Technical Writing

At its core, technical writing is the practice of communicating essential information to an intended audience or end-user.

It is a simple but important mission, and in its pursuit, we have accumulated decades of experience building technical documentation for individuals and industry-leading clients alike. We recognize the continued importance of written media to capture generations of knowledge, explain a product, guide actions and behaviors, or express policy.

No matter what form of technical writing we produce, it’s critical that it is engineered to help readers rapidly access the information they need, and act upon it.

Our most common technical writing deliverables include:

  • Manuals: documents that provide information on a component’s composition, capabilities, or use
  • Processes: documents that explain a series of actions which occur across several roles or between multiple individuals
  • Procedures: documents that dictate the discrete steps to achieve an outcome, performed by a single individual
  • Work Instructions: documents that are easily-referenced with detailed focus on completing a single task
  • Plans: documents that outline a strategic approach to a specific situation or objective
  • Policies: documents that establish enforceable rules or mandatory behaviors
  • Guidelines: documents that recommend best practices or suggested behaviors

We deliver these products to help businesses dependent on technical information run safely and efficiently.  Having knowledgeably-written and refined content empowers organizations to protect their people, products, and operational environments.

Effective communication fosters the culture, learning, and growth in any industry, and our writers are proud to partner in its development.

How we work

  • 1. Plan

    Every project begins by communicating with our clients to define their desired scope, milestones, and criteria for a successful outcome.  

  • 2. Assess

    We explore all supporting information to identify any gaps, highlight content that can be reused, and recommend any adjustments to save time and costs. 

  • 3. Prepare

    Editing and training resources are assigned to establish conventions, design prototype deliverables, and track metrics to confirm the project plan estimate. 

  • 4. Edit

    Our experts build complete drafts of your documentation, editing the language, tone, grammar, and mechanics to one standard regardless of the number of pages or contributors.  

  • 5. Revise

    We work with your team to resolve any outstanding questions and conduct our own Quality Assurance checks to finalize each deliverable and conclude the project.  

Document Types

Procedures and Manuals

Shea Writing and Training Solutions can develop procedures and work instructions that guide the tasks performed by plant operators and maintenance personnel. For most industries, these documents are required and must often include specific information to be compliant, including pre-requisites, tools and materials, safety warnings, and clearly defined steps for correct, safe performance.

With more than 21 years of experience in the process industries, the team of writers and editors at Shea Writing & Training Solutions understands these requirements. From a single procedure to an annotated volume of hundreds, we can assist in projects of any scale because we have the project teams to:

  • Gather, validate, and organize the information, prepare outlines, and write the drafts.
  • Design page layouts and develop document templates.
  • Create quality assurance checklists to ensure consistency through the final version.
  • Manage the schedule, track all phases of publication, and coordinate revisions.

Safety (HSE) and Quality Manuals

When the focus is employee safety, environmental protection, and quality, there is no room for errors. We have assisted clients with a wide range of Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE) documents, procedures, and manuals to meet regulatory scrutiny in the US and worldwide, including:

  • Best practices
  • Emergency response plans
  • Environmental plans
  • Forms
  • HSE and Health, Safety, Security, and Environment (HSSE) manuals
  • Process hazards reports for land and offshore facilities

User Guides

Whether the information involves entering data, performing simulations, researching data, or preparing reports, our writers know how to see it from the user’s point of view. We use popular authoring tools such as RoboHelp® or Doc-to-Help® to develop information for printed manuals and online help. We help your users learn easily and quickly so they can get back to business.

Some of the documentation that our writers can assist you with include:

  • Application user guides
  • Online help for chemical plant and refinery simulation programs
  • Enterprise resource planning applications
  • Proprietary equipment
  • Proprietary software

Technical Meeting Reports and Presentations

In an ever-changing global economy, we understand the importance of capturing technical insight to maintain a competitive edge, retain operational intelligence, and preserve knowledge. We provide interview and meeting support for a variety of knowledge capture projects, including:

  • Leadership team meetings
  • Project teams’ lessons learned
  • Retirees
  • Technical peer reviews

Documentation for complex technical processes and projects requires experience and familiarity with a range of terminology and standards. From project planning to risk studies and technical committee findings, we have the depth and range to bring clarity and organization to the most demanding report or technical presentation, including:

  • Design basis
  • Project execution plans
  • Specifications
  • Technical presentations

Capturing the results of hazard and risk analyses is a task that requires a very unique set of skills. We can provide Technical Scribes who are trained in software tools such as PHAPro to capture the results of various hazard and risk studies and remove that burden from session facilitators. We provide scribing services for:

  • HAZIDS
  • HAZOPS
  • Process Hazard Analyses (PHAs)
  • Layer of Protection Analyses (LOPAs)
  • Risk assessments for:
    • New and existing facilities
    • Onshore and offshore pipelines
    • Proposed procedures for installation, start-up, and commissioning

Marketing Content Development

Web Content

For new websites, updates, or special Intranet projects, our writers can work with your experts to create compelling and creative content that meets your specific needs. We can assist in all phases of the project, including:

  • Interview key personnel
  • Research
  • Coordinate with web designers
  • Draft content
  • Edit existing content

Collateral Material

Creating marketing materials for technical products or services presents a unique challenge. Our content developers and graphic designers can help create:

  • Brochures
  • Conference materials
  • Sales Presentations