A Single Supplier For Text Translation and Audio Voice-Overs Prevents A Logistical Nightmare

Customer Overview

A large multi-national oil and gas company, headquartered in Aberdeen, with an annual turnover of $5.4 billion USD and 55,000 employees worldwide.

Introduction

The company wanted to translate their Health & Safety and their Site Security training materials into 9 languages. They were quite nervous as they were using some new software to put together the course as an e-learning platform. The software stores the text in a format called XLIFF, with which they were unfamiliar and so they needed to work with a company that was familiar with this text storage language and whose translators could work with it expertly and confidently.

The client also needed a lot of the text content recorded as audio voice-over, so that the training courses would be visual, audio and text based. It would therefore be helpful if 1 company could coordinate all of these parts.

Solution

Tectrans had the personnel to translate the training materials into 9 languages as well as all translators being familiar with XLIFF, which is a form of XML text storage language and having the software to work with it. We also have the capabilities of producing audio voice-overs so that they would not have to coordinate a large group of different voice over artists and recording studio people.

In order to confirm our abilities to do the work, we performed a small test of one file and translated it into Italian at no charge. This meant that they could test their software to ensure it was compatible to import the Italian version, which it did with no problem.

Results

Both courses were translated and imported back into their software, so that they could easily create the final courses in each of the 9 languages. The voice-over audio files were provided in industry standard 24bit 96khz WAV format, so they could be added on top of the training courses.

Challenges

The main challenge was the scheduling of the recording sessions with a deadline to meet for the end of May. The Chinese recording session proved tricky to arrange but with our contacts we managed to get the works completed in time.

Outcome

The customer had a single supplier for all aspects of the project and was able to rely on our technical expertise, which included a good understanding of the XLIFF and XML file format, and the ability to test compatibility with these.

• Compatibility of the software was ensured from the outset with a free round of testing of the XLIFF files and their software
• Complete knowledge of the XML file formats
• Text translation services and audio services provided by 1 supplier

Conclusion

A single supplier significantly simplified the project and from the outset they knew it would work because of the free testing that Tectrans offered. Both training courses have been made in 9 languages and they are in the process of rolling these out to the staff.

If you would like help with your translations, call Tectrans on + 44(0)1273 426921 for a without obligation chat.

Taking The Headache Out Of Website Translation – A Seamless Transition By Using 1 Company To Translate And Load Into The CMS

Client Overview

Basler Kantonalbank (BKB) is a Swiss bank founded in 1899 and is part of the 24 cantonal banks serving Switzerland’s 26 cantons.

Introduction

Swiss bank BKB required their website translating from Swiss German into English as they were aware that their target market primarily uses this language. They realised that this would lead to improved search visibility and lead generation. Despite the work involved, they knew the benefits would far outweigh the costs and any inconvenience caused. The Swiss Bank BKB didn’t want any involvement in the output or the responsibility of uploading into their CMS.

Challenges

Mother-tongue translators were required who were experienced in the financial sector and who could accurately understand the nuances of the banking terminology and translate accurately to the intended market, with all translation needing to take place offline.

The original website copy had to be output from the CMS and the new language variant had to be uploaded once completed within a timeframe of 5 weeks.

Solution

Tectrans were appointed to do the translation work and handle the CMS work as well, the latter being carried out at no extra cost, a standard additional feature offered by Tectrans. This meant that BKB had only to review the translations in Word files prior to input into the CMS.

Results

This financial website translation involved:

• Swiss German web pages translated into English
• 90,949 words in 8 batches
• All copy taken from CMS, translated, checked and uploaded into CMS
• All works started and completed within the schedule of 5 weeks

Outcome

A seamless transition was achieved adhering to all the goals set by BKB. By using one company to translate, check and upload meant that the job could be carried out as time efficiently as possible and with BKB able to check and review the translations before going live, it resulted in the final text in the CMS being word perfect.

Conclusion

BKB was delighted with the quality of the work and the timescale within which it was completed and consequently follow-up work for new pages has continued to be placed with Tectrans.

If you would like help with your financial translations into or from any language, call UK Tectrans on + 44(0)1273 426921 for a without obligation chat. You could soon be hitting your main target audience by using one company to translate and upload to your CMS.

