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Beyond the Crowd: Experience Personalised Simplified Technical English (STE) Training and Unrivalled Support

Beyond the Crowd: Experience Personalised Simplified Technical English (STE) Training and Unrivalled Support

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

Cultivating Expertise: Simplified Technical English as a Core Skillset

Cultivating Expertise: Simplified Technical English as a Core Skillset

In an era of rapid technological advancement, the role of clear and accurate technical communication remains paramount. While artificial intelligence (AI) and the allure of complex, sophisticated technology may offer seemingly efficient solutions, they often overlook the fundamental importance of human expertise. ASD-STE100, or Simplified Technical English, is not merely a tool; it’s a skillset that empowers the human writer – the technical communicator, engineer, or developer who possesses the crucial subject-matter knowledge.

Beyond Automation: The Value of Human Expertise

AI, despite its capabilities, cannot replicate the nuanced understanding and critical thinking that human writers bring to technical documentation. While AI can generate text, it lacks the contextual awareness and ability to make informed judgements about the accuracy and suitability of information. Complex language, conversely, creates barriers to understanding, hindering effective communication.

  • Reduced Misinterpretation: By eliminating ambiguity and promoting clarity, ASD-STE100 minimises the risk of misinterpretations of STPA findings. This reduced risk of misinterpretation leads to more accurate and effective risk assessments and subsequent risk mitigation strategies.

Simplified Technical English, instead, provides a structured framework that enhances the human writer’s abilities. It’s a skillset that equips writers with:

  • A Controlled Vocabulary: Limiting word choices to reduce ambiguity while allowing the writer to select the most precise term.
  • Clear Grammatical Rules: Promoting consistent and easily understood sentence structures.
  • A Focus on Clarity and Precision: Ensuring that information is conveyed accurately and efficiently, without sacrificing the writer’s voice.

How This Skillset Empowers:

  • Ownership and Control: Writers retain full control over their content, ensuring accuracy and reflecting their expertise.
  • Enhanced Clarity: Simplified Technical English facilitates the creation of documents that are accessible to diverse audiences, including non-native English speakers.
  • Improved Efficiency: Clear writing reduces revisions and clarifies, streamlining the documentation process.
  • Preservation of Expertise: ASD-STE100 allows organisations to capture and retain the valuable knowledge of their human experts through a consistent method.

 

The Human Writer at the Forefront:

The essence of Simplified Technical English is not about replacing human writers with automated systems, but rather about providing them with the skillset necessary to excel. It recognises that human expertise is irreplaceable, especially when it comes to complex technical information. By empowering the human writer with this skillset, organisations ensure that technical documentation is not only accurate and clear but also reflects the knowledge and insights of the individuals who created it.

In conclusion, ASD-STE100, as a core skillset, is a testament to the enduring importance of human expertise in technical communication. It empowers writers to create clear, concise, and accurate documentation, ultimately fostering better understanding and more effective communication.

🔗 Learn more about this international writing standard: www.asd-ste100.net.

🔗 Ongoing STE workshops: https://www.shufrans-techdocs.com/online-ste-workshop-2-day-training-course/

ASD-STE100 Issue 9: Simplified Technical English Becomes a Global Standard

ASD-STE100 Issue 9: Simplified Technical English Becomes a Global Standard

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.

Celebrating a milestone in Simplified Technical English: ASD-STE100 Issue 9

Celebrating a milestone in Simplified Technical English: ASD-STE100 Issue 9

The release of ASD-STE100 Issue 9 is a significant advancement in Simplified Technical English (STE). This latest issue reinforces STE’s position as the leading controlled language for creating clear, concise, and consistent technical documentation across diverse industries.

The Importance of Simplified Technical English

In today’s interconnected world, technical documentation must be readily understood by a global audience, regardless of language proficiency. STE addresses this challenge by providing a structured set of writing rules and a controlled vocabulary that minimizes ambiguity and maximizes comprehension. This results in improved safety, increased efficiency, and reduced translation costs. STE is widely adopted in sectors such as aerospace, defense, manufacturing, energy, and increasingly, in other technical fields.

