Technischer Redakteur

Focus

• User Instruction according to EN 82079-1
• Software documentation, including user assistance, UX copy, API documentation
• Training materials and tutorials
• Document analysis and optimization
• Editing guidelines
• Project management

Industry experience

• Software manufacturers
• Mechanical engineering
• Automation technology
• Telecommunication
• Banking
• Insurance
• Financial services providers

Projects
Engie Fabricom (Antwerp)
Operation Manual for the EnBW windfarm “Hohe See” offshore substation
09.19 – 11.19

• Create a template for engineers to create raw documentation
• Edit and review documentation according to EN 82079-1 (SCADA system, water systems, fire detection systems, among other low voltage systems)

Deutsche Post AG, Bonn
Documentation for business customer software products and solutions (in German)
07.12 – 09.19

• Support the project lead to design and implement a DITA-based editing and single-source publishing environment for automated document generation
• Create editing standards and guidelines
• Create multi-format end user documentation for business application with variants for multiple target audiences, use cases and formats (PDF, Web Help)
  Sample PDF documents can be provided on request.
• Support the design of user interfaces and user assistance
• Create scripts to support video tutorial production

Technologies: DITA Open Toolkit, Oxygen, SVN, SDL Trados

Osram GmbH
Pilot API documentation for developers using an Osram IoT platform
03.19 – 08.19

• Set up Hugo, a static web site generator: Create a topic structure and navigation, create a basic layout and stylesheets
• Outline editing standards and guidelines
• Create Quick Start guides and step-by-step instructions to use a REST API
• Support the design of user interfaces and user assistance

Technologies: gohugo.io web site generator based on Markdown, Slack, Git, JIRA, Confluence, Postman

SAP SE, Walldorf
05.17 – 10.17: UI text design and administrator documentation for SAP Work-Life, an SAP Cloud application:

• Create copy for user interfaces in English and German
• Define formulation patterns and linguistic standards of understandability for third-party texts, to ensure linguistic consistency and smooth user experience
• Create standard online documentation for administrators

Technologies: Ixiasoft DITA-CMS, Oxygen, https://readable.io/ for linguistic readability optimization
10.15 – 12.16: Custom development software documentation in the context of the following SAP modules:

• Financial Accounting (SAP FI) (in German)
• Utilities (SAP IS-U)
• Insurance (SAP FS-PM)

Technologies: Ixiasoft DITA-CMS, Oxygen
09.08 – 09.15 (with breaks): SAP Solution Manager, an ITIL-based software suite for monitoring managed SAP and third-party systems:

• Create and maintain online documentation for various modules (test automation, root cause analysis, configuration management database, for example)
• Edit UI texts
• Create user assistance texts (guided procedures to resolve system alerts, for example)

Technologies: XML Workbench, Epic

BASF SE, Ludwigshafen
Rollout Documentation
05.11 – 03.12

• Create process descriptions
• Create rollout provider manuals
• Create software documentation
• Perform knowledge management (involving the collection of lessons learned)

Technologies: Word

Commasoft GmbH, Bonn
Documentation – User assistance for business intelligence applications (in German)
02.11 – 07.12

• Design and implement user assistance (documentation integrated into the software), to enable non-experts (sales managers in banking and insurance companies, for example) to perform statistical data analyses
• Create quick start guides

IdentPro GmbH, Bonn 
Documentation to set up and operate RFID applications
10.09

• Design and create user manual with MS Word (the document is available on request)

Technologies: Word

XTREME technologies GmbH (now ASML)
Documentation for extreme ultraviolet lithography machines for chip production
05.08 – 07.08

• Installation instruction for a cathode with pre-ionization according to DIN EN 62079, ANSI Z535, and the structured authoring method Funktionsdesign

Technologies: FrameMaker

MKN GmbH, Wolfenbüttel 
Documentation for large-scale catering equipment
01.08 – 04.08

• Create a concept to define reusable document modules
• Design XML-based standardized document models (with FrameMaker)
• Create a style guide according to the structured authoring method Funktionsdesign
• Create setup, operating, and maintenance documentation (according to DIN EN 62079 and ANSI Z535)

Technologies: FrameMaker

Nukem GmbH, Alzenau 
Organize third-party documentation for a nuclear facility
06.07 – 08.07

