What does a Technical Documentation Specialist actually do?

Sigma Technology Information colleague Natalia Yanac works with technical documentation on her assignment at Ascom, turning advanced technology into something easy to understand and use. From smartphones in healthcare to DECT handsets in correctional facilities, she helps make the complex clear. Natalia also works with interfaces between handsets as well as tools used to plan and troubleshoot systems.

In this article, she shares why she loves asking questions, what it’s like collaborating with developers and communicators across countries, and how clear documentation can make a real difference.

📖 Curious about what it's like to be a technical writer? Read more below 👇

From questions to finished manuals; what it’s like being a technical communicator at Ascom

What happens when you combine curiosity, technical know-how, and a love for making things easy to understand? You get a technical communicator, at least if you ask Natalia, who works with technical documentation at Ascom via Sigma Technology Information.

From engineering to clarity expert

Natalia holds an engineering degree with a focus on mechanical engineering and supply chain management. Over the years, she has held several technical roles, and one thing has been constant: technical documentation.

“I always enjoyed that part the most. I wanted to focus on what I truly like; writing, explaining, and structuring things and then I discovered the technical writer role, which suited me perfectly.”

For the past two years, Natalia has been working as a consultant at Sigma Technology Information assigned to Ascom, where technology meets real-world impact.

Documentation that makes a difference

Ascom develops, among other things, smartphones and DECT handsets used in environments where communication is a matter of security, such as healthcare, industry, and correctional facilities.

“These are phones that are robust, secure, and built for shared use without exposing sensitive data. So the documentation needs to be crystal clear, both for those configuring the devices and for the everyday users.”

Natalia creates and maintains a variety of documents, from quick reference guides and configuration manuals to troubleshooting guides and data sheets.

A workday full of questions (and answers)

Her job is all about gathering information, organizing it, and presenting it in a way that works in practice. That means lots of contact with developers, testers, and product owners, and lots of questions.

“I ask tons of questions, it’s honestly one of the best parts. Sometimes the developers themselves gain a new perspective just from me asking.”

The tools behind the documentation are smart too. With Arbortext, Natalia can reuse content across different phone models, which saves time and reduces errors.

Languages, logic, and teamwork

The role also involves handling translations into up to 13 languages; something Natalia manages more easily thanks to her background in Slavic, Germanic, and Romance language families. “It actually helps a lot when a sentence just doesn’t sound quite right in Polish,” she laughs.

The Ascom documentation team is international, with colleagues in Gothenburg (Sweden), Romania, the Netherlands, and the US. “We constantly share experiences to keep the quality high. It’s a super collaborative and unpretentious environment.”

Looking ahead

Natalia believes the core of her role – asking questions, understanding the technology, and writing clearly – will remain the same in the future. But she hopes some of the manual parts can be automated.

“Right now, I spend a lot of time tracking down where a certain feature is mentioned in other documents. I’d love to see that process become more automated so I can spend more time on the content itself.”

💬 Want to help make tech more understandable and help others do their work better and more safely? Then technical writing might be the path for you!