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TranslatorsTraining.com Allows Translators the Opportunity to Compare CAT Tools Side by Side

For years translators have struggled to understand the similarities and differences among the various translation environment tools, but the marketing hyperbole and the different platforms and processes have made it difficult to carry out a straightforward comparison. Savvy translators know about the comparison tools at TranslatorsTraining.com that provide a neutral platform for evaluating tools’ strengths and weaknesses. Now this powerful comparison tool is being provided free of charge for all translators.

In an effort to create a level playing field, TranslatorsTraining.com sent the 21 most prominent tool vendors a single document and asked them this question: “Using your tool, what’s the best way to translate this Word document?” The result: 21 video tutorials that show the step-by-step process of translating the same document with each of the leading tools.

“This is a unique platform that allow us to see each of these tools going through the same general procedures on an identical document,” said Jost Zetzsche, author of The Tool Kit newsletter and The Translators’ Tool Box e-book and one of TranslatorsTraining.com’s designers. “For example, we can compare how Trados pre- and post-processes the file, creates a translation memory and a terminology database, and reuses content from the TM and the terminology database with how it’s done by memoQ, Star Transit, or OmegaT.”

The video tutorials are available at TranslatorsTraining.com, a joint project between Jost Zetzsche of International Writers’ Group and Intrawelt, a leading language services and eLearning solutions company. The designers have no affiliation with any of the software vendors profiled; however, many of the leading software tool providers have provided significant discounts on their tools for TranslatorsTraining.com users, accessible only through the video tutorials on the site.

According to Alessandro Potalivo, Intrawelt’s CEO: “Jost’s expertise coupled with our eLearning know-how make this a one-of-a-kind project. We are extremely excited about being able to offer the translation community the ability to compare CAT tools easily, quickly, and objectively—and now free of charge.”

“You need your text translated by a professional? And you need it proof-read? Right, and before going to print you need a really thorough double and triple check and, what’s that?, you need it all formatted professionally? By next Thursday? Yeah….of course we can do that. Trust me!”

Think about what you’re doing.

You’ve created some text. Obviously it’s important because (1) otherwise you wouldn’t have written it, and (2) you need it translated.

So if it’s important, what are you doing entrusting your important work to someone you don’t know and, by extension, cannot trust?

When you need translation services for the first time, look for companies that have independent quality accreditation. This must be the only thing you should trust. Don’t believe all the marketing hype. From there, talk to the agencies about workflow, services, costs, and so on. A little investment and information gathering will reap rewards.

If you already use a translation agency, you’re probably disinclined to find another one but maybe you should think again. A back-up can only be a good thing. And sharing your business keeps both translation agencies competitive: improving their services to give you more.

If you’d like a free one-pager with hints and tips on how to choose your first – or your next – translation agency, just send an email to info@intrawelt.co.uk

Budgets are tighter than ever and it’s a natural response to try to look for cheaper options. But this could be a false economy. If you buy a really cheap t-shirt, you can guarantee that after half a dozen washes it will have lost its shape and will look like a really cheap t-shirt. So do you buy another cheap t-shirt or do you buy quality and wear a good-looking t-shirt for much longer?

Many translation agencies, to reduce costs but to maintain their profit, simply choose cheaper freelance translators or squeeze their translators to accept less money. Both are bad.

Cheaper freelance translators usually produce poorer quality work: they rush their work, don’t follow the client’s terminology, or, let’s be honest, just aren’t very good.

Squeezing good translators creates resentment and only forces these people to work quicker, under stress, and thereby produce more human errors. Making the proof-readers job bigger than it was, so, in effect, you’ve saved on the translator but lost on the proof-reader.

The option that we recommend is that you and your translation agency work together to optimise the process: how can things be changed to reduce cost? Could the source text be shortened? Rather than a “word-for-word” translation, would a “summarised” translation be acceptable (rendering 5,000 English words to 1,000 French)?

In addition, we have many partnerships with companies where, upon reaching a certain threshold, either a discount is applied, or certain credits are made available. If you’re someone who regularly needs short phrases translated, we have an extremely simple workflow with fast turnaround and very, very competitive prices. In short, we believe that the translation agency should start acting like your partner and should start providing free “consultancy” (for want of a better term) to help you get more for less.

