QuoteAsh's instructions were awfully specific especially if the company had no idea what was there. I believe they kew what was there because of how specific Ash's instructions were from them.
Words like "organism" and "specimen" aren't specific at all.
QuoteThen why plant Ash on the ship?
Because the Company picked up the signal and translated it and wanted whatever they were warning about. Or at the very least whoever sent the transmission.
Quoteand the order that Ripley found out about was just a standard procedure thing
No, it's not. It's a "Special Order" specific o the Nostromo.
QuoteIt'd be more appropriate, if they knew about the alien, to send a specialized team in. If Aliens visited earth, I wouldn't want a stressed out trucker being the first guy he met...
There you go then - they didn't know about it.
QuoteAlso, I'll point out, It was the Nostromo (Mother) than got the distress signal, not the company, at least that's not implied.
No. Quite the opposite. SO937 says the Nostromo was re-routed. They were in the vicinity of LV-426 because they'd been re-routed there and it was made to look like Mother picked up the signal by accident which would automatically activate the clause saying they're obliged to investigate.