with a broadband connection.

Partnering with NISC on application usage and on membership represents a reciprocity TNBA promotes to its own cooperative members.

“While Call to Order is a tool to help board meetings run smoothly, I enjoy that TNBA is a member of NISC, and we have the opportunity to work with and support the cooperative because, after all, many of our members are cooperatives too,” Huckeby says.