Key Improvements in Issue 9

ASD-STE100 Issue 9, developed and maintained by the ASD Simplified Technical English Management Group (STEMG), builds upon previous versions with key improvements designed to meet the evolving needs of the technical communication landscape. A primary focus of this release has been the comprehensive review and modernization of legacy terminology. Terms established in the 1980s during the early development of AECMA Simplified English have been meticulously examined and updated, ensuring alignment with contemporary usage and international standards, including ISO 1087-1:2019. This terminological refinement included the reclassification of technical nouns and verbs, enhancing precision and consistency within specific subject domains.

Refining the STE Standard 

While Issue 9 does not introduce entirely new rules, it features important revisions to the wording of 31 of the existing 53 rules. These changes reflect current best practices in technical communication and ensure clarity and ease of application. Furthermore, 555 entries in the STE dictionary, comprising words, definitions, and illustrative examples, have been updated to reflect the latest linguistic and technical conventions.

A Collaborative and Rigorous Development Process

The development of ASD-STE100 Issue 9 exemplifies the collaborative nature of the STE community. STEMG worked closely with academic experts and STE users worldwide throughout the process. A two-month global feedback period allowed for extensive review and input from practitioners, ensuring that the final release is robust and validated by real-world application.

McLaren Receives First Official Copy

In a demonstration of STE’s broad applicability, the first official copy of ASD-STE100 Issue 9 was presented to McLaren, the 2024 Formula 1 Constructors’ World Champions. As a pinnacle of high-performance engineering, McLaren understands the critical importance of precise and unambiguous technical communication. This presentation highlights STE’s value in complex, technically demanding environments beyond the traditional aerospace and defense sectors.

STE is widely adopted in sectors such as aerospace, defense, manufacturing, and energy.

🆕 Asia Pacific (APAC) Online | Certified STE Masterclass

🆕 Asia Pacific (APAC) Online | Certified STE Masterclass

 

Write effective user manuals & instructions with Simplified Technical English (STE)

Certified STE Masterclass | Asia Pacific (APAC) Online

Dates:  2 & 3 March 2023

Time: 09:00 to 15:00 UTC/GMT +08:00 [APAC]

Length of training: 2 days

Course registration ends one week before training commences.

Course fee includes exercises, learning aids, certificate of completion, and 90-day post-training support.

Give those STE muscles a much needed stretch

Simplified Technical English (STE) or ASD-STE100 is a controlled technical English language that is used to write technical manuals in a way that they can be more easily understood by an international audience. STE helps to make translations cheaper and more accurate. Often a formal requirement for aircraft and defence maintenance documentation, STE can easily be adapted to all technical industries and beyond. Ms. Shumin Chen will help participants advance their technical writing skills in the correct and effective use of STE across industries and provide a customised learning experience at the same time.

The introduction was a good and concise way to familiarise yourself with STE basics. I’ve a background in plain language, so for example the rule on noun clusters makes perfect sense. I’m all about simplification, so substituting verbs like “eliminate” for verbs like “remove” or “stop” will be my new quest. The STE exercises were helpful in getting to grasp with STE during the training workshop. I’d very likely recommend this course to anyone planning to introduce STE as it’s got a great practical angle. Jenni Virtaluoto, PhD, Senior Lecturer, University of Jyväskylä, Finland

Certified STE Masterclass Course Outline*

This 2-day Certified Simplified Technical English (STE) Masterclass includes cross-industry case studies and in-depth analyses of participants’ own documents.

  • Day 1: Classroom Training with Exercises
    1. Business case studies: Benefits of adopting the STE international writing standard
    2. Writing rules and how to apply them across different documentation types
    3. How to use STE for various documentation types
    4. Customising your industry-specific terminology.
  • Day 2: STE Application & Review 
    1. Implementing STE with minimal disruption to on-going production and existing documentation
    2. Half-day rewriting workshop session of own documents
    3. Review, edit, and present own documents for learning reinforcement
    4. Group discussion and review of own documents.

* Shufrans also offers customised ASD-STE100 training solutions tailored to meet your specific requirements. These courses are normally provided at the customer’s premises.

 

Who should attend this Certified STE Masterclass?

Course participants must have fulfilled basic Simplified Technical English training organised by Master TCLoc, Shufrans TechDocs, TCTrainNet, or have prior experience working with this technical writing language standard.

