1. Presented by Scott Carothers
How to Simplify the Task of Translations in Your Content Delivery Model with Comprehensive Metrics
Presented by
Scott Carothers

2. Today’s Agenda
What are the issues with the typical translation process?
Can current metrics solve the common problems?
The most valuable metrics for process improvement
Optimizing the translation process with comprehensive metrics
Cost tracking metrics: measuring savings
Q & A

3. The “Big Picture”
Product Life Cycle - from conceptualization to marketplace
Where do translations fit?

4. The “Big Picture”
Are translations delaying a product launch?

5. The Headache Corporate Staff – Common Problems Quality Delivery timing
Budget
In-country review process

6. The Headache Enterprise – Common Problems Translations decentralized
No enterprise-wide Translation Memory (TM) or workflow
process
Inconsistent pricing

7. Typical Translation Process - Problems
The ‘black hole’
Submit a document to the Language Service Provider (LSP)
Receive few details
Word count
TM matches
Price

8. Typical Translation Process - Problems
No real clarity
Very little accountability
Difficult to switch LSPs
Process improvement?

10. Departments Requiring Translations
Technical Publications
Marketing
Legal HR IT
Quality Assurance
eCommerce & Websites
Product Development

11. No validation of quality or cost
Translations are a Black Spend
No validation of quality or cost

12. Major Management RISKS
No budgetary accountability
Few LSPs, often just one
Tied to a translator’s technology
Translator controlling TM
No translator validation or ratings

13. Typical Translation Process – How to Fix
To avoid the common RISKS:
Centralize your TM – keep in-house
Vendor-independence - always choose your best LSP
View translations as an enterprise-wide process
Metrics! Measure everything
Stop “fire-fighting” translation issues
and look at the big picture!

14. Can Current Metrics Solve these Problems?
Most common metrics:
Which LSP has the assignment
Delivery timing
How long did post-editing take?

15. Can Current Metrics Solve these Problems?
Mostly manual entries
s add extra time
Spreadsheets & folders
TM in unsecure environment
Are you giving the store away?

16. Can Current Metrics Solve these Problems?
What metrics are the translators currently offering?
TM matches
100% matches
90-99% matches
75-89% matches
Word content reuse
Price
Other (as needed)

17. Can Current Metrics Solve these Problems?
What metrics are the staff currently monitoring?
Translation quality metrics absent
In-country reviewer:
final edits
was LSP kept in loop?

18. Most Valuable Metrics Aggregate volume Turnaround time TM analysis
LSP ratings
Cost-tracking

19. Most Valuable Metrics Aggregate volume: Quantifies word count
Number of projects
Number of LSPs

20. Most Valuable Metrics Aggregate volume:
Word count gives you negotiating power
Number of projects shows the big picture:
Which business units submit the most projects
Which source/target languages are most common

21. Most Valuable Metrics Aggregate volume (continued): Number of LSPs
Where are the hidden translators?
How many translate the same languages?
Which business units do the same
same languages?

22. Most Valuable Metrics 2. Turnaround Time: Deadlines for:
Internationalization (i18n)
Translation
In-country review
Edits
DTP
Final deadline

23. Most Valuable Metrics 2. Turnaround Time:
A clear idea of delays internally AND externally
Metrics can pinpoint delays to help avoid them on future projects
Get realistic timeframes for future projects

24. Most Valuable Metrics 3. TM Analysis: Content reuse
New words submitted, words matched
Match rates
100% & partial matches
TM match trends (time)
Overall TM match savings ($)

25. Most Valuable Metrics 3. TM Analysis:
Provide a blueprint of savings on each project/enterprise-wide
Quantifies the value of a centralized TM
(even if segregated by business unit)
Time savings based on matched language pairs
Amount being saved based on past project reusability

26. Most Valuable Metrics 4. LSP Performance Ratings:
Based on common problems:
Quality - number of defects per 1000 words
Average delivery times
Cost-competitiveness

27. Most Valuable Metrics 4. LSP Performance Ratings:
Which translators are performing better than others
Which translators are best suited for each specific project
Better position to negotiate annual contract rates

28. Most Valuable Metrics 5. Cost savings: i18n costs
Project management costs
Translation costs
Review costs
DTP costs
Accumulative cost
Bid savings?

29. Bid Savings Bidding creates a buyer’s market! $37 Billion industry
28,000+ LSPs
250,000+ Certified Translators
Bid it out!
Printing is also a Commodity!
$72 Billion Industry with 25,100 Printers

30. Define your current process. Where do these metrics fit?
Process Optimization
Define your current process. Where do these metrics fit?

31. Process Optimization

32. Process Optimization
Contract pricing from the LSP – review metrics to prepare for next step

33. Process Optimization

34. Process Optimization
Bid stage – Use the LSP performance ratings to choose the best translator for each specific project

35. Process Optimization

36. Process Optimization Translation and review stage
Ask your reviewer to answer these 9 questions:

37. Process Optimization
Translation and review stage – update quality metrics

38. Process Optimization

39. Process Optimization Project completion stage: turnaround time
Update your metrics and analyze the data
Did a delay occur?
What was the cause and how can it be avoided?

40. Process Optimization

41. Process Optimization
TM updates stage – analyze cost tracking metrics

42. Process Optimization
TM updates stage – analyze match rate metrics

43. Process Optimization
TM updates stage – analyze cost tracking metrics

44. Metrics Dashboard (Automated)

45. Measuring Savings Where’s the Money? 24-33% savings (average) 1st year
40% second year
Above 50% in third year

46. Review What are the issues with the typical translation process?
Can current metrics solve the common problems?
The most valuable metrics for process improvement
Optimizing the translation process with comprehensive metrics
Cost tracking metrics: measuring savings

47. Presenter: Scott Carothers
Q & A Session
Questions?
Presenter: Scott Carothers