Tools of the trade – Using translation technology to meet your quality agenda

ATC Conference London 15.09.2005

“Surviving and Prospering in a Changing Translation Market”

A traditional promise….

Quality is a problem!

• “Not only does it read badly, but the quality is extremely variable. In some cases the translation is completely incomprehensible.”

• “It’s English, but not as I understand it.”

• “I don’t expect to use it as it is – after all it’s only a translation.”

• “The translation industry speaks a quality jargon based on process and terminological accuracy – the absolute minimum. It doesn’t understand our needs…”

• “The translation industry is inward-looking and does not communicate effectively.”

System

Process Control(Deadlines etc.)

File Integrity(Formatting/Tag Verification etc.)

Terminological Accuracy + Consistency

Completeness

The QA pyramid

System

Process Control(Deadlines etc.)

File Integrity(Formatting/Tag Verification etc.)

Terminological Accuracy + Consistency

Completeness

Source Text

Translation

The QA pyramid

A closed traditional QA model…

QA looks back to the Source Text

Source Text Translation

Where does that leave the client ?

Market

Cultural differences ?

Differences in industry practice ?

Different expectations, fashions and trends ?

Different branding ?

It leaves the client with a potentially ineffective solution that represents poor value

“JD Edwards (JDE), a billion dollar software company, found itself with a 290% ROI on its optimized content and translation processes but was delivering content that customers were using as doorstops and paperweights. In order to drive value to the customer (as well as to their bottom line), JD Edwards had to shift from a cost-based optimization model to a value-based strategy.”

ClientSide News Announcing September 9 Workshop, San Francisco.

Closed model Open model

A paradigm shift

Added value Feedback

Where’s the translator in all this?

© Michael Benis 2005 11

Partnership Opportunities

Industry Leaders

Universities and Training Bodies

Translation Technology Vendors

Trade, Industry and Commerce Bodies

Associations of Translation Companies

EU / Government Initiatives

Translators’ Associations

CAT can link the supply side and client side

CAT as a passive productivity tool

CAT as an interactive quality tool

CAT as an investment in quality by all parties

CAT as an investment in quality

• Web-based CAT DB technology(offering greater control but requiring careful design and tight integration)

• CAT as a feedback and teamwork system

• CAT as a “training” system• CAT as an interactive QA system

What is required ?

• Web-based CAT DB technology(offering greater control but requiring careful design and tight integration)

• Interactive CAT QA functions• CAT note systems• CAT segmentation flexibility• Collaborative training programmes• e-Learning

Questions ? …..

Further reading…

“Curriculum design and content delivery challenges in the organisation of effective translation technology courses for freelance translators”

Paper by Michael Benis BA (Hons) FIL MITI eCoLoRe / MeLLANGE Workshop, University of Leeds, 21-23 March 2005.

Pages 19-23 of the Proceedings available online at http://ecolore.leeds.ac.uk