  • Compliance managers
  • CIO, COO, CTO
  • Customer support managers
  • Documentation managers
  • Editors
  • Engineering managers
  • Engineers and SMEs who create documentation
  • Graphics specialists
  • ILS managers
  • Maintenance managers
  • Operation managers
  • Product managers
  • Project managers
  • Quality managers
  • Software research engineers
  • Technical illustrators
  • Technical writers
  • Translation managers
  • Translators.

What technical writing outcomes to expect?

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

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 200 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, she 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 industrial sectors ranging from machinery to IT, automotive to medical equipment.

 

Asia Pacific (APAC) Online | Precision & Proofing: Mastering ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English for High-Stakes Documentation & AI-Ready Inputs

Asia Pacific (APAC) Online | Precision & Proofing: Mastering ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English for High-Stakes Documentation & AI-Ready Inputs

 

Write effective user manuals & instructions with Simplified Technical English

APAC | Online Certified ASD-STE100 Training Workshop Programme

Dates: 26 & 27 October 2026 (Alternative slot: 9 & 10 November 2026)

Time: 09:00 to 16:00 UTC/GMT+8:00 [APAC]

Length of training: 2 days

Group Size: Strictly capped at 5 participants for tailored, hands-on feedback

Course registration ends one week before training commences.

What’s Included: Course materials, practical exercises, learning aids, a certificate of completion, and 120 days of post-training support.

Group Discount: Save up to €500 when two or more colleagues register for the same cohort.

Bundle Offer: Receive a €210 discount when you also register for 🆕 Certified STE Masterclass | Asia Pacific (APAC) Online.

Why upstream standardisation matters

Simplified Technical English (ASD-STE100) is the internationally recognised controlled language specification designed to make complex technical manuals clear, unambiguous, and easily understood by a global audience. In today’s environment—where automated translation engines and generative tools can rapidly scale output but also multiply linguistic errors—upstream standardisation is more critical than ever. Consequently, by eliminating ambiguity and enforcing strict syntactic control, STE protects your documentation pipeline, cuts translation costs, and prevents operational risks.

Applicable across aerospace, defence, engineering, and high-compliance industries, this foundational training is led by Shumin Chen. Designed for technical managers, directors, and senior writers, the programme ensures participants learn how to correctly and effectively apply STE rules in practice, navigate common writing pitfalls, and avoid frequent misinterpretations. Furthermore, you will learn how to correct guidelines that undermine technical quality.

Applicable across aerospace, defence, engineering, and high-compliance industries, this foundational training is led by Shumin Chen. Designed for technical managers, directors, and senior writers, the programme ensures participants learn how to correctly and effectively apply STE rules in practice, navigate common writing pitfalls, and correct the frequent misinterpretations of core guidelines that undermine technical quality.

What customers are saying..

I am giving this training a 10/10. There was a good introductory and explanation to describe the 2-day training seminar. Rule 1.1 0 lets me use words that are: approved in the dictionary / technical names / technical verbs and is one rule I like very much because of its flexibility.

I think rule 1.1 is the most critical and important for STE dictionary. Sometimes I have to use non-approved words as an exception, but I will try to keep this rule 1.1 in my documents for good measure.

Although some of the exercises were tricky, they remind me of each rule application at that time. So they were practical for my role as a technical writer.

I want to recommend this course to current technical writers in Korea or engineers who are interested in writing their own documents effectively. Seung Eun Lee, Technical Writer, DB HiTek

Online STE Workshop Outline*

We’re committed to providing the highest quality learning experience in all our online workshops. Therefore, we’ve made the decision to cap all our online workshop session sizes at just five participants, starting 5 May 2025.

This intimate virtual environment fosters richer discussions, more personalised feedback, and a greater overall impact on your understanding and application of key technical communication standards like Simplified Technical English. Learn better, communicate better, across all our courses. This two-day Online STE Workshop includes interactive training, exercises, and a 120-day post-training consultation.

