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In today’s globalised world, clear and concise technical documentation isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s a necessity. That’s where Simplified Technical English (STE) comes in, providing a set of clear writing rules and a controlled vocabulary to ensure your message is understood by everyone, regardless of their native language or technical expertise.

While many training programmes adopt a broad, less individualised approach, potentially leaving participants to navigate the complexities of STE implementation in relative isolation, Shufrans TechDocs has, since 2006, championed a more refined educational experience. Our approach is rooted in the conviction that learning & mastery of the STE standard flourishes within intimate, small group settings, complemented by the assurance of comprehensive post-training support.

At Shufrans TechDocs, we believe there’s a better way. Since 2006, we’ve championed a more human-centred approach to STE training, built on the power of small group learning and unrivalled post-training support.

The Deliberate Distinction: Personalised Learning in Focused Groups

We consciously move away from the paradigm of expansive online cohorts, favouring instead online STE training limited to a carefully considered maximum of five participants. This deliberate selectivity cultivates an environment where learning becomes a more nuanced and interactive process. Within these focused groups, participants can expect:

• Direct and Personalised Attention: With fewer participants, you’ll have ample opportunity to interact directly with the instructor and get your specific questions answered in detail.
• Relevant Discussions: The smaller size fosters a more collaborative environment where we can delve into examples and scenarios that are directly relevant to your industry and needs.
• A Supportive Learning Space: Feel comfortable asking questions, sharing challenges, and learning from your peers in a more relaxed and engaging atmosphere.
• Tailored Insights: Where possible, the content and examples can be adapted to the specific backgrounds and requirements of the individuals within the group, ensuring the training is truly impactful.

We understand that the learning journey doesn’t end when the training session concludes. That’s why Shufrans TechDocs offers a unique and comprehensive 120 days of post-training support.

This isn’t just a cursory follow-up. It’s our commitment to your long-term success in applying STE. During this period, you’ll have access to:

• Direct Email Consultation: Got a question about a specific rule or how to apply STE to a particular document? Reach out directly, and you’ll receive personalised guidance.
• Feedback on Your Work: As you begin to implement STE, you can submit examples of your writing for constructive feedback to ensure you’re on the right track.
• Clarification and Reinforcement: Need a refresher on a particular concept? We’re here to provide the clarification you need to solidify your understanding.

We believe that mastering STE is a skill that develops over time, and having expert support in those crucial initial months of application can make all the difference between simply knowing the rules and confidently implementing them.

Why Personalisation and Support Matter in STE Mastery

In a world often dominated by scale and automation, we believe in the power of the human touch. Learning is a personal journey, and having dedicated support can significantly enhance your understanding and application of STE.

If you’re looking for STE training that goes beyond the generic, that prioritises your individual learning needs and provides ongoing guidance to ensure your success, then Shufrans TechDocs offers a different approach.

The Shufrans TechDocs Approach

With two decades dedicated to Simplified Technical English training, our commitment is to empower individuals and organisations to communicate clearly and effectively. Our focus is on providing not just knowledge, but the practical skills and ongoing support needed to truly master STE.

Ready to experience the difference of personalised STE training with unrivalled support?

www.shufrans.com

The latest version of Simplified Technical English (STE), Issue 9 of ASD-STE100, arrived on January 15, 2025. This update, three years in the making, signifies more than just a revision; it marks STE’s transition from a specification to a full-fledged international standard.

Developed by the ASD Simplified Technical English Maintenance Group (STEMG) with input from national and multi-country Support Teams (STEST), Issue 9 reflects a commitment to clarity, safety, and alignment with international standards. The STEMG, comprised of industry experts and linguists, meticulously reviewed 160 items and change forms, including 11 specifically related to meta-terminology. This collaborative process ensures the standard meets the needs of technical writers and, ultimately, the end-users of the documentation.

