by Sharon Lynn, incoming 2007 QPI SIG manager
To all in the Quality and Process Improvement SIG, let me introduce myself. I have always been a writer.
For the past 15 years I have found a niche in technical writing and editing, first with Martin Marietta/Lockheed Martin in Houston, editing and publishing acoustic, thermal, avionics, and structural analysis reports for NASA’s international Spacelab/Life Sciences missions, including Spacelab Mir, Neurolab, and Spacelab Life Sciences 2. Since 1998, I have been technical editor with The Shaw Group in Houston, Texas, where I edit technical reports and plans that document environmental remediation work performed for government and commercial clients.
At Lockheed Martin we used to say jokingly that the engineer-author and I were the only ones to read each report in its entirety. But I saw how critical the reports were when I got to work as a ”go for” on the night shift at Johnson Space Center during the Neurolab mission. When a piece of equipment was in trouble during the mission, the mostly mathematical reports held the key to solving the problem.
At Shaw I have been able to contribute to the technical life of the company, co-chairing a national monthly teleconference on Technical Publications since 2002 that promotes professional development of document production, editorial, and publications staff throughout the company. I serve as author, peer reviewer, and editor of local and corporate scientific, geologic, and editorial SOPs, and contribute to the corporate style guide. I’m also author of a local style guide for the Houston office that incorporates the company guide.
I joined the Quality and Process Improvement SIG (and the Policy and Procedures SIG) because I have always been able to rely on a good process to produce a quality product. And when something goes wrong I can revisit the process and discover how to improve it, thus, continuing to assure the quality of the product.