You can choose an overweight, sloppy, lazy, unfit translation agency. Or you could choose an efficient, alert, finely-tuned one.

Nowadays, there seems to be just too much information and too many choices. How many different breakfast cereals do we really need, for instance? And how many different cups of coffee does Starbucks need to invent?

And so we come to the “crisis”. Whilst almost everyone agrees that 2009 is over, there is debate on the c-word because people tend to look at whatever statistic supports their belief. With GDP, unemployment rates, interest rates, consumer spending, and so on and so forth, everyone’s able to pick their statistic and cling to it.

Whether or not the crisis is over, what counts even more at this time is the quality to cost ratio. Every translation agency will tell you that they deliver quality (well, what else are they going to say?) but how does that explain some agencies charging twice what we charge?

The large translation agencies invest lots of resources in sales, marketing and IT. Many are public companies and, to protect their share price, they have to deliver strong quarter-on-quarter results. But did you know that in these companies, the actual cost of the translator could be as little as 20% of the price you pay?

Let’s compare four ways to get your translation done.

1) Go direct to freelance resources
On the face of it, this is the cheapest route. But don’t forget that you have to find the resources, verify their competence somehow, possibly prepare documents for them, project manage everything, then possibly take their translation and format it. Do you have the skills and personnel to do this?

2) Go to Intrawelt

3) Go to a large translation agency

4) Go to one of the (very large) top-30 global translation agencies

Nearly every translation agency uses freelance translators. So let’s assume that the translation, proof-reading and quality check costs are the same.

Because Intrawelt is a private company, we don’t answer to shareholders and we grow at a healthy, sustainable pace. Our sales, marketing, IT and other costs are kept to a minimum. We still like to make a profit, though!

Large companies and public companies have greater overheads and invest heavily in sales and marketing and IT and so on. Look at SDL, for example, in their Annual Report (http://www.sdl.com/en/company/investors/financialoverview.asp), their overall administrative expenses for 2008 were £61.3 million. Lionbridge’s annual report for the same year (http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=111612&p=irol-irhome) shows that just their sales and marketing spend was US $33 million.

Now we all know that businesses need to make money. But when your receive the next invoice from your translation company, ask yourself what percentage of that cost was actually used to translate. And what percentage went to pay for overheads, sales and marketing.

In this graph, we show how the translation tasks are, more or less, the same, but the overhead expenses increase drastically. When you pay for a translation project, think about how much you’re paying for your translation and how much you’re contributing to their overheads.

freelance translators have only their own cost but by going direct to a freelancer, you have the overhead of project management and finding and assessing the translator. Do you have these skills in place?
Intrawelt keeps overheads to a minimum to save you money.
large translation agencies spend much more on sales and marketing – costs that they pass onto you.
very large translation agencies spend millions on marketing and have huge overheads. But the translator’s cost is, more or less, the same as ours.

That was the winter (spring, summer and autumn) of our discontent. Thank goodness 2009 is over.

Or so say many. At Intrawelt, our growth has been organic, sustainable and eco-friendly. Our business is not dependent on a few large clients, nor on one particular sector. We have built the company on the foundations of quality, service and professionalism. We don’t create “bubbles”. Through the good years and the bad, we stick to our principles and run our company in an orderly way. We set goals for ourselves each year and we manage things accordingly.

We prefer a sustained, managed growth rather than the peaks and troughs that others go through as they see good years and bad.

Whilst 2009 was not an easy year, we are rather proud of our results. More details as we complete our year closure procedures but here are, if you like, two key points of reference.

Words translated/proof-read : 30% up on 2008

Revenue: almost 15% up on 2008

No posts last week – not because of the UK’s Royal Mail strike – but because of that little virus thing going around town right now. Aching joints and back, headache, earache, sensitive to light, temperature, cough, blocked sinuses, nausea, lost appetite, short temper, where’s my mum?

