We’ve probably all read examples of absolutely incomprehensible instructions, such as this text telling a passenger how to put on a life jacket:
“Helpsaving apparata in emergings behold many whitles! Associate the stringing apparata about the bosomes and meet behind. Flee then to the indifferent lifesavering shippen obediencing the instructs of the vessel chef.”

Some translation howlers are just amusing, of course. But imagine the ship is sinking and you find yourself faced with the above instructions. Not so funny now, is it? In such cases badly translated instructions or user manuals can have serious consequences, and not just for the user. Since the reform of Germany’s liability legislation incomprehensible or incorrect user manuals are regarded as a product defect and can result in claims for damages in the worst-case scenario.
Buderus and Bosch Thermotechnik always played on the safe side in this regard, with a reputation for high-quality, comprehensible instructions. These have always been targeted at the different customer groups (end customers, installers, heating system designers, specifiers) and their requirements, because easily understandable operating instructions written in plain language are an important factor in increasing customer satisfaction. It should also not be forgotten that the quality of the operating instructions contributes to the overall rating in tests by Stiftung Warentest, Germany’s consumer testing organisation. It therefore makes sense to have this aspect certified by an independent body. Germany’s technical inspectorate TÜV awarded the customer documentation (installation, maintenance and operating instructions) for the Cerasmart gas-fired condensing boiler its prestigious DOCcert mark for user-friendly documentation.

This is one of the successes for the new merged department TT/SDI2. This SDI2 team headed by Jerome Leicht and based in Wernau and Lollar is now responsible for all Bosch Thermotechnik brands and sites and also co-ordinates the technical documentation departments of the foreign production sites. The most important task and greatest challenge for the future is to divide the documentation up into its modules and to set up a joint document management system with the aim of reducing product liability risks and translation costs and facilitating a fast turnaround overall. TT/SDI2 works very closely with external service providers who are intimately involved in the editorial process when drafting technical documentation. Intensive work is already in progress on developing uniform principles for documentation drafting and translation (document structure, tools and processes). Special attention is being given in this process to the differing customer requirements in the markets and the differing brand strategies.