Day 1: Classroom Training

  • Practical overview of Simplified Technical English (ASD-STE100) and why strict structural control is essential for modern technical documentation.
  • How STE ensures absolute clarity for both native and non-native speakers across global audiences.
  • The direct risk-mitigation and cost benefits of adopting the STE international writing standard in high-compliance environments.
  • Core writing rules and how to apply them systematically in daily practice.
  • Mastering the general vocabulary lexicon: Approved and unapproved words, and the strict structural rationale behind them.
  • Eliminating ambiguous phrasing, noun clusters, and syntactic drift that undermine technical accuracy.
  • Establishing a rigorous baseline for clear, human-readable documentation that withstands automated review and translation workflows.

Day 2: Application, Review, & Exercises

  • How to deal with industry-specific terminology and integrate specialized nouns safely into controlled writing.
  • How to apply STE across various documentation types (such as maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and operating procedures).
  • How to implement STE frameworks with minimal disruption to ongoing production and existing documentation archives.
  • Practical hands-on workshop session for applying strict STE rules directly to your own company documents.
  • Review, edit, and discuss participants’ own documents to reinforce learning through actual correction.
  • Collaborative review of common error patterns and alternative phrasing solutions.
  • Final classroom presentation and editorial breakdown of your documents to establish a repeatable, high-integrity quality standard for your team.

* Shufrans also offers customised ASD-STE100 training solutions tailored to meet your specific requirements. These courses are normally provided at the customer’s premises.

Why select a Simplified Technical English training with Shufrans?

Shumin is a very knowledgeable STE instructor. She kept the course interesting and was always open to our questions/feedback. The introduction to Simplified Technical English has been greatly beneficial for my understanding of what the specification entails. In terms of preferred rules, I cannot pinpoint a specific set of STE writing rules as they are all valuable. This was my favorite part of the course as I enjoyed analyzing how other writers went about using STE to best apply it to their line of work.

The rewriting workshop was my favorite part of the course as I enjoyed analyzing how other writers went about using STE to best apply it to their line of work. I would highly recommend this course to all technical writers. Shumin Chen takes the time to clearly explain the rules of STE. A very attentive instructor, indeed. If given the chance, I would really enjoy working along side her. Michael Palmieri, Documentation Specialist, AON3D | The Advanced Additive Manufacturing Platform

What technical writing outcomes to expect?

Our interactive training, exercises, and practical workshops will equip participants to standardise content and achieve measurable operational outcomes:

  1. Enhanced Communication & Global Efficiency: Authors will master the structural discipline required to create clear, consistent, and easily translatable technical documentation, facilitating seamless communication across international markets and streamlining the authoring process.

  2. Improved Operational Safety & Reduced Downtime: By applying rigorous STE principles, teams will eliminate ambiguity, minimise procedural misunderstandings, and directly safeguard operational safety while reducing costly equipment downtime and service delays.

  3. Optimised Lifecycle Support & Cost Reduction: Structured drafting enables modular writing and efficient content reuse, maximizing long-term consistency, optimizing product lifecycle support, and significantly reducing the overall cost of creating and maintaining technical publications.

Ready to eliminate ambiguity in your documentation?

Speak to us today or view the schedule for our upcoming Online STE Workshops here.

Certified STE workshops online

Browse our convenient line-up of Simplified Technical English workshops scheduled at different timezones.

 

ASD-STE100 Trainer’s qualifications

 

Ms Shumin Chen will show participants how to correctly and effectively use Simplified Technical English (STE) in practice. She will also address some of the mistakes commonly found in technical writing and the frequently incorrect use of common STE writing rules.

According to Ms Chen, the benefits of STE are manifold – audience engagement through high-quality content, improved product safety, lower life cycle cost and reduced logistics footprint. 

Learn more about how you can create sustainable STE content and reap substantial cost-saving benefits as a result here.

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Europe | Future-Proof Your Documentation: Mastering Simplified Technical English (ASD-STE100) Compliance

Europe | Future-Proof Your Documentation: Mastering Simplified Technical English (ASD-STE100) Compliance

Write effective user manuals & instructions with Simplified Technical English

Simplified Technical English training Europe | Online Certified ASD-STE100 Training Workshop Programme

Dates: 5 & 6 November 2026 (Alternative cohort: 19 & 20 November 2026)

Time: 08:00 to 15:00 CET

Length of training: 2 days

Course registration ends one week before training commences.

*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@shufrans-techdocs.com.

