diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index feb0444..dd88b6c 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ Encoding: UTF-8
 LazyData: true
 Imports: 
     bookdown,
+    officedown,
     knitr,
     rmarkdown,
     ggplot2,
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ Imports:
     sysfonts,
     showtext
 Roxygen: list(markdown = TRUE)
-RoxygenNote: 7.1.2
+RoxygenNote: 7.2.3
 VignetteBuilder: knitr
 URL: https://github.com/nafc-assess/NAFOdown
 BugReports: https://github.com/nafc-assess/NAFOdown/issues
diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index 3df74d6..be96ecf 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -13,13 +13,17 @@ export(plot_lengths)
 export(theme_nafo)
 export(theme_nafotabs)
 export(word_scr)
+export(word_scr2)
 export(word_scs)
+export(word_scs2)
 export(word_stacfis)
+export(word_stacfis2)
 import(bookdown)
 import(flextable)
 import(ggplot2)
 import(ggridges)
 import(ggthemes)
+import(officedown)
 import(showtext)
 importFrom(magrittr,"%>%")
 importFrom(officer,fp_border)
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 05052c5..1a8f3f6 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -4,3 +4,4 @@
 - Adapted csasdown for NAFO documents
 - Added a ggplot and flextable themes for producing plots and tables that comply with NAFO plotting guidelines
 - Added a function for producing ridge plots from annual length frequency data
+- Enable the use of bookdown::word_document2 or officedown::rdocx_document to build Word documents (see ?word_scr)
diff --git a/R/utils.R b/R/utils.R
index c36c693..187bd6a 100644
--- a/R/utils.R
+++ b/R/utils.R
@@ -15,25 +15,37 @@
 #'
 #' This is a function called in output in the YAML of the driver Rmd file
 #' to specify the creation of a Microsoft Word version of an SCR, STACFIC
-#' or SCS report.
+#' or SCS report. Functions with 2 as a suffix are built using
+#' [officedown::rdocx_document()], allowing users to leverage more in depth
+#' customization of Word output.
 #'
-#' @param ... arguments to pass to [bookdown::word_document2()]
+#' @param ... arguments to pass to [bookdown::word_document2()] or [officedown::rdocx_document()]
+#'            for functions with 2 as a suffix.
 #'
 #' @return A Word Document based on the NAFO SCR, STACFIC or SCS word template.
 #'
 #' @import bookdown
+#' @import officedown
 #' @rdname word_scr
 #' @export
-#'
 word_scr <- .make_word_function(bookdown::word_document2, "SCR_template.docx")
 
 #' @rdname word_scr
 #' @export
-#'
+word_scr2 <- .make_word_function(officedown::rdocx_document, "SCR_template.docx")
+
+#' @rdname word_scr
+#' @export
 word_stacfis <- .make_word_function(bookdown::word_document2, "STACFIS_template.docx")
 
 #' @rdname word_scr
 #' @export
-#'
+word_stacfis2 <- .make_word_function(officedown::rdocx_document, "STACFIS_template.docx")
+
+#' @rdname word_scr
+#' @export
 word_scs <- .make_word_function(bookdown::word_document2, "SCS_template.docx")
 
+#' @rdname word_scr
+#' @export
+word_scs2 <- .make_word_function(officedown::rdocx_document, "SCS_template.docx")
diff --git a/man/word_scr.Rd b/man/word_scr.Rd
index 5dfe8be..9865ada 100644
--- a/man/word_scr.Rd
+++ b/man/word_scr.Rd
@@ -2,18 +2,28 @@
 % Please edit documentation in R/utils.R
 \name{word_scr}
 \alias{word_scr}
+\alias{word_scr2}
 \alias{word_stacfis}
+\alias{word_stacfis2}
 \alias{word_scs}
+\alias{word_scs2}
 \title{Creates an R Markdown Word NAFO-formatted document}
 \usage{
 word_scr(...)
 
+word_scr2(...)
+
 word_stacfis(...)
 
+word_stacfis2(...)
+
 word_scs(...)
+
+word_scs2(...)
 }
 \arguments{
-\item{...}{arguments to pass to \code{\link[bookdown:html_document2]{bookdown::word_document2()}}}
+\item{...}{arguments to pass to \code{\link[bookdown:html_document2]{bookdown::word_document2()}} or \code{\link[officedown:rdocx_document]{officedown::rdocx_document()}}
+for functions with 2 as a suffix.}
 }
 \value{
 A Word Document based on the NAFO SCR, STACFIC or SCS word template.
@@ -21,5 +31,7 @@ A Word Document based on the NAFO SCR, STACFIC or SCS word template.
 \description{
 This is a function called in output in the YAML of the driver Rmd file
 to specify the creation of a Microsoft Word version of an SCR, STACFIC
-or SCS report.
+or SCS report. Functions with 2 as a suffix are built using
+\code{\link[officedown:rdocx_document]{officedown::rdocx_document()}}, allowing users to leverage more in depth
+customization of Word output.
 }