Interpreters and Translators, Inc.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

United Rentals is the largest construction rental company in the world. We operate in the continental U.S., Alaska, and all of Canada. We also have an academy for safety training. I’m the safety communications manager for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Interpreters and Translators?

We produce video copy, newsletters, toolbox topic boards, and PowerPoint discussion guides. We needed help translating everything into French Canadian and Spanish and improving our turnaround times for our weekly and monthly content.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We produce all our content in English and then hand each piece off to them to translate. We have to coordinate with our graphics team, so they usually get translations back to us within two days to help us meet our weekly deadlines.

They work a large volume of work for us and always keep us on schedule. They coordinate everything on their end each week and send us cost estimates. They help eliminate any guesswork with their projections.

What is the team composition?

We have a principal point of contact and an account manager that we interact with directly. We can also write to their main mailbox.

How did you come to work with Interpreters and Translators?

They were in place when I joined the company. They’re very consistent, even through a personnel change. I can depend on that consistency and enjoy working with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

I joined the company three years ago and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They’re a well-oiled machine and completely invaluable to us. They do a fantastic job of interfacing with our other vendors with very little intervention on my part. I always receive compliments on their work and I wouldn’t be able to meet my deadlines without their help. I’ve worked with them for over three years and completely trust them. I can count on them to meet all my expectations and I wouldn’t work with anyone else.

How did Interpreters and Translators perform from a project management standpoint?

They check in with me regularly and respond to my emails within minutes. I rarely have to pick up the phone but feel like I could if the need ever arose.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a small, boutique atmosphere and offer a personal level of service, as if I were their only client. I feel like we’re friends. They always finish estimates ahead of time and are quick to deliver their translations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they should improve. They’re terrific to work with and I can’t think of a single negative thing they’ve done in the three years we’ve worked together.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Find out what they can provide for you. They have capabilities to translate videos and other media and may be able to do more for you than you might imagine.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the sales support manager at Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, a division of Lockheed Martin. My role is to assist our sales representatives deployed in Africa, Turkey, Europe, and the Middle East with international sales.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Interpreters and Translators, Inc.?

We had a multimillion-dollar sales opportunity with a client who spoke little English. We needed an interpreter to help us overcome the language barrier during the meeting, and we also needed someone to translate the business documents before the meeting.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a mix of business documents, business letters, helicopter configurations, technical document, responses to requests for information, and presentations that needed translation before the meeting. We organized the materials and forwarded the files to their team. When they completed the conversions, they emailed a link for us to the copies. Altogether, they translated at least 12 documents and slide presentations that averaged 30 to 36 slides, or 12 pages.

We only had two days to work with the translator before the meeting, but they managed to do a spectacular job. The translator went beyond parroting our words and read the customer’s body language to get a sense if they comprehend the interpretation. If anything needed clarity, they expressed the information in different ways until the message was understood.

What is the team composition?

We had two points of contact; one coordinated the document translations and one managed the interpreting services.

How did you come to work with Interpreters & Translators, Inc.?

I researched our legal department’s foreign language resources and discovered that they were using Interpreters and Translators. If they were trusted to handle our company’s sensitive legal material, they would be suitable for our project. It’s also convenient that their multilingual staff reside in the U.S., as our company isn’t allowed to share technical documents with individuals outside of the country.  

We’re particular about who represents our company, so they allowed us to interview their translators and review their résumés. The translator that we chose was highly-qualified and had a background in legal, aviation, manufacturing.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent roughly $6,000 on translating all of the documents, but we haven’t received an invoice for the interpreter. They charged per document and sent separate invoices for each file completed.

What is the status of this engagement?

They worked with us from May 3, 2018, to the day of our meeting on May 21, 2018. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

It takes a lot of time interpreting information and translating the message for two parties, so we were quite nervous about how the meeting interpreter would perform. Fortunately, the interpreter did an excellent job representing our company and expressing our ideas accurately. The meeting was exceedingly productive, and we couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

How did Interpreters and Translators, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

We gave them a mountain of documents to translate, and they converted the files swiftly. Their workflow was immaculate, and they provided frequent status updates along the way. Due to the short timeframe of the project, we kept daily contact via phone and email up until the day of the meeting.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Interpreters and Translators proved that our satisfaction was their top priority with every interaction. We never had to reach out to them for information because they informed us of every detail throughout the project. Their vice president even took the time to call us and make sure that we had everything that we needed. I couldn't be happier with the results of our partnership. Their collaborative spirit made my job easier.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Communication was the key to our success with Interpreters and Translators. We gave them a comprehensive scope and timeframe, and they delivered accordingly. They went above and beyond to ensure our success.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The more details they have about your project, the more successful they will be in performing their tasks. Interpreters and Translators offer frequent and transparent communication, so provide them the same courtesy for a worthwhile engagement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the supervisor of corporate communications at Barnes Group Inc, a global provider of highly engineered products, differentiated industrial technologies, and innovative solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Interpreters and Translators, Inc.?

We needed a new partner to take over our translations business.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our SVP of Human Resources met Diana (VP, Sales & People Operations, Interpreters and Translators, Inc.) at a conference.

Describe the project in detail and what their cost structure looked like.

Interpreters and Translators, Inc. provides translation services for several of our global communications (e.g., CEO communications, quarterly presentations, scholarship program materials). They translate English into Simplified Chinese, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, and Korean for our worldwide employees. They work with us to establish an annual routine project contract to cover projects that we need translated on a monthly, quarterly, and yearly basis. All additional projects are "one-off" payments.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How would you describe/assess the quality of their work?

The quality of their work is excellent and they deliver top-notch service. In the rare occasion that I encounter an issue with formatting or one of our employees informs me of translation error, they revise their work and add any revisions to their translation database for future use.

What impressed you about their services?

All of the employees at Interpreters and Translators, Inc. are professional, friendly, and eager to provide us with the best product.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can't think of any at this time. They are a wonderful vendor and we’re happy to partner with them.