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

What’s Included & Incentives

  • Inclusions: Course materials, practical exercises, learning aids, a certificate of completion, and 120 days of post-training support.

  • Group Discount: Save up to €500 when two or more colleagues register for the same cohort.

  • Bundle Offer: Receive a €210 fee discount when you also register for the upcoming Certified STE Masterclass | Europe Online.

  • Enquiries: Have questions or need a custom corporate booking? Send us a message at enquiry@asd-ste100.net.

Summary of Simplified Technical English (STE)

Simplified Technical English (ASD-STE100) is the internationally recognised controlled language specification designed to make complex technical manuals clear, unambiguous, and easily understood by a global audience. In today’s enterprise landscape—where automated translation engines and AI-assisted workflows rapidly scale content output but also multiply linguistic errors—upstream standardisation is more critical than ever.

By eliminating ambiguity and enforcing strict syntactic control, STE protects your documentation pipeline, acts as a reliable grounding layer for automated systems, drastically reduces translation costs, and prevents costly operational risks. While often a formal requirement for aerospace and defence maintenance documentation, STE is readily adapted across all high-compliance technical industries. Led by Shumin Chen, this foundational training teaches participants how to correctly and effectively apply STE rules in practice, navigate common writing pitfalls, and correct the frequent misinterpretations of core guidelines that undermine technical quality.

Why select a Simplified Technical English training with Shufrans?

Shumin is a very knowledgeable STE instructor. She kept the course interesting and was always open to our questions/feedback. The introduction to Simplified Technical English has been greatly beneficial for my understanding of what the specification entails. In terms of preferred rules, I cannot pinpoint a specific set of STE writing rules as they are all valuable. This was my favorite part of the course as I enjoyed analyzing how other writers went about using STE to best apply it to their line of work.

The rewriting workshop in Simplified Technical English training Europe was my favorite part of the course as I enjoyed analyzing how other writers went about using STE to best apply it to their line of work. I would highly recommend this course to all technical writers. Shumin Chen takes the time to clearly explain the rules of STE. A very attentive instructor, indeed. If given the chance, I would really enjoy working along side her. Michael Palmieri, Documentation Specialist, AON3D | The Advanced Additive Manufacturing Platform

STE Course Outline*

We’re committed to providing the highest quality learning experience in all our online workshops. Therefore, we’ve made the decision to cap all our online workshop session sizes at just five participants, starting 5 May 2025.

This intimate virtual environment fosters richer discussions, more personalised feedback, and a greater overall impact on your understanding and application of key technical communication standards like Simplified Technical English. Learn better, communicate better, across all our courses. This two-day Online STE Workshop includes interactive training, exercises, and a 120-day post-training consultation.

Day 1: Classroom Training & Foundations

  • Practical overview of Simplified Technical English (ASD-STE100) and why strict structural control is essential for modern technical documentation.

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

  • The direct risk-mitigation and cost benefits of adopting the STE international writing standard in high-compliance environments.

  • Core writing rules and how to apply them systematically in daily practice.

  • Mastering the general vocabulary lexicon: Approved and unapproved words, and the strict structural rationale behind them.

  • Eliminating ambiguous phrasing, noun clusters, and syntactic drift that undermine technical accuracy.

  • Establishing a rigorous baseline for clear, human-readable documentation that withstands automated review and translation workflows.

Day 2: Practical Application, Review, & Exercises

  • How to deal with industry-specific terminology and integrate specialised nouns safely into controlled writing.

  • How to apply STE across various documentation types (such as maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and operating procedures).

  • How to implement STE frameworks with minimal disruption to ongoing production and existing documentation archives.

  • Practical hands-on workshop session for applying strict STE rules directly to your own company documents.

  • Systematic review, live editorial breakdown, and discussion of participants’ own documents to reinforce learning.

  • Collaborative review of common error patterns and alternative phrasing solutions.

  • Final classroom presentation of edited documents to establish a repeatable, high-integrity quality standard for your team, directly reducing the cost of creating and maintaining technical publications.

*Shufrans also offers customised ASD-STE100 training solutions tailored to meet your specific requirements. These courses are normally provided at the customer’s premises.

Who should attend this Simplified Technical English training?

