Technical Writting in Corporate Environment

Technical Writing In
Corporate Environment

Oscar Hernandez

University of Phoenix

Technical writing in a corporate environment

Amongst the top skills in a corporate environment, technical writing is the most important. It provides insight while introducing new ideas with easy to follow instructions. Technical writing is widely used to explain tough terminology into simple terms. In a corporate environment, technical writing is highly used to provide support for employees that need assistance in understanding new technology or upgraded software. Technical writing is communication written for and about business and industry. “Technical writing focuses on products and services—how to manufacture them, market them, manage them, deliver them, and use them” Gerson (2006). Improving technical writing skills can excel an employee’s career and opportunities in a company.

Human Resources

Making concise and clear presentation of words can give employees’ knowledge when modifications in policy occur. Like many other attributes in writing, technical writing is used to introduce new changes in employee benefits, for example. In today’s corporate environment, companies are creating information packets that explain benefits in a detailed form to eliminate any confusion employees might have. Big corporations are breaking down benefits like medical, dental, vision, and 401K and providing step-by-step assistance and directions in open enrollment. This gives the employee instructions on how to make any changes to any benefits they might want to change.

Stocks and Investors

Understanding the stock market and market share is important to an investor when investing in a company. Often, stakeholders require reports with simple facts that can show if the margins are high. Technical writing puts these facts in understandable words that provide real understanding of facts. For example, if an investor reads a report with graphs and charts full of data this might confuse the person and clutter their mind. But if you give them a report that uses less complex phrases and words, the meaning will be understood more effectively. Technical writing is being used across the board to help people comprehend with lesser complications.

Introducing new technology/software

In today’s modern world, companies are becoming more efficient in providing tools that facilitate employees’ understand of new technology. Companies are creating step-by-step instruction manuals that explain the use of new software. This allows training to become an easier task to tackle. It provides detailed information to employees that need to learn new technology or updated software. It also reduces the amount of time in training an employee spends while trying to learn new information. “A good training manual must act as a building block of practical and technical skills needed to prepare the new individual for his or her position” Monahan (2005). It breaks down tough terms into simple to understand phrases. Large manufacturing corporations with a large population of Hispanic employees have begun providing these manuals in the employees’ native language. The Human Resources department has found that employees seem to have a better understanding when it comes to benefits and new training technology.

Ideas and Projects

As a business professional it is imperative we use technical writing when presenting new ideas or a new project. Providing clear and concise writing will allow the readers to follow the message more accurately with no confusions. The mistake many individuals make while presenting new ideas is the use of shortened words for long phrases. For example, the presenter would shorten online learning system to (OLS). Another example would be computer operating systems (COS). These types of abbreviations would only confuse the reader. Not all readers are experts in the same topics. One person can have a clear understanding of the meaning while another would not be so fortunate to have the same knowledge. “Technical writing is composed primarily in the work environment for supervisors, colleagues, subordinate, vendors, and customers” Gerson (2006). Technical writing is mostly used for writing letters, memos, emails, reports, and proposals. It allows subordinates to communicate within the company in an effective manner.

Conclusion

Having mastered technical writing will provide skills that can improve communication in the work place. Technical writing provides assistance in understanding new technology and updated software. It gives simple meaning to complex terms used to introduce new projects and/or ideas. Having the support from upper management in creating instruction manuals will be an important attribute to the training process. Having this option put in place by corporate will only benefit the overall goal of the company. Having learned the fundamentals of technical writing will increase potential and net worth of ones success and over all achievement.

References

Monahan, J. (2005, December 16). The Importance Of Developing A Training Program For Your Company. Retrieved November 8, 2008, from http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Importance-Of-Developing-A-Training-Program-For-Your-Company&id=114536 Technical Writing: Process and Product, Fifth Edition, by Sharon J. Gerson and Steven M. Gerson. Published by Prentice Hall. Copyright © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.