To: Nancy Myers

From: Kyle Cross

Date: May 10, 2021
Subject: APLED 121-Chapter 14 Summary

CHAPTER 14
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTIONS AND PROCESS ANALYSES

Define Technical Descriptions

A Technical Description a part-by-part depiction of a mechanism, tool, or piece of
equipment.
Types of Technical Descriptions
 Operations Manuals-A pamphlet containing technical descriptions to assist user in
constructing, installing, and operating the equipment.
 Product Demand Specifications-Companies often need parts that do not yet exist, to
request a specific part, provide precise product specifications.
 Study Reports Provided by Consulting Firms-Companies may hire a consulting
engineering firm to study problems and provide descriptive analysis reports.
 Construction Design-Before building, companies clarify with the city through a technical
description of property limits, this may include legal details that the company can obtain
city approval on.
 Sales Literature-To boost sales, companies provide technical descriptions for their
product.
Definition of Process Analysis-Process analyses are instructions on how something works. It
could be how airbags save lives, or how metal detectors work.
Examples of Process Analysis
 Engineering-In Dubai, where your company will plan to build bridges out of a variety,
you explain through presentation how each different bridge will work to clients.
 Automotive Sales-A customer looking to buy a hybrid, yet unsure how hybrids work. It is
your job to explain how gasoline-electric hybrid cars work.
 Biomedical Technology-As a scientist that has been working on treatments for diabetes,
you found one possible treatment that needs funding. To present this treatment for
additional funding you provide a process analysis of how diabetes affects the patient
and how the treatment will work.
Criteria for Writing Technical Descriptions and Process Analyses
 Title-Preface your text with a title stating the topic.
 Overall Organization-Explain and define the topic/functions, capabilities, or processes.
 Highlighting Techniques-Using highlighting techniques better aids easy access. Could be
headings, itemization, or graphics.
The Writing Process at Work
 Prewriting-For Hector’s job, he needs to describe a cash register pole display. Firstly, he
gathers data using brainstorming.
 Writing-Using this data, Hector drafted a technical description. He had his peers review
his rough draft for revisions.
 Rewriting-With the given feedback from his colleagues, Hector prepared a finished
technical description for his job.