  • Executive Leadership & Strategy: CIOs, CTOs, COOs, and Compliance Managers

  • Documentation & Editorial Leads: Documentation Managers, Editors, and Technical Writers

  • Engineering & Technical Specialists: Engineering Managers, SMEs, Software Research Engineers, Service Engineers, and AI Content Engineers

  • Operations & Support Teams: Maintenance, ILS, Operation, Product, and Project Managers, plus Customer Support

  • Training & Content Creation: Instructional Designers, Translators, Translation Managers, and Technical Illustrators.

What technical writing outcomes to expect?

Our interactive training, exercises, and workshop will equip participants to standardise content and achieve measurable operational outcomes:

  • Enhanced Communication & Efficiency: Authors will gain the structural discipline required to create clear, consistent, and easily translatable technical documentation—providing a reliable grounding layer for automated translation engines and AI-assisted workflows, facilitating seamless global communication, and streamlining the authoring process.

  • Improved Operational Safety & Reduced Downtime: By mastering STE principles, teams will produce unambiguous documentation that eliminates procedural misunderstandings, directly safeguarding operational safety and driving a measurable reduction in costly AOG/downtime and human error.

  • Optimised Lifecycle Support & Cost Reduction: Standardisation enables modular writing, semantic consistency, and efficient content reuse. This optimises product lifecycle support, future-proofs documentation against shifting publishing stacks, and significantly reduces the overall cost of creating and maintaining technical publications.

What customers are saying..

The introduction in Simplified Technical English training Europe was a good and concise way to familiarize yourself with STE basics. I’ve a background in plain language, so for example the rule on noun clusters makes perfect sense. I’m all about simplification, so substituting verbs like “eliminate” for verbs like “remove” or “stop” will be my new quest. The STE exercises were helpful in getting to grasp with STE during the training workshop. I’d very likely recommend this course to anyone planning to introduce STE as it’s got a great practical angle. Jenni Virtaluoto, PhD, Senior Lecturer, University of Jyväskylä, Finland

ASD-STE100 Trainer’s qualifications

Ms. Shumin Chen, principal trainer and consultant at Shufrans TechDocs, received her professional on-the-job training in the field of Simplified Technical English under the tutelage of Dr Frans Wijma, a renowned linguist and documentation expert. Together as an experienced global team, they combined their expertise to benefit enterprise clients worldwide, having delivered training and consultancy services to over 200 companies to date. Shufrans TechDocs stands as an industry leader with unmatched depth of experience in providing certified Simplified Technical English training in Europe.

Shumin has guided numerous organisations through their complex documentation and standardisation needs. Although STE was originally developed for the aerospace industry—specifically for aircraft maintenance manuals—she has successfully demonstrated that its foundational principles provide an essential governance framework across a wide range of technical sectors, including machinery, IT, automotive, energy, and medical equipment.

As enterprises increasingly deploy automated translation engines, LLMs, and AI-assisted content workflows, Shumin’s approach proves that strict linguistic control is more vital than ever. Because structural clarity and syntactic discipline are universally required, few, if any, changes to the specification are necessary to adapt STE as a reliable upstream grounding layer for modern digital and AI-driven publishing stacks.

 

Americas | Mastering Simplified Technical English: Ensuring Clarity and Compliance in Technical Documentation

Americas | Mastering Simplified Technical English: Ensuring Clarity and Compliance in Technical Documentation

Write effective user manuals & instructions with ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English

Americas | Online Certified ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English Workshops

Dates: 11 to 13 November 2026 (Alternative slot: 25 to 27 November 2026)

Time: 08:00 to 12:30 Eastern Time (ET) or 15:00 to 19:30 Pacific Time (PT)

Length of training: 3 days

Course registration ends one week before training commences.

*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?

  • Executive & Strategy: CIOs, CTOs, COOs, Compliance and Quality Managers
  • Documentation & Editorial: Documentation Managers, Editors, Technical Writers, Technical Illustrators, and Graphics Specialists
  • Engineering, AI & Technical: Engineering Managers, SMEs, Software Research Engineers, AI Integration Specialists, Prompt Engineers, and Engineers who create documentation
  • Operations & Support: Maintenance, ILS, Operation, Product, and Project Managers, plus Customer Support Managers
  • Training, Translation & Content: Translation Managers, Translators

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.