👩🏻‍💻 Find the right expert to support you with ASD-STE100 training and consultancy: www.asd-ste100.net

From Specification to Standard: A Key Shift

This isn’t just a name change. The move to “standard” reflects STE’s broader applicability. While a specification governs individual projects, a standard establishes universal rules. The official document title now reflects its registered trademark: “ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English: Standard for Technical Documentation.”

Originally designed for aerospace and defense, STE is now used across various sectors, including rail, medical, automotive, and renewable energy. Its focus on clear, unambiguous language reduces human error, especially for non-native English speakers, leading to improved documentation quality, enhanced safety, and smoother global communication.

The Core of STE: Rules and Dictionary

ASD-STE100 is built on two pillars: writing rules and a controlled dictionary. The rules provide strict guidelines for grammar, style, and sentence structure, making content easily understandable for a global audience. The dictionary lists approved words, their definitions, and usage examples, along with a list of unapproved words and alternatives. This standardization of terminology ensures consistency and avoids confusion.

What’s New in Issue 9?

While no new rules were added, 31 of the 53 existing rules were clarified. The dictionary saw significant updates, with 555 entries revised for accuracy and relevance. A major focus was the meta-terminology review. In the context of ASD-STE100, terminology refers to the words and phrases used within the standard itself, such as “technical noun” and “technical verb.” Meta-terminology, on the other hand, refers to the terms used to describe and categorize those terms, such as “noun” and “verb.”

Essentially, meta-terminology is the language we use to talk about the language of the standard. It provides a framework for understanding the relationships between different types of terms and how they should be used.

The distinction between terminology and meta-terminology is important because it helps to ensure that the standard is clear, consistent, and easy to understand. By using precise meta-terminology, the ASD-STE100 Maintenance Group can avoid ambiguity and ensure that the standard is interpreted correctly by technical authors and translators.

Meta-Terminology Refresh: Aligning with International Standards

Issue 9 aligns with ISO 1087-1:2019, modernizing legacy classifications. “Technical name” and “technical verb” are now “technical noun” and “technical verb (term).” Subject field classifications have also been refined, with new categories added under Rules 1.5 and 1.12.

User-Centric Approach: Balancing Precision and Practicality

The STEMG prioritized usability for technical writers, recognizing that most aren’t linguists. Simplicity was key, even while maintaining terminological precision. For example, the dictionary retains the “word” column designation instead of more complex lexicographic terminology. Balancing correct meta-terminology with practical application was a key challenge. The goal was always to empower authors to create clear, accessible documentation. Defining technical verbs, in particular, required careful consideration to ensure both accuracy and ease of understanding.

The Future: AI and Collaboration

The STEMG and STEST are now exploring how AI can enhance STE compliance checks, provide real-time feedback, and automate terminology updates. Collaborations with universities are examining AI-driven tools to streamline technical documentation, improve accessibility, and ensure interoperability.

Issue 9 represents a significant step for ASD-STE100. Its evolution to a global standard, coupled with meta-terminology updates and alignment with international standards, ensures its continued relevance. With a focus on AI and digital transformation, STE is poised to evolve further in the age of smart documentation and Natural Language Processing.

*Course fee includes exercises, learning aids, certificate of completion, and 120-day post-training support.

⁺⁺A group discount of up to €500 is applicable when two or more participants sign up for the same event. Send us your questions: enquiry@asd-ste100.net.

🏷️ A €210 fee discount is applicable when you also sign up for 🆕 Certified STE Masterclass | US Canada Online.

Summary

Simplified Technical English (ASD-STE100) is a controlled language designed to make technical manuals clear, unambiguous, and easily understood by a global audience. Mandated or recommended by key military and commercial specifications, STE reduces translation costs and serves as a vital upstream grounding layer for automated translation engines and AI workflows.

Led by Ms. Shumin Chen (Shufrans TechDocs), this training guides participants through the correct and effective practical application of STE, addressing common writing errors and the frequent misapplication of core rules across all technical industries.

For enquiries and registration: enquiry@asd-ste100.net

Course outline*

We are committed to providing the highest quality learning experience across all our online workshops. To ensure richer discussions, deeper document reviews, and maximum individual impact, all online workshop sessions are strictly capped at just five participants.

