Voice
How Fortiv sounds in the product — brand voice, tone by context, copy patterns, and the terminology rules that translate business-continuity jargon into plain language.
Principles
Words are part of the interface. The right word at the right moment reduces hesitation; the wrong one adds doubt.
Plain over precise-but-opaque
Our users include continuity professionals who know the jargon and the business owners who don't. Choose the word that needs no translation. A reader who sees “Plan” understands instantly; “BCP” has to be translated.
Speak to the person, not the spec
Write like a knowledgeable colleague, not a manual. “Define who responds during a disruption” beats “Configuration of personnel response assignments.” Lead with the verb and the outcome.
Calm under pressure
People often read our copy mid-incident, under stress. Be clear, brief, and reassuring. Never alarming, never cute. The interface should feel like a steady hand, especially when something has gone wrong.
Consistency builds trust
The same concept gets the same word everywhere. A “Plan” in the dashboard is a “Plan” in the report and the confirmation dialog. Inconsistent vocabulary makes a careful product feel careless.
Terminology: say this, not that
The heart of the skill. We deliberately translate business-continuity jargon into language anyone can read. Acronyms are precise but exclusionary — prefer the plain word.
| Say this | Not this | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | BCP, BC Plan, Business Continuity Plan | “Plan” everywhere in the UI. Spell out “Business Continuity Plan” only once, at genuine first introduction. |
| Impact Analysis / the analysis | BIA | Expand to “Business Impact Analysis (BIA)” on first use per page if needed, then “the analysis”. |
| Activity | Business function, process | Match the customer's domain settings, but default to “Activity”. |
| Recovery time | RTO | Plain in prose; show “RTO” only where space is tight (chips, table headers, charts). |
| Acceptable downtime | MAO, Maximum Acceptable Outage | Same rule as RTO — plain in prose, acronym only in dense UI. |
| Data loss limit | RPO | Same rule. |
| Single point of failure | SPOF | Expand in prose; “SPOF” acceptable in charts/labels with a legend. |
| Disruption / outage | event, scenario | “Disruption” for the real thing; “scenario” only for simulations and exercises. |
The acronym rule
Four rules decide when a specialist term is allowed.
Default to the plain word
In any sentence a non-specialist will read, use the plain word — “recovery time”, not “RTO”.
Acronyms are allowed in dense UI
Table headers, chart axes, chips, and badges may use acronyms where space is tight and context makes the meaning obvious.
Expand on first use
When a specialist term is unavoidable in prose, expand it: “Business Impact Analysis (BIA)”, then “BIA” thereafter.
Never invent a new acronym
For a Fortiv-specific concept, name it in plain words. Don't add to the jargon load.
Copy patterns
The recurring shapes of product copy — and what to write instead.
Review checklist
Common copy issues and their fixes. Use this when reviewing UI copy or marketing drafts.
| Before | After | Why |
|---|---|---|
| No BCPs available | No plans yet | Use “Plan”, not “BCP”; empty state points forward |
| Add Activity | Add activity | Sentence case, not Title Case |
| An error occurred. | Couldn't save your changes. Please try again. | Specific + a way forward |
| Are you sure? / OK | Delete this resource? / Delete | State the consequence; button repeats the verb |
| BIA (first mention in prose) | Business Impact Analysis (BIA) | Expand specialist terms on first use |
| RTO (in a sentence) | recovery time | Plain word in prose; acronym only in dense UI |
| Your changes have been saved. | (silent) | Success is usually shown, not announced |
| Submit / Proceed | Send reminders / Run simulation | Verb + noun; name the action |
| 3 plan(s) | 1 plan / 3 plans | Use proper plural forms, not “(s)” |
| click here | View the recovery plan | Link text describes the destination |
| No data available. | No activities found yet. Add one to begin. | Name what's missing + the next step |
Use this as a Claude skill
This page is also a Claude Code skill. The same guidance you read here is what the agent applies when it writes or reviews code — so the product stays consistent with what is documented.