Lava con 2011_controlled_lang_details

Controlled Language:
Making It Work For You
Kit Brown-Hoekstra
Berry Braster
Poppy Quintal
Sherri Sotnick

Agenda
 Context (@kitcomgenesis)
 Specification (@tech_editor)
 Tools (@tedopres, @berrybraster)
 Implementation (sherri.sotnick@elekta.com)

Note: We included more slides here than we presented, just in case you missed the discussion.

About English
Number of English words: 1,009,753*

*As of May 24, 2011 according to the Global Language Monitor
http://www.languagemonitor.com/no-of-words/

Number of Native Speakers*

1. Chinese: 1.2 billion
2. Spanish: 329 million

3. English: 328 million

4. Arabic: 221 million

10. German: 90.3 million
16. French: 67.8 million

*As of 2009, from Ethnologue.com
http://www.ethnologue.com/ethno_docs/distribution.asp?by=size

Ratio Non-Native to Native
English Speakers

Comprehension

 Basic Oral: 2,000 words
 Basic Written: 3,000 words
 Basic Technical: 4-5,000 words
 University-Level Text: 10,000 words
 Fluency: 20,000 words
 Native speaker (adult): 30-40,000 words

From http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/ETD/image/etd518.pdf

SIMPLIFIED TECHNICAL ENGLISH
Specification ASD-STE100TM
TM

Poppy Quintal
quintal@info-internet.net
quintal@info-internet.net

ASD Simplified Technical English

ASD Simplified Technical English is a Controlled Language
(a subset of conventional English).

"I tell people who've never heard of CL (Controlled Language) that
it's PL (Plain Language) with marching boots on."
Avi Arditti
Features Editor
Features Editor
Special English Service
Special English Service
Voice of America
Voice of America

History of the Specification
History of the Specification

1986 -- Feb 15
1986 Feb 15 First release
First release Included Writing Rules (Part 1) and
Included Writing Rules (Part 1) and
the Dictionary (Part 2).
the Dictionary (Part 2).
1986 Sep 15
1986 Sep 15 Change 1
Change 1
1987 Jun 01
1987 Jun 01 Change 2
Change 2 Addition of examples of function
Addition of examples of function
words and nouns (Part 3).
words and nouns (Part 3).
1988 Jun 15
1988 Jun 15 Change 3
Change 3 Addition of examples of verbs (Part 3).
Addition of examples of verbs (Part 3).
1988 Dec 30
1988 Dec 30 Change 4
Change 4 Addition of examples of adjectives and
Addition of examples of adjectives and
adverbs (Part 3).
adverbs (Part 3).
1989 Dec 01
1989 Dec 01 Change 5
Change 5 Reformatted version of Change 4.
Reformatted version of Change 4.
1995 Sep 15
1995 Sep 15 Issue 1
Issue 1 Guide completely revised and a new issue
Guide completely revised and a new issue
released. Original Part 2 deleted and Part 3
released. Original Part 2 deleted and Part 3
renumbered to Part 2.
renumbered to Part 2.
1998 Jan 15
1998 Jan 15 Issue 1, Rev 1
Issue 1, Rev 1 Updates and amendments.
Updates and amendments.
2001 Jan 15
2001 Jan 15 Issue 1, Rev 2
Issue 1, Rev 2 Updates and amendments.
Updates and amendments.
2004 Jan 15
2004 Jan 15 Issue 2
Issue 2 Guide completely revised and new issue released.
Guide completely revised and new issue released.
2005 Jan 15
2005 Jan 15 Issue 3
Issue 3 New issue as ASD-STE 100TM Pending
New issue as ASD-STE 100TM Pending
2007 Jan 15
2007 Jan 15 Issue 4
Issue 4 Specification completely revised.
Specification completely revised.
2010 Apr 15
2010 Apr 15 Issue 5
Issue 5 Specification completely revised.
Specification completely revised.


What is ASD Simplified Technical English?
 ASD STE is an international standard.
 ASD STE is an international standard.
 It is a concise, precise, and limited use of the English language, which
 It is a concise, precise, and limited use of the English language, which
reduces ambiguity and increases readability and comprehension.
reduces ambiguity and increases readability and comprehension.
 It was originally created by the aerospace industry to produce technical
 It was originally created by the aerospace industry to produce technical
manuals and other documentation needed for aircraft support and
manuals and other documentation needed for aircraft support and
maintenance.
maintenance.
 But this specification has also been adopted and adapted by other technical
 But this specification has also been adopted and adapted by other technical
industries (including telecommunications, computer hardware, medical
industries (including telecommunications, computer hardware, medical
technology, transportation, and government).
technology, transportation, and government).
 It has a defined set of grammar, style and syntax rules, and a restricted
 It has a defined set of grammar, style and syntax rules, and a restricted
vocabulary that you must use when you write in ASD STE.
vocabulary that you must use when you write in ASD STE.


