SCHEMA ST4. Your Cloud-Based Content Management System with AI
Technical writing teams lose valuable time dealing with variants, languages and approvals which could actually be automated. The solution lies in SCHEMA ST4, a cloud-based component content management system used by more than 600 companies around the world. AI features are integrated in the standard package and no additional module is required.
Step 1
Structured creation of technical documentation
ST4 separates out content, structure, and layout from each other. Technical writers work in the integrated XML editor with structured content, without having to worry about formatting. AI-powered authoring assistance checks language, terminology, and style in real time. The result? Consistent documentation suitable for any output format.
Step 2
Intelligent variant management
Content modules are created once and can be reused in as many variants as required. Metadata controls what appears where. If a warning notice or a specification changes, the change is made once and is applied immediately to all affected documents. This means that manual implementation and confusion over versions are now a thing of the past.
Step 3
Frictionless approvals
Approval processes run entirely within ST4. All stakeholders see the same version, comments are directly embedded in the content, and the status of each document can be tracked at all times. Since coordination no longer involves email and file attachments, review effort is significantly reduced. In the end, it’s clear which is the approved version.
Step 4
Multilingual without the extra effort
For multilingual content, ST4 offers proven, high-performance translation management that reliably supports teams with complex language projects. The ST4 AI Language Factory takes this one step further by largely automating the translation workflow with the help of AI, thus making it significantly faster and more efficient.
Why is Word no longer sufficient for technical documentation?
Technical writing teams are under pressure on two fronts these days. In day-to-day business, there are more and more variants, languages, and output channels, with the same number or even fewer resources available. Anyone still working with Word, InDesign, or file-based processes is losing time on tasks that could have been automated a long time ago.
At the same time, the role of technical documentation is fundamentally changing. From January 2027, the EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 will allow digital instructions for use and will tighten requirements for granularity and traceability. The German Accessibility Improvement Act requires many manufacturers to deliver their documentation in an accessible format and developments such as the Digital Product Passport are already on the horizon. With AI applications like chatbots and maintenance agents needing a reliable knowledge base too, structured technical content is becoming a single source of truth upon which all other systems are based.
ST4 is built for these challenges. Content is created in modules, systematically classified using metadata and taxonomies, and made available to any system that needs it via open interfaces. The system handles routine tasks, regulatory requirements are covered as standard, and operations run reliably and at scale from the cloud.
Anna
Technical Writer
A new machine variant means that a new set of documentation is needed. In the past, this meant opening five documents, manually aligning the content, and making changes in multiple places. Anna used to spend hour after hour making the same change by hand in each individual document, staying fully focused at all times because one single missed update could go unnoticed across multiple documents. The work was time-consuming and prone to errors, without actually improving the content itself in the end.
Today, she simply adjusts the metadata and ST4 pulls together the right modules automatically. The authoring support feature flags if a term doesn’t match the preferred terminology or if a sentence could be phrased more clearly, resulting in documentation that is ready in a fraction of the time and more consistent than ever before. This gives Anna more time for what matters to her – creating clear content that really helps users to operate the machine.
Michael
Head of Technical Documentation
In the past, approvals were sent by email, versions managed by file name, and the translation status was hidden in a table that was never kept up to date. Before every audit, the team would start compiling documentation manually but concerns always remained as to whether every piece of evidence would actually be there.
Now, Michael can see at a glance which content has been approved, which is still being translated, and which is still outstanding. Translations are only triggered for modules with changes, and every change can be tracked in the system. When it’s time for an audit, the evidence is ready. The biggest change for Michael is the feeling of having an overview. Instead of managing risks, he can position technical documentation as what it truly is: a reliable part of value creation.
IT and company management
No need for your own server, no maintenance windows, and no update projects to interrupt day-to-day business. ST4 runs in the cloud, is certified according to ISO 27001, stores data on servers in Germany, and is GDPR-compliant. Updates are automatic and integration into ERP and PLM systems is handled via open interfaces, so IT remains in control without having to manage the operation themselves.
Managing product variants in technical documentation without losing control
Documentation for every product variant, without having to start from scratch every time
Anyone who supplies machines in different configurations will be familiar with the problem: each variant has its own document which needs to be updated whenever there are changes, until at some point nobody knows which version is up to date anymore.
ST4 solves this problem with modular content and metadata. Content modules are created once and applied to the relevant variants using filter conditions. If a warning notice or a technical specification needs to be adjusted, only one change is required, which is automatically applied across all affected documents. Customers report average time savings of 30–60% through the reuse of content.
Translation costs under control
Lower translation volumes and faster international release
Translation is one of the biggest cost factors in technical writing. Anyone managing content document by document often ends up translating the same text multiple times, as it is copy-pasted across different documents with no way to track it.
ST4 structurally reduces translation volumes: content modules are only translated once and previously translated text blocks are available for new projects immediately. Customers report up to a 50% reduction in translation costs.
Collaboration with external translation agencies runs via a standardized COTI-based interface, so export, handover, and re-import form part of a structured process rather than separate manual actions.
If you want to take the next step and replace your conventional translation workflows entirely, you’ll find more on the ST4 AI Language Factory below.
