simplified technical english (ste) - dozuki workshop series

SIMPLIFIED TECHNICAL ENGLISHGUEST EXPERT: SHUMIN CHEN

1. What is STE?

2. Why use STE?

3. STE in action

4. Results of STE

5. Continuing your STE journey

TODAY’S ROADMAP

T H E W O R K S H O P S E R I E S

What’s your familiarity with STE at this point?

‣ Never heard of it

‣ Heard of it

QUICK POLL!


‣ Tried using it

‣ Actively using it

JUGGLING REQUIREMENTS

• Lowering costs

• Shortening time-to-market

• Decreasing dependence on suppliers


EXPECTATION VS. REALITY


EXPECTATION VS. REALITY

We want to stand behind what we do, and make sure we provide a quality product.T H E W O R K S H O P S E R I E S

WHY ENGLISH?

• English is the most “global” language

• Technical documentation is mostly written in English

• English also happens to be a very rich language


• Confusion

• High translation costs

• Translation quality

• Time-to-market

PROBLEMS WITH STANDARD ENGLISH (I)

• Ineffective training

• Damage to equipment

• Safety issues


Access to low-cost, and high-quality translations

• An impetus for attempts to simplify English by doing away with the complex aspects of standard English.

• Bad translations bad translators?

• ’Replace the gasket.’ ???

PROBLEMS WITH STANDARD ENGLISH (II)


Conclusion

• Translation quality definitely suffers when language is not standardized

PROBLEMS WITH STANDARD ENGLISH (II)


Downtime, ineffective training, damage, injury

• Costs to the airlines, industries, etc

• Technical docs as basis for training materials

• Human factors

PROBLEMS WITH STANDARD ENGLISH (III)

Documentation is a very important means to try and control, contain, and limit those human errors.!


What types of documentation are you creating?

‣ Service / Repair

‣ Manufacturing Instructions

QUICK POLL!


‣ Training Guides

‣ Customer Product

Support

PROBLEMS WITH STANDARD ENGLISH (IV)

An industry example: a page-long procedure

• How to replace the saw blade in a saw bench

“Warning: Before attempting any of the above, the power should have been switched off.”


• Complete

• Accurate

• Concise

• Convincing

TECHNICAL CONTENT CHECKLIST

• Relevant

• Unambiguous

• Meaningful


WHERE DID STE COME FROM?

1970: US Federal Government introduced Plain English for communications with the public

1982: European Association of Aerospace (AECMA) develops Simplified English for aircraft maintenance documentation

2004: AECMA is renamed ASD, Simplified English becomes Simplified Technical English (ASD-STE100)


STE ISN’T JUST FOR A&D

Automotive •  Patria •  Rheinmetall MAN

Military Vehicles •  Sandvik •  SEAT •  Volkswagen •  FNSS Defense

Systems

Aviation •  Air Arabia •  Boeing •  Embraer •  Eurocopter •  FAA •  GMF AeroAsia •  Goodrich •  Lufthansa Systems •  Rolls-Royce

Electronics • ABB • Creative • Huawei • Philips • Rohde & Schwarz • Samsung

IT • Check Point • Cisco • Microsoft • Radisys • Watchguard

Machinery • Black & Decker • Finn-Power • HOMAG • Shikoku Kakoki • Tetra Pak


THE STE FRAMEWORK


65 writing rules

Rule 1.1: Only use approved words (unique to STE)

General vocabulary

Approved and non-approved synonyms

Guidelines for customer-specific terms

Technical names and verbs

Most important and universal standard for technical English

THE STE FRAMEWORK


Consistency

Standardised way of writing

Quality improvement

Cost savings

Time savings due to less rework or editing

REDUCING COST & CONFUSION (I)

Same rules, same words

Consistent manual


REDUCING COST & CONFUSION (II)

• Provide accurate information to the reader

• Facilitate re-use and Content Management

• Cheaper, faster and better translations


Rule 1.1 Only use approved words.

Do not write: Visually inspect the engine nacelle.

Write: Do a visual inspection of the heat exchanger.

or Examine the heat exchanger for damage.

