Plain English on the Plant Floor

Abstract

Product documentation such as user’s guides and programming manuals are key components of the products they support. In 1982 the Allen-Bradley Company, Industrial Computer Group, recognized the need to redefine the way we prepare our manuals – for several reasons: to reduce complaints, to make our products safer and easier to use, and to increase sales. This case study shows how we identified problems with our manual writing, scheduling, and graphics. It shows how we solved these problems by using plain English and clear document design, and identifies the benefits we’ve gained from our new approach.