There is no defined method for maintaining meeting discussion and flow. Currently the host of a meeting is required to maintain timing of multiple topics while participating in the meeting conversation and documenting meeting minutes. The host may interject when discussion strays from the meeting agenda and remind the meeting attendees when the topic is about to change or is running overtime. This process has room for many errors, potential for missed meeting notes, and does not control the meeting topics closely. The host must also regain control of the meeting to move from one subject to another; which is difficult for some personality types. In some cases complete topics may be missed by the hosts inability to follow the agenda and/or the enthusiasm of another topic running over time. Casual participants of the meeting may join late or check on the meeting from time to time. A participant must reference the agenda in the meeting invitation or listen to the conversation to gain insight into what topic is being discussed. This could result in participants missing their opportunity to add to the conversation.

Develop a format in which the schedule is integral to the virtual meeting and presents the agenda visually at all times. Use color coding to indicate the time remaining for a given topic and identify the preceding topic, for example green if time remaining is over 5 minutes, yellow if time is between 5 and 1 minute, red if time remaining is less than 60 seconds. Displaying text would show overtop presenters desktop and remain on the screen regardless of which participant is presenting. Both passive and interactive formats are proposed. In the passive format only a displayed time based on the preplanned agenda is displayed. In the interactive format notifications would require the host to click to change subjects or continue with the previous agenda item. In the interactive format the host would be prompted to answer when the topic moves to the next agenda item.