• Support Project Management
• Visualize, analyze, and optimize the document workflow

Technologies: MS Project, CmapTools

Tanner AG, Lindau 
Various tasks for clients of one of the leading documentation services providers
1995 – 2001

• Design and create SGML/XML-based documentation for software and mechanical engineering
• Create editing standards and guidelines for SGML/XML-based authoring according to Funktionsdesign
• Design catalogs and product configurators for automation and healthcare technology suppliers
• Plan and lead customer projects
• Design tutorials for an aerospace company (according to the NASA Training Development Support Plan)
• Design, implement and maintain an internal knowledge management system
• Support marketing (for example project descriptions and visualizations for the customer magazine)

Other Jobs
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Frankfurt
Editor
2001 – 2003

• Report and edit texts about non-fiction books, humanities, new media, technology, for example

Media Tenor AG, Bonn
PR analyst and consultant (for financial institutions, for example, Commerzbank, KfW, LBBW, Allianz)
2004 – 2006

• Analyze media content (image, rating, reputation risks, for example) statistically (with SPSS)
• Report on a monthly basis and derive recommendations for PR strategies, agenda setting, and public image risk management

Technical Skills

• XML-based editing frameworks and tools (DITA, Ixiasoft, Oxygen, FrameMaker, for example)
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Project
• reST-based editing with Sphinx
• Markdown-based editing with Hugo
• Funktionsdesign® according to R. Schäflein-Armbruster/J. Muthig: a method to create functional, standardized, and understandable texts)
• Microsoft Visio
• InDesign
• Photoshop, Gimp
• SDL Trados (translation memory tool)
• SPSS (statistical analysis and visualization)
• R (statistical analysis and visualization)
• UIPath (.net-based Robotic Process Automation)

Memberships

• tekom, the German association of technical writers

Education

• Funktionsdesign® for structuring technical documentation: Training on the job in client projects led by R. Schäflein-Armbruster and J. Muthig (who today teach Funktionsdesign-based technical communication as professors at the universities in Karlsruhe and Furtwangen), at Tanner AG
• Studies of linguistics, literature, and philosophy, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster and Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Ph.D. 1994

Musings on technical writing
How to ensure quality and efficiency at the same time:

• https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-nature-of-technical-writing-and-what-are-some-examples/answer/Christoph-Albrecht-2
• https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-Structured-Authoring-and-Topic-Based-Authoring/answer/Christoph-Albrecht-2

How to overcome the biggest obstacle to good documentation: https://www.quora.com/Why-is-technical-writing-difficult-for-some-people/answer/Christoph-Albrecht-2

Why consistent terminology is crucial, and how to achieve it: https://www.quora.com/Technical-writing-how-to-ensure-consistent-terminology/answer/Christoph-Albrecht-2

How to avoid being a liability risk:

• https://www.quora.com/Why-is-technical-writing-important-for-an-individual-to-learn/answer/Christoph-Albrecht-2
• https://www.quora.com/Which-is-good-to-start-content-writing-or-technical-writing-for-a-beginner/answer/Christoph-Albrecht-2

How to create engaging UX copy:

• Getting users active with microcopy (a case study): https://www.quora.com/Is-there-any-overlap-in-copywriting-and-technical-writing/answer/Christoph-Albrecht-2
• Using metaphors to create compelling user journeys: https://de.quora.com/Was-sollte-man-beim-Design-einer-Landingpage-beachten/answer/Christoph-Albrecht-2
• What UX copy writers can learn from sales people: https://de.quora.com/Was-sind-die-besten-Eigenschaften-eines-Verkäufers/answer/Christoph-Albrecht-2

 How to enjoy the funny and philosophical aspects of technical writing:

• https://de.quora.com/Was-sind-Normen-und-welche-Beispiele-gibt-es-dafür/answer/Christoph-Albrecht-2
• https://www.quora.com/How-do-technical-writing-and-literary-writing-differ-in-purposes/answer/Christoph-Albrecht-2
• https://www.quora.com/How-do-technical-writing-and-literary-writing-differ-in-terms-of-content/answer/Christoph-Albrecht-2
• https://www.quora.com/What-gets-technical-writers-excited-about-their-jobs/answer/Christoph-Albrecht-2