THE RULES (I)


THE RULES (I)

Do not write: Fluorescent-penetrant inspect the membrane.

Write: Do a fluorescent-penetrant inspection of the membrane.


X difficult to process

X Impossible to translate

X Awkward

THE RULES (II)

Example: Boeing 747 aircraft maintenance manual

‘to fluorescent penetrant inspect’

‘to infrared-ly inspect’

‘to ultrasonic-ly inspect’

‘to non-destructive-ly inspect’


THE RULES (II)

Example: Boeing 747 aircraft maintenance manual

‘do a fluorescent penetrant inspection’

‘do an infrared inspection’

‘do an ultrasonic inspection’

‘do a non-destructive inspection’

√ Same sentence structure

√ Only the adjective will change

√ Familiar phrasing


MEDICAL DEVICE EXAMPLENote: The patient must be able to be moved.

Control panel Both the C-arm stand and the monitor cart have a control panel. The two control panels always show the same screen, enabling you to use them for system operation. Depending on the selected function, other controls (buttons, input boxes, displays, etc.) will appear on the control panel screen. The Vision Center control panel is designed as a touch screen. For system operation, just press the desired button or option directly on the touch screen.

Note: Make sure that it is safe to move the patient.

Control panel The C-arm stand and the monitor cart each have a control panel screen. These screens show the same control panel. Each panel lets you operate the system. The panels have different controls for different functions. The control panel is a touch screen. To operate the system, touch the correct button or option.


EMOTIONAL CONTEXT


Step 1 — Display Assembly

• If your display glass is cracked, keep further breakage contained and prevent bodily harm during your repair by taping the glass.

• Lay overlapping strips of clear packing tape over the iPhone's display until the whole face is covered.

Note: This will keep glass shards contained and provide structural integrity when prying and lifting the display.

Warning: Wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from any glass shaken free during the repair.

OPTIMIZING TECHNICAL CONTENT

How to replace the iPhone 5c power buttonStep 1 — Display Assembly

• If there are cracks in your display glass, use tape to prevent more damage and possible injuries.

• Make a cover for the full display glass area with overlapping strips of clear tape.

Note: This will keep glass shards together and give structural integrity when you move the display.

Warning: Use safety glasses for eye protection during the repair.


Step 1 — Display Assembly

• If your display glass is cracked, keep further breakage contained and prevent bodily harm during your repair by taping the glass.

• Lay overlapping strips of clear packing tape over the iPhone's display until the whole face is covered.

Note: This will keep glass shards contained and provide structural integrity when prying and lifting the display.

Warning: Wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from any glass shaken free during the repair.


How to replace the iPhone 5c power button(77 words) (64 words, <17%)Step 1 — Display Assembly

• If there are cracks in your display glass, use tape to prevent more damage and possible injuries.

• Make a cover for the full display glass area with overlapping strips of clear tape.

Note: This will keep glass shards together and give structural integrity when you move the display.

Warning: Use safety glasses for eye protection during the repair.


Step 3 — iSclack Opening Procedure

The next two steps demonstrate using the iSclack, a great tool for safely opening the iPhone 5c that we recommend for anyone doing more than one repair on an iPhone 5, 5s, or 5c. If you aren't using the iSclack, skip to Step 5.

• Close the handle on the iSclack, opening the suction-cup jaws.

• Place the bottom of your iPhone in between the suction cups, against the plastic depth gauge.

• The top suction cup should rest just above the home button.

• Open the handles to close the jaws of the iSclack. Center the suction cups and press them firmly onto the top and bottom of the iPhone.



If you do not use the iSclack, go to Step 5. Steps 3 and 4 show you how to use the iSclack to open the iPhone 5c safely. If you will do more than one repair, we recommend this tool.

• Close the iSclack handles to open the suction-cup jaws.

• Place the bottom of your iPhone between the suction cups, against the plastic depth gauge.

• The top suction cup must be just above the home button.

• Open the handles to close the jaws. Align the suction cups with the center, then push them tightly onto the top and bottom of the iPhone.