No more approval bottlenecks
Less review work and more clarity
Approval processes carried out by email lead to version confusion. Comments come from different sources, no one has a complete overview, and it’s ultimately unclear which is the final version.
In ST4, the entire approval process is handled within the system. This means all stakeholders can see the same current version, comments are directly embedded in the content, and the status of each document can be tracked at all times. And because collaboration and feedback no longer takes place outside the system, the review work required is reduced by up to 50%.
System integration instead of data silos
ST4 as part of your existing system landscape
Technical data is created in PLM and ERP systems. Manually transferring this data to the content management system results in errors and delays. And when a product order in the ERP system is supposed to trigger a documentation task, it simply doesn’t happen without system integration.
ST4 connects existing systems via open interfaces, which means technical data automatically flows into the content management system and remains up to date. Workflows can be triggered across systems, which reduces the need for manual tasks and lowers the risk of divergence between documentation and product.
Professional layouts without programming
Set up once, reuse again and again, with no need for external support
Many technical writing teams rely on external service providers for layout adjustments. Every change to the corporate design and every new output variant means a project, an invoice, and a waiting period.
In ST4, you design your own layout templates—without the need for any programming knowledge—and the content is pulled in automatically. After receiving initial training from Quanos, your team can create and adapt their own layouts. This gives you independence from external support and significantly reduces the design work required for every new manual. Whether it’s a PDF in the corporate design, HTML for the website, or output to a machine control system, the format is defined once and then applied automatically.
Making knowledge scalable
Less reliance on individual knowledge holders
If documentation knowledge is only kept in the heads of individual technical writers, that presents a risk. Whenever staff leave the company, take annual leave or have time off sick, gaps appear, and new team members need a long time to become productive.
ST4 structures knowledge so that it lives in the system and not in an employee’s head. Content modules are easy to find, processes are documented, and terminology is stored and checked automatically as you write. This allows new technical writers to find their feet more quickly, because the system actively supports them.
ST4 AI Jetpack
Manually assigning metadata is time-consuming and prone to errors, particularly for large volumes. AI Jetpack automates this step by analyzing your content and assigning metadata accurately and consistently.
✓ Automated, precise metadata assignment based on content analysis
✓ Reduces manual sources of error
✓ Saves time on classification and structuring
✓ Provides the basis for AI applications like chatbots and service portals
✓ Optional expansion with ST4 AI Jetpack plus for individual requirements
ST4 AI Writer
Writing technical content takes time, particularly when the source material, such as risk analyses or parts lists, first needs to be translated into comprehensible text. The AI Writer assists you as you write.
✓ Formulates precise warning notices and structured instructions based on keywords, running text, and risk analyses
✓ Automatically converts passive wording into active voice while always preserving the technical accuracy of the content
✓ A shared prompt library matches the requirements to the sector and document type and ensures consistent, controlled results
✓ No need to use external chatbots as content is transformed directly within ST4 itself
ST4 AI Translator
The AI Translator uses the DeepL translation engine to automatically pre-translate text directly from ST4. Previously translated modules are available for new projects immediately.
✓ Automatically pre-translates technical content
✓ Speeds up international provision of documentation
✓ More efficient translation processes
✓ Extends your reach with multiple languages
ST4 Cloud Authoring Assistant
Authoring support checks text in real time to ensure spelling, grammar, and style are correct. Flags inconsistent or rejected terms and suggests a preferred term.
✓ Flags inconsistent or rejected terms and suggests a preferred term.
✓ System automatically recognizes prohibited compounds without you needing to store them beforehand
✓ Authoring Memory recognizes similar text fragments while writing content and saves time and translation costs by letting you reuse existing formulations
AI without the hassle
The AI features in ST4 are directly integrated into the authoring environment, so content never leaves the system. It is processed in the Quanos Cloud in Germany and/or in the EU, in compliance with the GDPR and certified to ISO 27001. This means you don’t need to worry about what happens with your data in an external chatbot, and you don’t need an additional subscription with an international AI provider.
For technical writing teams, this provides a low-friction way to start using AI. Routine workloads are noticeably reduced from day one and the team’s AI competence increases at the same time. Anyone wanting to experiment with prompts can do so in their familiar working environment rather than in an external tool.
ST4 Automation is the most used extension in ST4, and more than 100 customers are using it today. Automation requirements in the cloud are fundamentally different: processes need to run asynchronously, scale on demand, and connect seamlessly with other systems.
ST4 Cloud Automation provides a cloud-native automation solution, built for the AI age. It’s based on the industry standard BPMN 2.0, is fully scalable and future-proof, and can be extended as needed.
ST4 Cloud Automation opens up three new ways to integrate AI into authoring processes:
Build workflows using prompts:
describe the automation logic instead of programming it.
AI makes decisions:
within the processes, based on rules and context.
AI Agents control ST4 autonomously:
for fully automated authoring processes.
