Some mobile content management systems make things difficult. End-users might need to manually start a file sync, or sometimes will have a problem storing certain file types. They make collaboration almost impossible. File syncs take forever. File management and collaboration shouldn't be like this. Content management should be simple, easy, and fast.

Simple to use

Simplicity in this instance means uncomplicated. You shouldn't need a manual to figure out how to share files. The interface should be clean and uncluttered. The backend should be similarly straightforward.

What simplicity gets you is typically a lower total cost of ownership, as there isn't a steep learning curve on either the user or implementation side. Simplicity isn't easy, however. There's a lot of engineering that must go on in both design and development to make file transfers seem effortless.

Easy to navigate

We've established that simple isn't necessarily easy, so it stands to reason that easy isn't always simple. There's a difference between a user interface that looks simple, but is still complicated to navigate, and one that allows easy access of files with minimal clicks. Obviously you want the latter. When you really look into how much time can be wasted digging in various folders for files, you start to see how valuable an uncomplicated interface can be. Multiply those wasted minutes by the number of employees in your organization, and then multiply *that* by five days a week, 50 weeks a year…it adds up fast. Easy pays off.

Video content

Video as a training tool has only seen widespread adoption in recent years. Previous video training methods might have involved watching staged episodes on a computer's DVD player or - even worse - a VCR. With small cameras recording digital video, it is possible to record actual situations - cooking tutorials, clothes-folding procedures, etc - and make that video available everywhere, instantly. And everywhere is where it will need to be, as everyone has a phone or tablet these days, and will want to learn where they are, not in the back office.

Fast to sync

Easy saves a little time that adds up fast. Fast can save large chunks of time, so it's imperative that the file transfers be fast. Video files, usually some of the "fattest" content in your library, should be compressed on the fly so that when it comes time to sync, they don't take hours to push up or pull down.

Simple, easy, fast. It seems like a no-brainer but not every mobile content management system is built with these details in mind. These are the basics of a well-engineered setup, but they are not the end of the story. When setting up retail training, corporate file management, or an athlete feedback system, you should have these properties at the top of the list.

To learn more download our latest guide on Mobile Content Management for the Enterprise