Technical Communications
PTIGlobal’s Technical Communications Team (TechCom) works with you in the outsource model and specializes in the various phases of technical content planning, developing, reviewing, and publishing.
We can help you on short notice with quick turnaround projects, or work with you to define a total technical content solution for your business. We work closely with our localization team to prepare the content in English to ensure efficient and accurate translation into over 100 languages.
Whether your products are systems, software, boards, or semiconductors, our content experts work with your product development teams through all phases of product development, delivery, and after-sales content maintenance.
A major benefit to you of partnering with us is that your subject matter experts can focus more time on their core competencies, which significantly offsets the costs of outsourcing your content roles and tasks to us. We help you to achieve higher quality content sooner in your product development process, which, in many cases, reduces your overall product development time.
We are experts with a broad range of standard publishing and repository tools on Window operating systems. Typical content types include architecture specifications, design specifications, data sheets, user guides, reference guides, and installation and configuration procedures. We also frequently support pre-sales marketing collateral, application notes, white papers, blogs, web content and more.
Benefits of Working with Our Team
We can provide a complete outsource solution for any project. We can also provide just the services you need. For every project, we meet with you to define your goals. Then, our professional resources perform top quality work, working offsite or onsite depending on your needs.
Another benefit is cost savings. Our resources can reduce the amount of time your engineers or subject matter experts (SMEs) need to spend on publications. This can help reduce your product development cycles and ensure your SMEs are focused on their primary responsibilities instead of content development tasks.
Lastly, when your content requires localization, our technical writers ensure that all content aligns with localization requirements. Our expertise results in efficient delivery of high quality content at the lowest costs.
Technical Tools
Our resources are expert level users of most publishing tools, including:
- MS Office Suite applications—Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Adobe applications—FrameMaker, Acrobat, InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator
- Markup language tools—XML and DITA tools
- Management systems—Content management systems (CMS) and learning management systems (LMS)
- Content repositories and bug trackers—Documentum, SharePoint, Alfresco, HSD, and others.
Tech Comm Strategies
We understand that the publishing process can be complex. Our experience has enabled us to develop expert strategies that can help you plan and streamline your publishing processes. We can assist you every step of the way from writing, editing, formatting, reviewing, and publishing.
Technical Communication Process
We custom tailor a process to accommodate each business’s work environment and practices. Our resources use client-specified authoring, publishing, and repository tools and conform to all client content processes, roles, and tasks. When processes are not in place, our experienced developers can offer suggestions and best practices. Based on the project, our technical writers will masterfully perform the roles and tasks described.
Plan
A PTIGlobal Manager or Lead meets with Client to define the project, roles, tasks, schedule, project tracking methods (tools, spreadsheet, and so forth), authoring tools, publishing tools, repository tools and processes, review tools and processes, and any special considerations.
The Manager or Lead ensures the technical writer(s) assigned are properly trained to meet the project’s needs.
Ongoing Status Reports
Throughout the project, the Client and TW share reports on project status. This step may include highlights and lowlights, project phase completion notes, work in progress, stalled or blocked elements, and other classifications.
Develop
The Technical Writer (TW) and Client agree on authoring tools, templates, content outline, repository, and method for the Client to enter technical content into the template. The Client and TW agree on file access dates and editing/reviewing schedules. This includes schedules for accessing text, illustrations, tables, repurposed content, and more.
Reviews
As a rule, the Client and SMEs focus on technical content accuracy, and TWs focus on editing roles.
The Client and TW agree on review methods, such as collaborating on shared review PDFs or Word documents with tracked changes. The review team is identified, feedback compiled and validated, and source file updated with changes. Typically, additional editing and formatting tasks are required after the review cycle. In addition, multiple review cycles are sometimes required.
Edit
The Client and TW agree on the editing tasks, such as level of edit, formatting needs, legal disclaimers, terminology, and final production edit. Technical accuracy is addressed during the Review process.
The Client and TW may also discuss aligning the content for localization by ensuring consistent usage of technical terminology, grammar, formatting, word choices, and illustrations.
Deliver/Publish
Whether delivering the finished content internally (Deliver) or posting the finished content to a public-facing portal (Publish) the Client and TW ensures the content is polished, and the TW uses the appropriate tools to deliver and publish the publication.
Contact Us Today
We can create a custom plan to meet your needs.