How to replace the iPhone 5c power button



The next two steps demonstrate using the iSclack, a great tool for safely opening the iPhone 5c that we recommend for anyone doing more than one repair on an iPhone 5, 5s, or 5c. If you aren't using the iSclack, skip to Step 5.

• Close the handle on the iSclack, opening the suction-cup jaws.

• Place the bottom of your iPhone in between the suction cups, against the plastic depth gauge.

• The top suction cup should rest just above the home button.

• Open the handles to close the jaws of the iSclack. Center the suction cups and press them firmly onto the top and bottom of the iPhone.



If you do not use the iSclack, go to Step 5. Steps 3 and 4 show you how to use the iSclack to open the iPhone 5c safely. If you will do more than one repair, we recommend this tool.

• Close the iSclack handles to open the suction-cup jaws.

• Put the bottom of your iPhone between the suction cups, against the plastic depth gauge.

• The top suction cup must be just above the home button.

• Open the handles to close the jaws. Align the suction cups with the center, then push them tightly onto the top and bottom of the iPhone.

How to replace the iPhone 5c power button(113 words) (110 words)


Step 4

• Hold onto your iPhone securely and close the handle of the iSclack to separate the suction cups, pulling the front panel up from the rear case.

• The iSclack is designed to safely open your iPhone just enough to separate the pieces, but not enough to damage anycables.

• Peel the two suction cups off your iPhone.

• Skip the next three steps and continue on to Step 8.


Step 4

• Hold your iPhone tightly and close the iSclack handles. The suction cup at the top will pull the front panel up from the rear case.

• The iSclack can safely open your iPhone without damage to the cables.

• Peel the two suction cups from your iPhone.

• Go to Step 8.

How to replace the iPhone 5c power button


Step 4

• Hold onto your iPhone securely and close the handle of the iSclack to separate the suction cups, pulling the front panel up from the rear case.

• The iSclack is designed to safely open your iPhone just enough to separate the pieces, but not enough to damage anycables.

• Peel the two suction cups off your iPhone.

• Skip the next three steps and continue on to Step 8.

OPTIMISING TECHNICAL CONTENT

Step 4

• Hold your iPhone tightly and close the iSclack handles. The suction cup at the top will pull the front panel up from the rear case.

• The iSclack can safely open your iPhone without damage to the cables.

• Peel the two suction cups from your iPhone.

• Go to Step 8.

How to replace the iPhone 5c power button(74 words) (51 words, 31%)


RESULTS OF EMBRACING STE

current

with STE

with STE

terms translatability readability volume

-70%

+67%

+42%

-25%


YOUR STE JOURNEY

Training

Resources

Consultancy Dictionary building


Company-specific terminology

Based on text mining on existing documentation to find company-specific terms

Average size of custom dictionary is approx. 2000 words

STE only allows the use of approved words,

i.e. documented, unique and unambiguous words

Customer can maintain dictionary

YOUR STE JOURNEY - DICTIONARY

Dictionary building


Resources

ASD-STE100 Specification Issue 6

WWW.ASD-STE100.NET

WWW.ASD-STE100.SOLUTIONS

WWW.SHUFRANS-TECHDOCS.COM

STE sample texts, international workshops

FAQ library, free STE doc analysis

Articles about STE on our website & LinkedIN.

YOUR STE JOURNEY - RESOURCES


http://WWW.ASD-STE100.NET

http://WWW.ASD-STE100.SOLUTIONS

http://WWW.SHUFRANS-TECHDOCS.COM

Training is necessary to learn the rules, how to apply them in practice and how to avoid common pitfalls

2 - 3 days on-site or shared classes worldwide

Dedicated training group size up to 12 participants

Approaches towards writing, rewriting, updating

YOUR STE JOURNEY - TRAINING


Implementation & consultancy

Editing & proofreading services

STE continuous improvement

YOUR STE JOURNEY - CONSULTANCY

Consultancy


International standards: ASD-STE100, S1000D, DITA

Copywriting, technical writing

Multilingual documentation

ABOUT SHUFRANS TECHDOCS


THANK YOU

[email protected]

SEND ME YOUR QUESTIONS!


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simplified technical english (ste) - dozuki workshop series

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