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Good documentation can cut the cost of software development; bad documentation will add to the cost of a project, jeopardize delivery dates, and hinder everyone’s attempts to deliver “faster, better, and cheaper.”
Gill Woodcock, “Quality Time: How Good Documentation Cuts Development Costs”
Intercom, July/August 2001
Every day, technical writers use incisive analytical skills to create documentation and training products that help companies achieve their business goals.
Barbara Edwards, “Internal Marketing in Five Easy Steps”
Intercom, January 2006
Your company depends on good technical communicators. It’s their job to get important technical information into the hands of the people who need it—your customers, your business partners, your staff, and the media. Technical communicators write the software manuals, edit the white papers, illustrate the operating manuals, and publish the procedures that keep your business moving.
Good communication helps your company run efficiently and economically. It increases brand loyalty. It makes all the difference to your bottom line.
Good documentation can protect you from crippling lawsuits. For example, in December 2006, the U.S. federal court system published new rules for managing the discovery process for electronically stored information. The article below from STC’s Intercommagazine explains how technical communicators can play a crucial role in ensuring that their companies have the right procedures in place to protect them from liability.
“Technical Communicators and the New Federal e-Discovery Rules” 
By Jack Molisani and Johnette Hassell
Intercom, April 2007
This article explains how better documentation might have helped prevent the October 2003 Staten Island Ferry accident:
“A Cautionary Tale”
By Sheila C. Jones
Intercom, November 2005
In 2007, STC conducted a contest: We asked members to explain technical communication and explain their value in 100 words or less.
See the contest here.
Technical communicators work in many industries. STC members explain their skills and duties in the articles below:
Intercom, March 2008, “Making the Outdoors User-Friendly”
By James Evins, Member
What does technical writing have to do with selling hunting and fishing licenses? James Evins details his job as the testing and documentation specialist for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
Intercom, January 2008, “Documenting While on Patrol”
By Mary Clouse, Senior Member
While the jobs of Mary Clouse and the rest of the Security and Documentation Unit of the New York State Senate Technology Services department aren't as glamorous as those of the senators themselves, they ensure that the Senate can use its automated systems to conduct its daily business smoothly, efficiently, and securely.
Intercom, December 2006, “Robots Can’t Tell Stories”
By Ben Day, Member
The lives of millions rest in the hands of Ben Day, technical writer for iRobot Corporation. Day creates the operational manual and instructions for the iRobot PackBot, which soldiers use overseas to disable improvised explosive devises (IEDs) along roadsides. Without clear text and explanation, a soldier may not operate the PackBot correctly, resulting in many lives lost.
Learn how STC member Karen Flam saved her firm $60,000 in 2007!
We would like to thank Writing Assistance, Inc. for allowing us to link to some of its abstract-itemd articles.