STE has:

 A restricted base vocabulary (approximately 1,000 words)


 A large set of Technical Names and Technical Verbs

(unlimited in number and user-defined)

 Restrictions on grammar and style (approximately 65 rules)



Why do we need ASD Simplified Technical English?
(Or any Controlled Language for that matter?)

The Increasing Number of Non-English (mother-tongue) Speaking
Customers
Non-English Speaking English Speaking

A/S AIRCONTACT GRUPPEN K.L.M. ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES AIR CANADA
AEROCONDOR KAR-AIR O/Y AIR JAMAICA
AIR AFRIQUE KENYA AIRWAYS LTD AMERICAN AIRLINES INC.
AIR ALGERIE KOREAN AIR LINES CO. LTD AMERICA WEST AIRLINES
AIR FRANCE KUWAIT AIRWAYS ANSETT AIRLINES OF AUSTRALIA
AIR INDIA LUXAIR (LUXAVIA) - SOC. LUEMBOURGEOISE BRITISH AIRWAYS
AIR INTER, SOCIETE MALAYSIAN AIRLINES SYSTEM CONTINENTAL AIRLINES INC.
AIR MALTA CO. LTD MARTINAIR HOLLAND N.V. GATX LEASING CORPORATION
AIR NIUGINI NIGERIA AIRWAYS - W.A.A.C. (NIGERIA) LTD GUINESS PEAT AVIATIONS
AIR SEYCHELLES OLYMPIC AIRWAYS S.A. INTER LEASE FINANCE CORPORATION
AIR SIAM PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE CORP. MONARCH AIRLINES
ALITALIA - LINEE AEREE ITALIANE S.p.A. PHILLIPINE AIR LINES INC. NORTHWEST AIRLINES INC.
ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS CO. LTD ROYAL JORDANIAN PRIVATE FLIGHT DIRECTORATE
AUSTRIAN AIRLINES SABENA-SOC. ANONYME BELGE D.EX. NAV. AERIEN SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS
BALAG AG SAUDIA ARABIAN AIRLINES UNITED AIRLINES
CAAC - CIVIL AVIATION ADMINISTR. OF CHINA SCAN AIR LTD
CHINA AIRLINES LTD SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES SYSTEM
CONAIR A/S SERVICOS AEROS CRUZEIRO DO SUL S.A.
CONDOR FLUGDIENST GmbH SINGAPORE AIRLINES LTD
CYPRUS AIRWAYS LTD SWISSAIR-SOC. ANONYME SWISS D.L.NAV.AERIAN
DEUTSCHE LUFTHANSA AG THAI AIRLWAYS CO. LTD
EGYPT AIR THAI AIRLWAYS INTERNATIONAL LTD
EMIRATES TRANS EUROPEAN AIRWAYS LTD
FINNAIR O/Y TRANSAVIA HOLLAND B.V.
GARUDA INDONESIAN AIRWAYS, P.T. TRANSPORTES AEROS PORTUGUESES E.P.
HAPAG-LLOYD FLUGGESSELLSCHAFT GmbH TUNIS AIR-SOCIETE TUOSIENNE DE L’AIR
IBERIA - LINEAS AEREAS DE ESPANA, S.A. TURKISH AIRLINES CO. (TURK HAVA YOLLARI)
INDIAN AIRLINES CORPORATION VARIG-VIAC AO AEREA RIO-GRANDENSE S.A.
INEX ADRIA AVIOPROMET VASP-VIAC AO AEREA SAO PAULO S.A.
IRIAN AIR - IRAN NATIONAL AIRLINES CORP. VIASA-NENEZOLANA INT. L OF AVIACION, S.A.


The “problem” with conventional English…


 Too many words.

 Too many meanings.

 Too many synonyms, homonyms and
homophones.

 Too much grammatical/syntactical variety,
which allows us to “say” the same thing in many
different ways.


 Why do we need Simplified Technical English?

Put the same part back
or substitute a new part?

ASD STE Dictionary
“Replace the part...”
approved definition for
REPLACE:
To remove an item and to
install a new or serviceable
item in its place.


ASD STE gets rid of “unclear” writing

Ambiguous Complex
Words Grammar Incomplete
Slang/jargon Sentences


 Simplified Technical English (STE), was
originally developed to help the users of
English-language documentation (more
specifically, non-native English speakers
working with English documentation) quickly
and accurately understand what they read.