Oil & Gas Operation Manuals Translated And Alphabetised For The Cyrillic Alphabet Using Native, Local Technical Translators

Client Overview

Our client, Offshore Design Limited is an international technical service provider to the oil, gas and renewable energy markets, producing the documentation for large facilities often using outsourced translation sources. One such project involved a Russian energy consortium.

The overall project was known as Sakhalin-2 (Сахалин-2) and, since 1999, the field has been producing approximately 400,000 barrels of oil every day. A new oil and gas extraction facility was being designed and installed on the Russian island of Sakhalin, which is a few hundred miles north of Japan. Sakhalin-2 includes the first liquefied natural gas plant in Russia and the total costs to date have been estimated to be around $20 billion.

Background

A full set of Operation and Maintenance manuals and documents for the new oil and gas extraction facility were required, which needed to be translated into Russian. The project involved:

• 25 volumes of technical oil and gas installation documentation for Sakhalin-2
• 750,000 words for translation into Russian
• Schematics, diagrams, indexing, references
• Translation project commenced: 15th July 2014
• Translation project delivered on schedule: 8th January 2015

The technical translation work meant that each of the 25 individual volumes was on a different aspect of the installation. Several volumes involved complicated schematics and diagrams that had to be successfully produced in Russian so the Sakhalin engineers could work with them.

Challenges

One of the main challenges was the actual size and scale of the project and thus finding a technical translation company that had the capacity to take on this huge job. Other challenges included the long, complex and detailed glossary and abbreviation tables that needed to be translated and alphabetised for the Cyrillic alphabet whilst still maintaining the index references to other parts of the volumes. The final challenge was the timeframe with the project starting on the 15th July 2014 with a deadline for completion of the 8th January 2015. This date fell the day after Russian Orthodox Christmas and just a week after the New Year and Christmas holidays in the UK.

Solution

Offshore Design Ltd. chose to work with Tectrans on the Sakhalin-2 project because they knew the company’s track record. They have selected Tectrans consistently as their technical translation partner for more than 10 years knowing they are a specialist translation agency that produces technical, legal and operational documentation for the gas and oil industries. Tectrans has access to a number of professionally qualified full-time, native-speaking technical translators, with an industry or engineering background, based in the country where the translation was to be used. This ensures the delivery of accurate technical translations using the precise terminology required and is beneficial in delivering on time.

Results

Tectrans helped with the tender that Offshore Design was submitting to Sakhalin Energy, the Russian state-backed energy consortium and Tectrans also supplied the details and credentials of the translation work that would be supplied as part of the larger project.

Outcome

The company and our client were delighted with the finished operational manuals, which were delivered on time despite the difficult timeframe.

Conclusion

Tectrans have been and continue to be a translator of choice for Offshore Design Ltd and some of projects that Tectrans has worked on have included:

• French technical translation
  For use by Addax Petroleum in Gabon, West Africa (20 volumes, 500,000 words)
• Spanish technical translation
  For use in Bolivia, South America (comprehensive training materials for oil rig engineers)
• Arabic technical translation
  For use by BP in Egypt, North Africa (15 volumes, 250,000 words)
• Norwegian technical translation
  For use on the Alvheim oil fields in Norway, Europe (45 volumes, 750,000 words)

Similar projects include technical translations into multiple languages of 200,000 word reports on various oil spills and other containment incidents for Oil Spill Response Ltd.

If you would like help with your technical translations into or from any language, call Tectrans on + 44(0)1273 426921 for a without obligation chat.

Finding Long-term Solutions to Drive Translation Efficiency and Cut Costs by over 60%

Customer Overview

CHKS is a leading provider of healthcare intelligence and quality improvement services. Since 1989 they have been developing hospital benchmarking and performance management solutions for healthcare organisations in over 20 countries.

Introduction

CHKS updated two of their English healthcare standard auditing guidebooks – comprising approx. 500 pages each. The English updates then needed to be replicated in the Portuguese versions which had been translated in 2021.

Given the length of the files, this would require laborious manual work from the translators to ensure that each update was successfully completed in the Portuguese versions. This was potentially a costly and lengthy exercise.

Solution

Whilst considering the best approach for this project, Tectrans quickly established that by creating a  translation memory (TM) from last year’s translations, they could capture all the matched pairs of English and Portuguese text.

