To: Nancy Myers

From: Michael Bequette

Date: April 20, 2022

Subject: Chapter 14 Summary

Chapter 14 Summary

• Define Technical Descriptions: a part-by-part depiction of the components of a mechanism,

tool, or piece of equipment.
• Types of Technical Descriptions
o Operation Manuals
▪ Included in packaging
▪ It helps the end consumer construct, install, operate, and service the
equipment.
o Provides the end user with information about the mechanism’s features or capabilities.
▪ Can describe which components are enclosed in the shipping package, clarify
the quality of these components, specify what function these components serve
in the mechanism, or allow the user to reorder any missing or flawed
components.
o Study Reports Provided by Consulting Firms
▪ A consulting engineering firm is hired to study a problem and provide a
descriptive analysis.
▪ That analysis is then used as a basis for a product demand specification
requesting a solution to the problem.
o Construction Design
▪ Before building any structure, architectural companies must clarify the
construction design for the city and the clients.
• Requires a legal technical description of the property limits (location
and dimensions).
• Once drawn, the architectural company will use the text and graphics
for a variety of purposes.
o The change of zoning, requests for special use permits, and re-
platting of the site if a property line must be relocated.
• Finally, based on the legal technical description, the architectural firm
can obtain city approval.
o Sales Literature
▪ One way to market equipment or services is to describe the product.
▪ These descriptions are common in sales letters, proposals, and on Web sites.
• Definition of Process Analysis
o It is comparable to an instruction.
▪ In an instruction, the audience wants to know how to do the job.
o In contrast, it focuses not on how to do something but how something works.
To: Nancy Myers

From: Michael Bequette

Date: April 20, 2022

Subject: Chapter 14 Summary

• Examples of Process Analysis

o Engineering
▪ Dubai, second largest emirate of the United Arab Emirates, plans to develop
several islands off its coast.
▪ To increase tourism, these islands will have both private residences and hotels.
o Automotive Sales
▪ Explaining how the hybrid system in a car works. Telling him the benefits it has
on the environment.
o Biomedical Technology
▪ A proposal written to request additional funding for research. In the proposal,
describe the process analysis of how the plan works.
• Criteria for Writing Technical Descriptions and Process Analysis
o Title
▪ It must be precisely stating the topic.
o Overall Organization
▪ In the instruction, specify and define the topic and explain the topic’s functions,
capabilities, or process.
▪ It can also include a list of components, parts, or equipment.
o Highlighting Techniques
▪ It allows understanding and easy access.
• It includes headings, itemization, and graphics.
• The Writing Process at Work
o Prewriting
▪ Hector gathers data using brainstorming/listing for a cash register pole display.
It provides measurements of pole PCB, pole case assembly, and filter.
o Writing
▪ After drafting the technical description, he focused on overall organization,
highlighting, detail, and hand-drawn graphic, he wrote a rough draft.
o Rewriting
▪ Hector incorporated the suggestions from the draft and prepared the finished
copy.