ST4 AI Language Factory: Localization re-imagined
A substantial proportion of the technical writing budget goes toward localization. Traditional language service providers are expensive and slow, and machine translation alone is not sufficient to meet technical documentation quality requirements. ST4 AI Language Factory closes this gap by acting as a virtual language service provider directly integrated into ST4. Affordable, fast, and fully automated, it is available for all European languages, with Chinese, Korean, and Japanese to follow soon. ST4 AI Language Factory was developed in collaboration with ESTeam, a provider of multilingual knowledge systems and a pioneer in the LangOps segment.
In many cases, Language Factory is
90 %
cheaper than traditional localization workflows, with prices of up to one cent per word.
A 20-page, 8000-word Getting Started guide often costs €800 or more using traditional methods. With Language Factory, it’s just €30.
Selected pilot customers began using the service in the second half of 2026. From January 2027, it will be available to all ST4 Cloud customers.
“I need to show that documentation makes a measurable contribution, while at the same time ensuring that regulatory requirements are met.”
Michael
Head of Technical Documentation
✓ Approval processes are audit-ready and traceable at all times: up to 50% less review effort
✓ Variant management scales with the product portfolio, without additional resources
✓ Translations are only triggered for modules with changes: 30–70% reduction in translation volumes per release
✓ Accessible PDF output is included as standard at no extra cost
“I want to focus on content, not coordination, formatting, or version tracking.”
Anna
Technical Writer
✓ Authoring support checks language and terminology in real time: fewer review passes and greater focus on content
✓ Authoring Memory identifies similar text fragments and suggests them for reuse: up to 50% time savings when writing
✓ AI Writer helps with the formulation and structuring of technical content
✓ Approvals are handled in the system, so email ping-pong becomes a thing of the past: up to 80% less coordination effort
“We need a solution that can be operated securely, integrates into existing systems, and doesn’t require us to run our own server.”
IT and company management
✓ ISO 27001-certified, data on servers in Germany
✓ No local infrastructure required: significantly lower IT operating costs compared to on-premises
✓ Open interfaces to ERP and PLM systems; workflows can be automated across systems
✓ Continuous updates with no on-premise maintenance workload
„If we’d continued to work with the previous process chain, the translation costs would no longer have been affordable.“
ottobock
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„The biggest advantage is that I hardly have to do any layouting at all now. Separating the content from the layout means I can focus on what matters.“
Bosch Engineering Ulrich Michelt
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„There’s no more copy and paste, and no more annoying errors when transferring content over. My work now involves less writing and more planning and formatting. All in all, SCHEMA ST4 has made my work faster, easier, and more efficient.“
bess AG Katrin Thelen
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„Thanks to the large number of features and how easy it is to use, SCHEMA ST4 allows us to meet all the challenges we face in day-to-day technical writing. The project work with Quanos is always professional“
Bizerba SE & Co. KG Markus Strittmatter, Global IT
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„The switch to ST4 in the cloud was exactly the right step for us – not only to advance the WEINIG Group’s digitalization strategy in technical writing, but also to pool resources and optimize group-wide communication. We were able to harmonize our technical writing processes across all sites.”“
Weinig Grecon GmbH & Co. Dr. Rainer Vollmer, CIO
Show the interviewYes, it includes everything you’re already familiar with: the same range of functions, the same workflows, the same user interface. Plus, you also get some cloud-only features. Updates and new functions are immediately available to all users, without maintenance windows and without update projects. As before, the classic ST4 features run exclusively in the Quanos Cloud in Germany, while the AI features of ST4 are processed in Germany and in the EU. New solutions like ST4 AI Language Factory and ST4 Cloud Automation are available in this environment. You do not need your own server infrastructure and the system can be accessed from anywhere via a web browser.
The ST4 Cloud is certified according to ISO 27001. All customer data is stored on servers in Germany and is subject to the GDPR. Quanos is headquartered in Germany and is subject to European legislation.
Yes. ST4 provides open interfaces to ERP, PLM, and translation memory systems, as well as other tools. Cross-system workflows can be automated, which means that data no longer needs to be manually transferred.
No. ST4 AI Jetpack, ST4 AI Writer, ST4 AI Translator, and ST4 Cloud Authoring Assistant are included in ST4 Cloud at no extra cost. For individual expansions like ST4 AI Jetpack plus, there are optional add-ons.
Quanos assists you with the rollout right from the start, including data migration, configuration, training, and ongoing support. The training team is made up of experts who all have personal experience with technical writing.
A content management system like ST4 can benefit companies that need technical documentation in multiple variants, multiple languages, or on multiple channels. Classic indicators include maintaining the same content in different documents, translation costs increasing faster than the product portfolio, approvals taking place via email, with no one knowing for certain which is the latest document version. Typical users come from the fields of mechanical and plant engineering, medical technology, the electronics and automotive industries, and regulated industries with extensive documentation and compliance requirements. The complexity of the documentation tends to be more relevant than the size of the company. If manual coordination is taking up a significant amount of time, it may be time to consider a content management system.
Are you ready to take the next step?
Request a consultation with a live demo.
If your technical writing team is growing, delivering more variants, serving more languages, and covering more channels, it’s time to set up processes to support that growth.
Get in touch. We’ll show you ST4 in a live demo tailored to your specific requirements rather than just a generic product presentation.