By applying this translation software to the new 2022 English version, any text matching the previous version would be automatically identified. Most importantly, it would also reveal any new text that still requires translation and remove the need for manual checking.

This approach would allow the translators to focus on their specialist skill – translating – rather than checking several hundreds of pages for updates.

Results

Tectrans’ initial estimate to complete this work manually was £30k plus. This matched what the customer had paid in previous years. However, by using their specified method, the quote was reduced to approx. £10k, which is speculator saving.

The project was successful and the customer was very happy. Time and money was saved, and as a bonus, Tectrans created TMs to use on next year’s edition too, ensuring efficiency and savings in their work for future years!

Conclusion

The client was clearly grateful for the cost and time efficiencies, as well as the ease of dealing with Tectrans.

“I would just like to say that it has been very easy working with you and you have been incredibly efficient and responsive […..]

Thank you once again for your help, it has been a pleasure working with UKtechtrans!”

If you would like help with your translations, call Tectrans on + 44(0)1273 426921 for a no obligation chat.

Streamlining The Translation And Print Process Within A Tight Timeframe

Customer Overview

Jergens Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of tooling components. First opening its doors in 1942, the company was founded by Jack Schron, Sr. with his father Christy to help with the US war effort. They remain based in the USA, but have had unparalleled global growth over the decades, including in the UK, which is where Tectrans began working with them.

Introduction

Spencer Wills is Jergens’ European Commercial Business Director, based in the UK. With the prospect of attending a manufacturing exhibition in Italy at the end of February, Spencer contacted Tectrans with the hope that we could assist by translating 5 manufacturing brochures into Italian, and print and ship them, all within a period of 2 weeks! This was an ambitious time frame to complete all stages of this project, bearing in mind that we also needed to allocate timefor typesetting and quality checking.

Solution

The only way to complete the work within such time constraints was to run the various tasks in parallel. This is not the preferred way of working, as issues in one part of the project can have a knock-on effect later down the line, sometimes meaning re-working of some steps. Without the luxury of a flexible deadline, this was a risk we had to take!

We organised the work so that the translation and typesetting work were carried out simultaneously, one document at a time, to maximise throughput. The printing set-up (booking the machines, generating of proofs, etc.) was based on the English material to avoid having to wait for the Italian to become available. Although not ideal, this was essential to ensure a seamless process. Organisation, forward-thinking and contingency planning were essential throughout.

Results

There were a few complications along the way, that nearly derailed things.

• It soon became apparent that we had been given outdated copies of the brochures to translate. We had to rapidly re-tool to work on the current versions mid-process. We were able to transfer most of the existing translations over and reuse them, so very little time was lost.
• Many of the high-resolution graphics used in the English files were not available, so could not be reproduced in the Italian copies. Without the high-resolution images, the printed quality of these images would have been inadequate. In the end, we were able to reproduce them from the resources available to us, in a way that satisfied everyone.

Outcome

We managed to translate, print and ship the brochures to Spencer within the deadline. We agreed that the best solution was to ship the material to the UK, and Spencer could then take them with him to Italy (they were packaged small enough to take as extra baggage). This avoided any delays resulting from international shipping.

Regardless of how tight time constraints are, we always follow full quality control procedures. This was the case for this project  – we ensured the customer reviewed the translated copies, and PDF proofs of the pre-print material.

Conclusion

The work was completed just in time and gave Spencer everything he needed for the exhibition he was attending in Italy.

Customer testimonial

“I recently presented Tectrans with a difficult challenge to translate a number of technical brochures from English to Italian with a very tight deadline for completion. Our new Italian distributor had a last minute opportunity to present our products at a trade show which was an opportunity I certainly did not want to miss. I presented this challenge to Tectrans who accepted. Throughout the process the communication from Tectrans was excellent, making sure updates were provided on the status and progress was being made. Tectrans delivered both digital and printed versions of the brochures within the challenging timeframe, with very positive feedback received from our Italian distributor on the translations provided.”

Spencer Wills  |  Commercial Business Director – Europe

For any help with your translation projects, please feel free to contact Tectrans on + 44(0)1273 426921 for a no-obligation chat.