 However, studies have shown that the benefits
(speed of task completion, reduced error rates,
etc.) are also statistically significant for
native English speakers.


What Are the Benefits of Using Simplified Technical English?

 Increased safety and efficiency


 Reduced legal liability


 Fewer customer complaints/questions



Benefits of STE:
 Encourages good writing practices and eliminates vague
 Encourages good writing practices and eliminates vague
and ambiguous statements by forcing the writer to use:
and ambiguous statements by forcing the writer to use:
• shorter text
• shorter text
• clearer writing habits
• clearer writing habits
• more precise narratives
• more precise narratives
 Limits the variety of words
• (ex: FOLLOW means "to come after in a
• (ex: FOLLOW means "to come after in a
sequence" and not "to do what the rules tell you”
sequence" and not "to do what the rules tell you”
i.e. OBEY)
i.e. OBEY)
 Gives a standard for grammatical construction (reduces
 Gives a standard for grammatical construction (reduces
personal styles)
personal styles)
 Eliminates "verbiage" (needless accumulation of words)
 Eliminates "verbiage" (needless accumulation of words)


Benefits of ASD STE – Translation

 Manuals written in ASD STE are easier to translate.


 The defined syntax and vocabulary of STE facilitates

computers-assisted translation as well as human
translation.


How does Simplified Technical English work?


 Uses common, everyday English words

 Establishes one meaning per word

 Emphasizes good writing practices

 Standardizes grammatical constructions


Example (non-STE)

It is equally important that there should be no
seasonal changes in the procedures, as,
although aircraft fuel system icing due to water
contamination is more often met with in winter,
it can be equally dangerous during the summer
months.


Example (in ASD STE)

Use the same procedures all the time because
water in the fuel system can freeze during
summer or winter.

While covering pouches, smear bright
yellow on the shadow below the pouches,
gently whap until dizzy.

Simplified Technical English
The Road to Content Quality

© 1974-2011 1

Questions to consider

Content control:
Do we communicate clearly and efficiently?
Do we manage our terminology?
Do we have a style guide?
Do we measure our quality of content?
Are we efficient and cost effective information
developers?

© 1974-2011 3

Small Quiz..

Turn off the engines not required

means…

Turn off the engines that are not required, or

Turning off the engines is not required

© 1974-2011 4

What do we manage and publish?
STE: clear and consistent source
Turn off the engines that are not required.

CMS HTML
Turn off the engines not required
Turning off the engines may not be required.
XM

Multiple Outputs
Ensure you turn off the engines.
All engines should be turned off.
XVL PDF
Switch off the engines that may not be DITA L SVG
required.
Put the engines in the off position.
Not all engines should be switched off. Paper
The system should be turned off, but not all. Version management
Check to make sure the engines are OFF.
To make sure the engines are off, check them.
Configuration
Makes sure the systems are in the off position. management Translations
Verify the engines are not in the ON position.
Please check to make sure the engines are
OFF.
Translations
Switching off the engines may not be allowed. Training
Unclear, too many words,
not consistent source

© 1974-2011 5

HyperSTE - Sentence Database

© 1974-2011 6

The result of not addressing the issue of
ambiguity
Confused and frustrated readers
High translation costs
Bad translations due to unclear source
Safety risk to employees and partners
In field equipment damage
Potential for legal liabilities
Higher support costs
Ineffective customer service
© 1974-2011 7

The larger costs of not getting it right
 A power transformer company was sued for $5M after a transformer blew up due to badly worded
and confusing documentation.
 The largest single problem area for Google in internationalizing their service was language /
translation issues - accounted for 35% of all reported issues.
 EMC estimates it was spending $762,000 on internationalization errors in just one product set.
 Failure to convert English measures to metric values caused the loss of the Mars Climate Orbiter, a
spacecraft that smashed into the planet instead of reaching a safe orbit. Total project cost:
$327.6M.
 An FAA survey of aircraft technicians revealed that, although user evaluations of the accuracy and
quality of technical manuals are generally good, the manuals themselves were noted as having poor
usability.
 Using the wrong word in an accounting system cost the New York City Department of Education
$1.4M
 A badly worded sentence in a contract cost a Canadian utility company $2.3M.
 Major airline had to ground their fleet of aircraft due ambiguity in the documentation.
 $11.9 MILLION JURY VERDICT against a manufacturer of an aerial lift device for failure to adequately
warn of the electrocution hazards of the product and cover exposed metal on the boom tip of the
lift truck.
© 1974-2011 8

So…avoid miscommunication

Consider your audience
Write unambiguously
Write consistently
Provide your
customer with quality

© 1974-2011 9

So now what?

