TimelyText Case Study:
Major Pharma Manufacturer ​

As Ken Gray explains, even when the language could be understood, the procedures often could not actually be followed.

“You would have a formulation procedure that was 80 pages, all text-based, written by somebody with a master’s or PhD—and designed for someone who maybe had a high school education. And as we dug into the procedures, we discovered for the most part they were wrong.”

Initial attempts to have engineers rewrite the documents proved inefficient and unsustainable.

Solution

The organization turned to TimelyText and started with a small pilot effort. TimelyText quickly provided experienced technical writers who could work side by side with engineers—translating complex technical content into clear, usable procedures.

Rather than simply rewriting text, TimelyText writers:

• Asked critical questions engineers hadn’t considered
• Put themselves in the shoes of the end user
• Converted dense text into visual, picture-based instructions
• Applied technical writing best practices engineers did not have the time or skillset to develop

“They were able to sit with our engineers and translate for them into real language—and help us convert text into pictures. That’s a skill most engineers don’t have.”

TimelyText responded quickly with qualified people, scaled resources as the value became clear, and provided flexibility that helped control costs.

Results

The collaboration significantly improved the quality, usability, and effectiveness of the procedures—beyond what internal teams could have achieved alone.

“The folks from TimelyText were able to make the documents better than we would have been able to do ourselves.”

Due to the success at the initial manufacturing site, the effort expanded into a division-wide initiative. TimelyText supported:

• A second round of revisions
• Creation of master procedures used by sister sites in Brazil, France, China, and Denmark
• Plug-and-play documentation that local teams could adapt efficiently

The engagement ultimately spanned several years. Some TimelyText contractors transitioned into permanent roles, while TimelyText continued to provide flexible staffing support as workload fluctuated.

“They didn’t begrudge us hiring people permanently. They saw it as helping us develop further—and it led to more engagement with TimelyText.”

Outcome

What began as a documentation clean-up evolved into a scalable, global documentation model. TimelyText became a long-term partner—supporting both immediate needs and sustained growth with a flexible blend of contract and permanent technical writing expertise.