Obey Standards or Follow Customer Needs?

What is more important in technical writing: obeying the standards and regulations or following the customer's needs?

Thiele, Ulrich. TC-FORUM (1999). Articles>Writing>Standards>Technical Writing

Quality Time Well Spent  

ISO is a quality system that all companies interested in global competition must subscribe to. ISO certification includes hidden benefits for the technical writing area, which will improve the day-to-day operation of that area. Not only will these benefits help technical writing management in project and contingency planning, they will also help in performance appraisals. Most importantly, the final result is an overall definition of technical writing's role in the company.

Jahnke, Jean M. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing>Standards

S1000D: A Standard for Technical Documentation  

S1000D is a military standard for the creation and delivery of technical documentation. Many companies can benefit from its methodology. Review its history and principal concepts, and learn important information to keep in mind when applying the standard to your work.

Weidenbrueck, Dieter. Intercom (2006). Articles>Documentation>Standards>Technical Writing

Writing Material Safety Data Sheets Using the American National Standard for Hazardous Industrial Chemicals-MSDS Preparation    

This article presents the history of the ANSI standard for preparation of Material Safety Data Sheets, and then provides a section-by-section guide to preparing MSDSs that comply with the standard.

Croft, Suzanne D. Technical Communication Online (1996). Articles>Risk Communication>Standards>Technical Writing

School Standards That Support Technical Writing

The value of learning effective nonfiction nonnarrative writing ("technical writing") for middle- and high-school students has been cited repeatedly in official and unofficial academic standards starting in the early 1990s.

Girill, T.R. STC East Bay (2008). Articles>Education>Standards>Technical Writing