by

Carmen

The importance of communication cannot be overemphasized. Most people will agree that communication is the lifeline in any relationship.

We should be certain that the right vendors are selected for the job. Then, \\”lay out the rules\\” and \\”communicate with your employees.\\” This sage counsel is particularly applicable for communication with clients and vendors.

Surely, whenever one deals with clients or vendors, it is critically important to maintain effective communication. Consequently, let us focus first on communication with the client.

As soon as contact is made by a client, it is vital to open lines of communication which will help assure clear understanding and assessment of the client\\’s needs. In an effort to do so and determine what services are being requested, the appropriate questions should be asked. The following are some among the many potential questions:

What are the client\\’s objectives?

Are there any technical or other special knowledge requirements?

Is localization a factor, or is a general, universal language appropriate?

Is there a deadline?

Are there any special formatting or graphic design considerations?

Will there be client review?

Clearly, having the answers to these and other relevant questions will contribute to the creation of an understanding–agreement–between

translation

vendor, which we will here assume to be a translation agency, and client and an effective workflow that will be an essential factor in the project\\’s eventual success.

Effective communication is particularly crucial in cases of major clients with large projects that must be translated into multiple languages, or smaller projects into a single target language. It is important to recognize that sometimes an agency may actually receive contradictory information from the different contacts involved in the project. Be it as it may, it would be most helpful if the agency could have the client identify the primary contact. That contact must be fully empowered to speak for the client. There cannot be multiple voices for the agency to deal with. All doubts, requests for clarifications, technical and localization issues must be addressed to this person.

At the start of any project it is imperative to confirm to the client in writing the specifications as soon as possible. If there are areas that are unclear, these should be delineated. For instance, if a client submits a request to have a translation done into French, it must be clarified whether it is for France, Canada, Africa, or other nations or regions–or all of the above. The same would apply if the client requests a translation into Chinese. One cannot assume that the client needs the document using simplified characters, adopted in the PRC, because the client may need the document for Taiwan, where the traditional script is used.

Communication with the client should be concise and clear. In addition, whenever questions or issues arise, suggestions on how to resolve them should be provided for the client. The agency should also be available to respond to any queries or concerns that the client may have. Similarly, it may also be necessary for the Project Manager (PM) to provide guidance to the client when handling client reviews.

Communication between the client and the PM should not be a one-sided affair. Both parties need to effectively convey what they expect and need from each other to ensure the success of the project.

The agency should provide its vendors such as individual translators, editors, or DTP persons with all the relevant project instructions and details, in writing, via email.

From the onset, vendors should be given a concise description of the project with the word count and the precise task that they are being asked to perform, given the fact that some vendors may offer multiple services.

It is also vital to include the target

language

, since some vendors work with different languages. Nothing should be assumed.

Vendors must be informed of the deadline. Be sure to include the date, hour and corresponding time zone. By giving the detailed deadline, the agency will avoid confusion. Avoiding confusion saves valuable time, energy, and money.

Aunes Oversettelser AS has been in the business for 26 years, and we are specialized in technical translations. We are specializing in the Nordic languages, and can offer services into Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Icelandic. The premier translation agency for Norway and the Nordic region! Technical translation services for businesses in the Nordic countries and translation agencies world-wide.

Aunes Oversettelser AS

has been in the business for 26 years, and we are specialized in technical translations. We are specializing in the Nordic languages, and can offer services into Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Icelandic. The premier translation agency for Norway and the Nordic region! Technical translation services for businesses in the Nordic countries and translation agencies world wide.

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