One of our oldest clients, Ultradent is constantly translating instructions and product inserts in 19 different languages. USTC was able to help solve many organizational and budgeting problems when Ultradent transferred their language translation projects to us.
USTC has formed a long-term bond with the employees at their organization and treat each and every project as an opportunity to help Ultradent grow and expand according to their goals.This case study highlights the unforeseen value that using a professional translation company to help expand international business can bring.
Client Background
Established in 1979 by a new dentist driven to revolutionize the industry with the advancement and improvement of tools and products, Ultradent has grown to be an internationally respected organization and produces and sells over 500 materials, devices and instruments to support the dental industry.
Project Description
We translate product instruction inserts for Dentists and Patients. The products consisted of the materials, devices and instruments. We have also supported Ultradent's legal department with contract translation services.
Languages
Various Ultradent projects involve 19 different Languages, many of which are for the European Union to satisfy the CE Requirements for import and sale. Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, and Turkish are all needed.
Timeline
Most large projects are due within one to two weeks; smaller projects are due within 2-4 days.
Report
As Ultradent stepped into the international arena, it relied on foreign distributors exclusively to provide the multilingual documentation required for import. Although the distributors knew the industry well and were immediately cost effective, several challenges began to surface.
The first issue was timing. When using distributors, it would take up to 44 weeks per instruction booklet to be translated and go through the quality control and revision process before final approval. Unfortunately, this time lapse caused their entire process to slow down or even cease because of the import/export and CE Marking language requirements. While Ultradent had many materials, devices and instruments to introduce to the European market, they were bound by the timing of their distributors.
The second issue was with the budget. When using distributors, the cost of translation services was generally less than outsourcing, however, there was not a consistent price schedule. This made budgeting and planning quite difficult.
The third issue was with distributor management. Although Ultradent has a great relationship with their distributors for sales, managing each distributor on a separate basis for the translation process became a logistical nightmare. Because each distributor was working on a separate time schedule, with a separate budget and different requirements, Ultradent was spending precious management time trying to maintain control and consistency in these areas.
The fourth issue was with product quality. Because Ultradent's distributors are in their field selling the products on a daily basis, they know what their consumers want in terms of language and instruction. However, they are often too busy to complete the translations according to appropriate time, budget and quality standards. Additionally, because each distributor was in charge of his or her translation services, there was no certificate of translation accuracy available.
When Ultradent reached out to U.S. Translation Company with the issues and challenges they faced, UST answered back with a plan of action to speed up their processes, manage their budget, reduce their management time and ensure product quality and consistency.
The first issue with timing was resolved when U.S. Translation Company set up a guaranteed time line for projects based on word count. A process that once took up to 44 weeks,had been trimmed down to two weeks or less for most large projects and within days for smaller projects. This quick turn-around enabled Ultradent to put out more products on the international market more efficiently, providing them a more rapid return on investment with product development.
The second issue with budget was resolved when U.S. Translation Company set up a standard contract with fixed pricing for each language on a per word basis. Although outsourcing created an increase in expense initially; the peace of mind of knowing that translation services are done professionally and correctly is worth the cost! Ultradent also found that their costs are actually more stable because they now have a fixed rate schedule for every language and they are able to manage their budgets more effectively. Additionally, the increase in initial cost was, and continues to be made up in the increased revenues with longer times on market due to a more rapid introduction to the markets.
The third issue with distributor management was resolved by outsourcing all translation services to U.S. Translation Company. Having all languages in process at once has been extremely beneficial to Ultradent's staff. Whereas in the past, Ultradent would have four languages back, while waiting on 15 others, they can now guarantee all languages back on-time or early. This has decreased the need for so much coordination and management. Ultradent knows they can rely on the professional services of UST.
The fourth issue with product quality was resolved by using qualified experts atU.S. Translation Company. Because all of USTC's linguists are highly qualified and educated, Ultradent rests easy knowing that their documents are being translated with the greatest of accuracy. Additionally, to satisfy the CE requirements, USTC provides Certificates of Accuracy in translation for all 19 languages on all files with the final submission.