1. Use an established standard to base your
controlled language efforts on
2. Define which writing rules apply to your
content
3. Add corporate terminology (one word =
one meaning)
4. Create your own controlled language
standard!
© 1974-2011 10

Steps for Implementation
3 steps:
1. Train writers on writing rules
2. Standardize corporate terminology
3. Check documentation with checker software:
 Quality assurance / quality control / quality measurement
 Faster time to market, reduced translation costs
 Efficient Authoring

© 1974-2011 11

HyperSTE

© 1974-2011 12

Survey Results

A survey amongst HyperSTE users showed that the use of
HyperSTE resulted in the following benefits:
 Up to 30% in cost savings on translation
and localization
 Up to 40% in reduced word count
 Quality improvement in writing and
translations
 Up to 30% in reduced product cycle time
 Up to 40% reduction in overall
documentation cost
 Efficient conversion of legacy documents
© 1974-2011 13

Some HyperSTE Customers

© 1974-2011 14

Simplified Technical English
at Elekta

Phase One in the successful
implementation of a global content
management system

Sherri Sotnick
Manager, Media Services/Documentation, BASS
*Graphics and some information contributed by my Elekta colleague,
Nick Rowlands, Information Systems Architect, SE&D, BAOS

About Elekta

• World leader in clinical solutions for image-guided
radiation therapy and stereotactic radiosurgery.
• We have Documentation teams in the UK, US/Canada, DE,
and SW.
• Our Business Area develops software products that ensure
an efficient clinical environment streamlining all activities
related to patient care – from diagnosis and treatment to
follow-up – giving clinicians more time to focus on
patients.

About Elekta

• Improve, prolong and save lives by providing clinical solutions
for treating cancer and brain disorders
• Founded in 1972 by the late Lars Leksell, Professor of
Neurosurgery at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden
• Today, Elekta’s clinical solutions and information systems are
used in over 5,000 hospitals globally
• Everyday more than 100,000 patients receive diagnosis,
treatment or follow-up with the help of an Elekta product

Demanding times

• Elekta was changing–organizationally
and technologically
• Growth, acquisition, and changing
regulatory landscape
• Elekta was investing heavily in
technology in a competitive high-tech
market
• Internal issues were driving the need
to take advantage of new
technologies for
information development

Major issues driving the need for change

• The mountain of words continues to grow
• Translation costs escalate proportionately
• Information is difficult to maintain, reuse, and consume
• Different versions of the same information across different
documents
• Foreign language users find content difficult to understand

Major issues driving the need for change

Recent statistic (Jan 2010)
Total words translated 5,459,906 (07 to 09); of which 1,855,959
were translated in the last three months

Developing the documentation strategy

• Research and benchmarking
– How do we modernize of our documentation processes to provide users with the
information they want in the format they require?

– How do we respond to the increasing and
changing responsibility of documentation
departments?

• Analyzing the results from leading analysts
*The Aberdeen Group
*The Gilbane reports
*The Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators

Analyzing the results

• Key findings based on trends reported by industry analysts
– Provide authoring assistance at content creation to promote localization-ready content
– Provide centralized terminology management that defines repeatable words and phrases
for monolingual and multilingual authoring
– Distribute structured document and content management tools to technical authors
– Provide 3D visualization and design-based illustration tools to technical illustrators
– Deploy translation memory technology to localize product documentation
– Utilize 3D publishing technology to increase graphical communication
– Track information reuse to check for documentation readability

Documentation strategy starts to take shape

• Simplified Technical English
• Structured Authoring and XML
• Component Content Management

Taking a Three-Phase Approach

– Elekta Approved Simplified English (EASE)
Develop

– Reduce word count by approximately 30%
– Improve readability and avoid confusion

– Structured Authoring and XML
Deploy

– Modularize information and share modules and topics between documents
(knowledge bases) to maximize reuse
– Apply XML to facilitate the sharing of structured data across different systems

– Content Management
Deliver

– A single-source data repository to optimize information reuse and translation
management
– Multiple output for Print, PDF, Help, and Web

Making it a global strategy

• Global Information Management (GIM)
– A strategic approach to the management of information that ensures all aspects
of our business follow a single consistent path for delivering information
globally, through the intelligent combination of people, processes, and
technologies.