This intimate virtual environment fosters precise feedback and mastery of key technical communication standards like Simplified Technical English. Each three-day online workshop includes interactive training, hands-on exercises, and a dedicated 120-day post-training consultation period.

Day 1: Classroom Training & Foundations

• Practical overview of Simplified Technical English (ASD-STE100)

• How STE ensures absolute clarity for both native and non-native speakers across global networks

• Strategic risk-mitigation and cost benefits of adopting the STE standard

• Core writing rules and systematic daily application

Day 2: Application & Vocabulary

• Navigating the general vocabulary dictionary

• Approved versus unapproved words and the structural rationale behind them

• Handling industry-specific terminology and specialised nouns safely

• Applying STE across diverse manuals, service bulletins, and operating procedures

Day 3: Review, Implementation, & Exercises

• Hands-on workshop session applying strict rules to your own corporate materials

• Live editorial review, breakdown, and discussion of participant texts

• Implementing frameworks with minimal disruption to ongoing production and legacy documentation

• Classroom presentation and restructuring of participant documents to reinforce mastery

*Shufrans also offers customised ASD-STE100 training solutions tailored to meet your specific corporate requirements, normally delivered on-site at customer premises.

What customers are saying..

I was looking forward to the training and was not disappointed. I think that the training was valuable and would recommend that my colleagues take the training either on line or in person. Being able to send a sample document and then working on it together using my new STE skills was very helpful and valuable. Shumin was extremely knowledgeable and gave many practical examples. I hope to be able to make use of the support period post-training. Deborah Tonkin, Technical Information Engineer, Komatsu

Why select a Simplified Technical English training with Shufrans?

The introduction to ASD-STE100 was good and informative for someone like me with zero knowledge of the STE standard before. Rule 6.3 in STE writing summarizes the best of what I can take with me. There was quite a lot from the STE exercises to consume regarding grammar. Nevertheless, the worksheets were very good and helpful. I gained quite a lot of knowledge from them and they were the best part of this training workshop. Shumin was very professional and sharp as a razor. The best takeaway for me from her workshop is to give more thought to how I build my sentences rather than focussing on specific ‘allowed’ or ‘approved’ words. Jeppe Friis, Technical Inspector, Maersk Drilling Maintenance Support

Who should attend this ASD-STE100 workshop?

What ASD-STE100 workshop training outcomes to expect?

Our interactive training, exercises and workshop, will teach participants to standardise content to:

• Enhanced Communication & Efficiency: Authors will gain the skills to create clear, consistent, and easily translatable technical documentation, facilitating effective communication with a global audience and streamlining the writing process.
• Improved Operational Safety & Reduced Downtime: By mastering STE principles, teams will produce unambiguous documentation that minimises misunderstandings, directly contributing to improved operational safety and a reduction in costly AOG/downtime.
• Optimised Lifecycle Support & Cost Reduction: Training will enable modular writing and content reuse, leading to maximised consistency, optimised product lifecycle support, and a significant reduction in the overall cost of creating and maintaining technical publications.

ASD-STE100 Trainer’s qualifications

Ms. Shumin Chen, principal trainer & consultant at Shufrans TechDocs received her professional on-the-job training in the field of STE under the tutelage of Dr Frans Wijma, a linguist and documentation expert. Together as an experienced global team, they provided their combined knowledge and dedication to benefit customers worldwide. To date, they have provided training and consultancy services to over 180 companies. Shufrans TechDocs is the only company with such vast experience in providing certified STE training.

Shumin has supported various companies with their STE and other documentation needs, based on standards where possible. Although STE was developed for the aerospace industry, more specifically for aircraft maintenance documentation, Shumin found that it made a lot of sense to apply the same principles to other industries and types of documents as well. Few -if any- changes to the specification are necessary to adapt STE to industries ranging from machinery to IT, automotive to medical equipment.