I had a splendid week planned with not one nor two but three rather important projects to deliver. And then I was sick. I’m sure the ‘flu hits people differently but I was flat on my back on the couch for 72 hours. And I was suffering. I felt rotten. Really miserable. And I remember a telephone call with the office. I was asked how I was and, being British, my initial, “let’s not even think about that question for a moment” response was to say, “Oh…not too bad”.

But I stopped myself.

I thought about how I felt and decided to tell the truth: “Actually, I’m really, really sick. My temperature’s over 39. I ache all over. I cannot get comfortable. I feel really bad – to be honest, I’m suffering. I can’t possibly come to work today. I’m really sorry”.

Now getting that off my chest didn’t change a thing and I certainly didn’t feel better but it left me reflecting on the socio-linguistic “handshaking” that so often goes on and whose purpose is to lead the parties towards a point where the real action can start.

And it left me wondering what should happen if one person really wanted to know how the other was doing:

Person1: “Hi. How are you doing?”
Person2: “Fine. Not too bad.”
P1: “No, really. How are you?”
P2: “Fine. I’m fine.”
P1: “NO! Tell me how you’re really doing!”
P2: “I JUST DID! I’M OK”.

When I meet people, it’s automatic to ask after their health but I am expecting a standard reply – they’re going to be fine because they’re at work / in the bar / at the supermarket.

If they were ill, they’d look ill and my question would be more “Hi….are you OK? You don’t look too good…” and I’d expect a response to confirm that.

So I make an assumption based on the way you look and where I meet you. So I’m not asking to really find out how you are. It’s a conversation starter; an ice-breaker; a salutation. And then other questions came to me which fulfill a similar function:

How’s the wife/husband?
How’s work?
How’re the kids?

In some cultures, the greeting can be translated as “Have you eaten?” and of course, the expected (and only) response can be “Yes, heartily. I am sufficiently sophonsified and adequately nourished. Thank you.” But if you thought that poppycock, you could simply sit them down to a meal anyway. Which, politeness would dictate, would be eaten thus confirming the host’s position: you had not eaten sufficiently otherwise you wouldn’t have been able to eat this meal.

The more I thought, the more I began to see this type of language at work. I call it linguistic bubble-wrap. Whilst it ultimately gets discarded in favour of the precious object which it protects, this bubble-wrap is very important and, indeed, without it, how could I deliver my message? It’s a very necessary step in the whole process.

And bubble-wrap is so flexible and useful. It’s so tactile and who hasn’t played with it endlessly? – popping all those wonderful bubbles? Bubble-wrap’s great!

So the next time I’m asked how I’m doing, expect a cheery, “fine. I’m fine”. Because it’s bubble-wrap, you see.

You’ve got a website. The designers were pretty expensive but, hey, it was worth it – the website looks brilliant. Now you’re thinking about translating it into French and German because you’ve got some pretty big customers in those countries and there’s more money to be made there. Just do a quick search on Google and…..wow! millions of translators and translation agencies.

You have many options from freelancers to the biggest “Language Service Providers” and each comes with their own advantages and disadvantages.

Freelancers

Probably the cheapest. And probably the highest risk. All it takes is a computer and an internet connection to set yourself up as a freelance translator. A professional-looking website costs very little and buying Google Adwords isn’t expensive. But how can you tell if the freelancer is good, bad or ugly? If I were unscrupulous, I could list my (fake) degree, my (fake) experience and even my (fake) clients. And I know you can’t read German so you can’t judge my work. As long as it looks German, you’ll be happy.

Translation Agencies (or Language Service Providers)

Not the cheapest. But there is a range from reasonable to “they-can’t-be-serious-can-they?”.

I can’t speak about all agencies but Intrawelt works like this:
We use freelance translators and reviewers. We’ve got over 500 with whom we work regularly. We test everyone. We check every CV – calling universities to confirm degrees. We take up every reference. We test their language skills – they have to do a sample translation. If we can’t assess their language skills ourselves, we use external trusted sources (such as universities, or known and trusted translators)

In short, we make absolutely certain that our freelancers are qualified, experienced, and capable.

Then we make sure that they continue to improve their skills by attending courses, workshops, conferences, etc. and by continuing to translate or review in their language combination(s), in their area of expertise. Because if someone’s qualified and experienced but hasn’t translated for 10 years, how current are their language skills?

