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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 | 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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Middle East & Africa | Practical ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English Workshops: Ensuring Documentation Compliance

Middle East & Africa | Practical ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English Workshops: Ensuring Documentation Compliance

Middle East & Africa Online ASD-STE100 Technical Writing Workshop

MEA | Online Certified ASD-STE100 Training Workshop Programme

Dates: 2 & 3 November 2026 (Alternative slot: 16 & 17 November 2026)

Time: 09:00 to 16:00 Gulf Standard Time (GST)

Length of training: 2 days

Course registration ends one week before training commences.

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

Group discounts of up to €500 are available when two or more participants register from the same company. An additional €210 fee discount applies when your team also registers for the 🆕 Certified STE Masterclass | Asia Pacific (APAC) Online..

For enquiries and registration, contact us at enquiry@asd-ste100.net.

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 specifications like MIL-STD-3048, S1000D, and ATA iSpec 2200, STE makes translations cheaper and more accurate while ensuring structural completeness.

In today’s digital landscape, STE also serves as the essential upstream grounding layer for automated translation engines, LLMs, and RAG pipelines, preventing syntactic drift and hallucinations. While a formal requirement for aerospace and defence maintenance, its rigorous principles are easily adapted across all technical industries. Led by Shumin Chen, this training teaches participants how to apply STE rules correctly in practice, avoid common writing pitfalls, and eliminate hidden operational risks.

The ASD-STE100 workshop conducted by Shufrans TechDocs made for a very good introduction to STE for new as well as intermediate users of the STE writing standard. The presentation on rules was very clear and I liked the emphasis on the fact that the rules are weighted and how one can use them flexibly. The exercises completed during this training were good and provided real world examples in technical writing in a practical way. I’d very likely recommend this course to someone else. This course is a must for any new technical writers or technical publication employees. Neil Winson, Technical Writer, Airbus Helicopters

MEA Online STE Workshop 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 two-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

  • Navigating the general vocabulary dictionary

  • Approved versus unapproved words and the structural rationale behind them

Day 2: Practical Application, Review, & Exercises

  • Handling industry-specific terminology and specialised nouns safely

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

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

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

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

  • 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.

Who should attend this Simplified Technical English training?

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

  • Documentation & Editorial: Documentation Managers, Editors, Technical Writers, Technical Illustrators, and Graphics Specialists

  • Engineering & Technical: Engineering Managers, SMEs, Software Research 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 training outcomes to expect?

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.

ASD-STE100 Trainer’s qualifications

Ms. Shumin Chen, Principal Trainer and Consultant at Shufrans TechDocs, received her professional on-the-job training in Simplified Technical English under the tutelage of Dr Frans Wijma, a renowned linguist and documentation expert. Together as an experienced global team, they have delivered training and consultancy services to over 200 companies worldwide. Shufrans TechDocs stands as an industry leader with unmatched depth of experience in providing certified STE training.

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 workflows, 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.