• Simply put…
– GIM is a strategy to change the way we
develop, deploy, and deliver information… globally

Our GIM solution

• HyperSTE from Tedopres for Elekta Approved Simplified English
• DITA for structured authoring and XML
• DITA CMS from IXIASOFT for the component content management
system

– Integrated XMAX authoring tool

– Output for PDF through FM server

– Customization to incorporate
metadata/taxonomy into UI

– Integration of HyperSTE functionality
into XMAX in development

Phase One: Elekta-Approved Simplified English

• Adapting and implementing industry-standard Simplified English
– Provide authoring assistance at content creation to promote localization-ready
content
– Provide centralized terminology management that defines repeatable words and
phrases for monolingual and multilingual authoring

• Strategic response
– Elekta Approved Simplified English (EASE)
– Reduce word count by approximately 30%
– Improve readability and avoid confusion

Getting started: EASE Training and Planning

• Assembled a Core Global Information Management Team
• Completed Tedopres’ Train the Trainer course
• Adapted the training for Elekta products and the medical
device industry
• Agreed on a staggered approach to implementation among BAs
• Trained Doc teams globally on EASE and HyperSTE

Planning our EASE implementation

• How to build and maintain a global
dictionary

• How to implement without disrupting
productivity

• How does this change our current doc
processes

Overcoming challenges

• Tech writers and SMEs were
highly skeptical about
adhering to a precise
vocabulary

Some tech writers said that Simplified Technical
English would inhibit their creativity.

Skeptical SMEs said that Simplified Technical English
would be too restrictive and affect technical accuracy.

Simplifying a language is not an easy task …

• Tech writers and SMEs can be emotionally
attached to specific words
• Under deadline pressure, some tech
writers tend to focus on replacing terms
and not on re-writing per STE rules
• SMEs in different regions use different
industry-specific terms
• Collaboration on terminology
management is challenging among doc
teams in different regions

Overcoming challenges

• Effectively implementing STE while still meeting all software
release deadlines for end-user documentation

Best Practice: Collaboration

• Make building the terminology lists a collaborative effort
– Adopt simple, effective methods for the Tech Writers to build the
terminology lists and solicit input from SMEs
– Have SMEs validate all lists
• Continued development of STE skills for writing teams
– Conduct monthly one-hour STE workshops
(Webex for remote teams)
• Provide learning aides
– E.g. Create Quick Reference
Cards for accepted verbs

Best Practice: Collaboration

• Establish vehicles of communication for remote Tech Writing
teams to resolve STE issues together:
– We created an EASE wikki and #EASE email list, which work well.
• Assemble a core team to review terms and determine which
ones to add to the global dictionary
– We also created guidelines to qualify
terms.
• Measure progress and
share results

Example of Metric to reinforce the benefits

• Real life examples; XVI
A clinical team in the UK and a junior
author accepted the challenge to
restructure a User Manual while
ensuring that all the new functionality
was included and without
compromising and indeed improving
the overall quality and customer
experience. This resulted in a clear
reduction in size.

“This is indeed a great achievement, well done and sincere thanks to the team,” direct quote from a
Senior Vice President in Oncology Business Line Management

Best Practices: Company-Specific Dictionary
• Reinforce the objective for consistent terminology company-wide
One Word = One Meaning = One part of speech
• Create and adhere to global
guidelines for maintaining the
dictionary
• Update create your company
style guide based on the STE
writing rules.

• Get started by building a solid Existing documentation
base dictionary using:
– Existing documentation
– Glossaries
– Translation terminology lists

• Make sure Tech Writers and SMEs Terminology list
collaborate on terminology lists

• Distribute terminology lists to all
SMEs for final validation before
adding terms to the dictionary

Company dictionary
Approved and non-approved words

• Create STE task force that meets regularly
– Review terminology lists in all BAs before adding terms to main
dictionary
– Establish company-wide awareness and understanding
– Promote company-wide terminology management


• Set the expectation that building the company-wide dictionary
will be ongoing
– Communicating progress regularly

• Apply STE to legacy documentation
based on business needs
• Create work instructions and
guidelines for the tech writers to
ensure incremental progress
– in building the dictionary
– in updating legacy documentation

Benefits realized: already saving $$$

• Total translation budget for FY2011 = $824K; with GIM we
expect to achieve savings of up to 40%

• As shown in the metric, a 66% COGs reduction in print cost per
manual

• Also shown in the metric, a 30% page count reduction and 20%
word count reduction in a user manual

Additional benefits

• Saves costs resulting from poor communication, which can
lead to:
– Confusion
– Lost production time
– Service calls
• Easier to manage, access, integrate, and reuse content

Lava con 2011_controlled_lang_details

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