Show & Explain the Complexities Of Product With Super “How-To-Videos”

How-to-videos

Here is our current favorite How-To YouTube recipe in these Covid Lockdown days. This one tells you how to make tandoori rotis on your regular stove works and the results are quite amazing! Tried and Tested by kPointers.

That’s the power of video. We learn so easily when we are SHOWN how to perform a task. Videos let you see how things evolve, what did the dough look like? What color did it turn when it was cooked, how long did it take? Reading about it the old-fashioned way just doesn’t match up.

“How-To” Videos are some of the most popular on Youtube. Everyone needs to know something and there is nothing better to learn from than a video. The range is quite mind-boggling. “How- To trim an Elephant’s nails” all the way to “How-To get super glue off your skin”. From our experience that last one is really useful. It seems we could learn almost everything from YouTube. Everything? That’s not quite true. 

So why would you need something other than Youtube? 

Unfortunately, there are tasks in the world that need instruction that’s a bit more than a five-minute video.

So again, why not YouTube? Complexity is the primary reason. The required outcomes are precise. Sequencing and a whole set of other factors are needed to make the task a success.

Supporting complex products and services without human intervention is highly valuable as it makes it very convenient for the customer as well as hugely cost-effective. Self-help, troubleshooting knowledge bases can be the first line of support. Product documents that are self-explanatory can also go a long way in reducing the burden of supporting products. 

So again, why not Youtube?

Complexity is the primary reason. The required outcomes are precise. Sequencing and a whole set of other factors are needed to make the task a success. Videos play a crucial role but the context in which they are presented is extremely important. A leading two-wheeler automotive manufacturer who provides dealerships across India with video-based product documentation for servicing and replacing parts in vehicles is using the kPoint Enterprise Video Platform. This is what was required to make the use of videos work for such a product documentation application.

Here are five ways you need to give the context of How-To videos in product documentation:

1. Break down Complexity:

Creating nugget-sized videos that address very specific steps in an assembly makes it easier for technicians to work on tasks that may take a long time. Clear video showing various angles and close-ups of components in motion and at rest leave no ambiguity in the outcome. Delivering them in a sequence and relating them to other content is very useful. Tracking errors and auditing how the information was used is also possible in such systems.

2. Crowd-Source learning

As dealerships use video-based product documentation, questions arise from the end-users. What’s an alternate way to do it? Can some components be interchanged? The manufacturer could update the central server with clarifications and answers.  Everyone in the network benefitted.

3. Just-In-Time Learning

The Enterprise Video Platform allowed access such that the technicians could use the information as and when needed. They didn’t have to jog their memory of the “Workshop Hands-On” session in the annual training from huge three ring binders with vague schematic diagrams. When the time came to perform certain tasks the information and all related artifacts were available right then.

4. In-Context

The information presented can be linked to videos of previous versions of the product or other related components, all of it on the same page as “Recommendations” without the Technician having to search for them. Links to other web pages, forms to fill out, regulations, Q&A, etc all can be made available so that the video is not isolated and unrelated to the whole.

5. Tracking And User behavior

The video served from Enterprise Systems gives the provider information at various levels of detail. From what part was reviewed the most, to who saw it and when.  This data is invaluable in assessing the quality of documentation and its application by the end-users. Tracking errors and auditing how the information was used is also possible in such systems.

The other benefits of the Enterprise Video Platform continue to apply. You’ll be very secure with access control to the videos and system. You’ll have full control over your content. You can upload and delete at will and control who gets to see what. Track and monitor the use.  

The example of the automotive manufacturer was just one. There are many complex products and services where we have seen Enterprise Videos being used to enhance product documentation. Write or Call us if you have a specific need. We have solutions!.  

kPoint cited for its enterprise video technology in Gartner Market Guide for Enterprise Video Content Management

How-To Videos :

Bump them up a notch on kPoint!

kPoint corner mobile

How-To Videos :

Bump them up a notch on kPoint!

  • kPoint gives the capability to create and host help videos as part of your content
  • Organize these videos into a channel 
  • Add highlights, transcript and tags to the help videos to improve searchability
  • Highlights can be used to mark chapters or sections in a video
  • Add a links to related videos or documents in the description
  • Video analytics gives an insight into viewership and how users are benefiting from the help videos
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