That’s why many companies choose translation agencies. Because only we can guarantee freelancers and only we can guarantee quality.

1. It’s a team effort.
   We use translators, reviewers (sometimes called a proof-readers), quality checkers, project managers, client account representatives, etc. Only with the right people, the right organization and the right management can a team perform on the day.
2. There’s a wide range of skills.
   Just like football has the Manchester Uniteds and the Ebbsfleet Uniteds, so the translation industry has the top flight and the lower leagues. In football, you get promoted or relegated but how can you tell a top translation agency? It’s not easy but look for independent quality assessments. ISO 9001 and UNI EN 15038 are good starting points.
3. There are many ways to score a goal.
   And there are many ways to translate a piece text. But everyone knows the cups are won on professionalism, talent, commitment and consistency.
4. You’ve got to keep your eyes on the ball.
   In translation that means watching quality and consistency but also remembering that it’s a game of two halves – translate and review – and that the deadline is critical.
5. It’s not over until the final whistle blows.
   When England won the World Cup way back in 1996 the commentator said, “Some of the crowd are on the pitch. They think it’s all over. But it is now.” In our business, when the translation has been delivered and the client has published it, there’s no way you can change the result. Only a professional agency can prevent any silly, embarrassing, potentially damaging translations being released.
6. Don’t forget the manager.
   The England manager, Fabio Capello, picks the team, sets the strategy, and manages the game. A good translation agency selects the right translators and reviewers, they figure out the best way to deliver the translation, and they manage the entire process – responding immediately to anything which might crop up.
7. It’s a funny old game.
   (ackn: Jimmy Greaves). Not everyone is a star striker and not every team is a Manchester United (although I support Tottenham…). So it is with translation. Quality costs. A David Beckham doesn’t play for tuppence. A David Brent of The Office probably will though. Who do you want to take that crucial free kick, just outside the box, when it’s 1-1 and there are 3 minutes left to play? Everyone knows England can’t do penalties so we’ve gotta score…
8. Professional footballers can kick a ball for any team they choose.
   They’re just like freelance translators (but with a little more money). Since very few translators work as employees in a company, the vast majority are freelance. That means, the freelance translators we use may have worked (or could be working) with your current translation agency too. What you don’t know is that our translator review and management process has been independently assessed and has been awarded the UNI EN 15038 quality standard. Whilst freelance translators may be able to work for anyone, Intrawelt only picks the best.
9. It’s a global game.
   Contact a sales office in London. The project is managed in Italy. The translator is in Japan, the reviewer is in the United States and the Quality Check is done in Australia. The document is prepared in Italy and delivered in England.
10. There’s a referee – well, kind of…
    We believe independent assessment companies like TUV who inspect companies for compliance to ISO 9001 and UNI EN 15038 are the referees in our industry. We worked hard to gain these quality certifications and we will work hard to keep them. Independent quality assessments help everyone: the client can find quality; the translation agencies deliver better services.

To translate or to interprete: that’s the real question. Whether ’tis nobler in the mind of the client to correct their mistake or to take a guess and deliver the wrong service.

“Exactly what is this nonsense?”, I hear you ask.

Let me explain. A client called us recently and asked whether we could provide a translator. Our conversation went like this:

client: “I need a translator.”
intrawelt: “Of course! No problem. What do you need translated?”
c: “I don’t know. The meeting’s next week.”
i: “The meeting? So you want the minutes translated?”
c: “What? No, I need a translator to tell me what the Japanese are saying.”
i: “Oh…..so you need an interpreter.”
c: “No. I need a translator.”

So you can see our dilemma. Technically, an interpreter works with the spoken word and a translator will work with the written word. But some clients use the terms interchangeably. To us, it makes a huge different because the skills required are quite different (although there is some overlap, admittedly). But to the client, it’s all the same.

And I can see the client’s point of view – they need someone to help them communicate with their Japanese colleagues. Really, the client doesn’t care if we call them Interpreters, Translators, or Mary or Mark. What they care about is what’s “inside the box” – the service – rather than the label. Our trick, as a business, is to establish what that service is and to deliver it. Fortunately, we do have an interpreter called Mary.