Medical Translation Insight

It seems like a day can't go buy when we don't hear a drug or device client tell us that their mandate is to "do more with less".

"Less" usually refers to resources - dollars and people. "More" often means faster turnaround times with ever-growing language sets.

Unfortunately, when it comes to language translations, few managers explain what is meant by this. "Doing more with less" is really just management speak for "don't complain about your workload - you should be happy that you still have a job".

Translation managers at pharmaceutical and medical device companies are left to their own devices to streamline and rationalize their processes. There is some low-hanging fruit, like prepping source text by eliminating untranslatable content and improving multilingual layouts, but largely, translation managers are left scratching their heads.

Luckily, help is available. Prepare to Translate: Tips for Faster, Easier, Cheaper Localization provides actionable suggestions on how medical device and biopharmaceutical companies can streamline authoring, translation, and publication efforts.

ForeignExchange's Sandra LaBrasca gives lots of real-world examples in the areas of:

• terminology glossaries
• style guides
• simplifying and consolidating source content
• internationalizing source materials
• use of translation tools

It's easy to claim that these items provide savings. But Sandra's ROI calculator proves that spending $1 on preparation saves $3 on translation management.

This session is highly recommended for any translation manager who wants to learn about state-of-the-art approaches to reduce their translation budgets while publishing more content faster.

The following resources provide additional information on how drug and device companies can streamline their translation efforts:

• Controlled authoring for faster, better, less expensive translations
• 3 steps to successful translation management
• How to assemble an effective localization kit

ForeignExchange Translations provides specialized translation services for regulatory, clinical, marketing, and training groups at drug and device companies. Ask us for a detailed proposal on your next translation assignment.