Case Studies
Overall, the use of Simplified Technical English and HyperSTE will lead to the following benefits:
- Reduced time to market
- Decreased word count (up to 20%) for content, so cheaper to print and maintain. In addition, Simplified Technical English facilitates structured authoring standards like DITA and S1000D, but also content management and XML through optimized reuse of quality content
- Cheaper to translate (up to 40%)
- Cost avoiding resulting from unclear communication:
- Liability claims
- Confusion
- Recall
- Lost production time
Below are some examples of case studies for some of our customers, which will demonstrate the benefits and cost savings obtained thanks to the use of HyperSTE and Simplified Technical English.
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WatchGuard is an American manufacturer of computer network security products, and can be considered an early-adopter of Simplified Technical English in its industry. WatchGuard adapted the Simplified Technical English standard, and renamed it to WatchGuard Standardized English (WSE).
The Challenge
- to standardize its documentation by using consistent terminology and a controlled vocabulary
- to enhance the readability of its manuals, therefore improving the quality
- to reduce localization costs, as WatchGuard translates its technical documentation into various Asian and European languages
The Solution
Within weeks Tedopres developed a dictionary containing WatchGuard and industry-specific terminology. Next, training was given to teach WatchGuard’s technical writers the rules of how to write clear and concise technical manuals. As part of the implementation process, WatchGuard uses HyperSTE, our checker software, to ensure that all manuals comply with Simplified Technical English, including unambiguous and consistent terminology.
The Results
Below is an extract of a WatchGuard manual before and after it was rewritten in Simplified Technical English.
BEFORE - Original Text
Cabling the firewall
Use the following procedure to cable your firewall:
Shut down your computer.
If you connect to the Internet through a DSL modem or cable modem, disconnect the power supply to this device.
Disconnect from your computer the Ethernet cable that connects your DSL modem, cable modem, or other Internet connection to your computer. Connect this cable to the WAN port (labeled WAN 1) on the firewall.
Connect one end of the straight-through Ethernet cable supplied with your firewall to one of the seven numbered Ethernet ports (labeled 0-6) on the firewall. Connect the other end to the Ethernet port of your computer.
If you connect to the Internet through a DSL modem or cable modem, reconnect the power supply to this device. The indicator lights flash and then stop. The modem is ready for use.
Attach the AC adapter to the firewall. Connect the AC adapter to a power source.
The power light on the firewall goes on and the WAN1 indicator lights flash and then stop. The firewall is ready for use.
Restart the computer.
During restart, your computer will communicate with the firewall. One pair of the Ethernet port indicator lights flash and then stop. Your computer is now connected to the firewall.
If you circled DHCP Enabled = Yes in the TCP/IP Settings table on page, your firewall is now fully installed. You should be able to test this by opening your Web browser and browsing to your favorite Internet site. However, if you circled DHCP Enabled = No, please continue to enable DHCP on your computer and configure the firewall for a static IP or PPPoE address.
AFTER - Text rewritten in Simplified Technical English:
Connecting the firewall
Use this procedure to connect your firewall Ethernet and power cables:
- Shut down your computer.
- If you use a DSL or cable modem to connect to the Internet, disconnect its power supply.
- Find the Ethernet cable between the modem and your computer. Disconnect this cable from your computer and connect it to the firewall external interface (WAN 1).
- Find the Ethernet cable supplied with your firewall. Connect this cable to a trusted interface (0-6) on the firewall. Connect the other end of this cable to the Ethernet interface of your computer.
- If you use a DSL or cable modem, connect its power supply.
- Find the AC adapter supplied with your firewall. Connect the AC adapter to the firewall and to a power source.
- The firewall power indicator light comes on and the external interface indicator lights flash and then come on. The firewall is ready.
- WARNING: Only use the AC adapter supplied with the firewall.
- When the firewall is ready, start your computer.
Example 3, copyright © 2004 by WatchGuard® Technologies, Inc., Seattle, USA.
The benefits
Implementing Simplified Technical English and HyperSTE yielded the following results for WatchGuard:
- Overall considerably improved quality of the manuals, resulting in customer satisfaction.
- Volume reduction of 10-30% per manual. The originally projected word count for a particular manual was estimated at 500,000. Thanks to the use of Simplified Technical English and HyperSTE the word count turned out to be 375,000 (25% volume reduction).
- Reusability of text increased to 25%, thanks to the standardization of terminology and writing style.
- Translation cost decreased by 40%. The use of a translation memory normally recognizes 30% of the text. Simplified Technical English not only resulted in less volume to be translated, but increased the translation memory to 40%. This resulted in an initial saving of $35,000 for the first manual in Simplified Technical English.
