Growing Past EN 15038 – What Your Translation Firm Should Incorporate to Compete

By Karen Sampson

Now that translation standards have been strengthened through EN 15038, passing the competition can mean maintaining other levels of professionalism.
So your firm has received the coveted EN 15038 denoting the fact that they have a high quality of service and proven practices to offer translation services. Is that enough to make you a real competitor in the market place? Well, the answer is maybe. Competition will always continue to grow and that growth can weed out those who aren’t willing to go the extra mile for their clients. Here are some things new clients are looking for that you may want to consider as well.

Specialization
It’s no secret that clients with significantly unique or specialized documents are looking for professionals to do the translation who have knowledge in that field. Does your firm know its place in the market, have they researched the field to know where the gaps in specialization lie? It’s one thing to have specialized translators who know engineering inside and out, but if the marketplace is full of translating engineers you may be shooting yourself in the foot to add them to your repertoire.
Knowing where the new gaps are means the difference between being the first one called or getting left behind in the dust. Got some room to grow? If you’re a large firm you may want to consider developing an entire department to constantly focus on new fields of specialization that require your talents. Whether it is entertainment law or molecular cellular biology, the paradigm is always shifting and those shifts open gaps that you could be the first to fill.

Native Speakers
Without meaning to ostracize those who have learned the art as a second language, let’s look at a serious concern of more and more clients today: Do you employ native speakers? In today’s market it is almost impossible to do high level work without them. Subtle customary idiosyncrasies can take lifetimes to learn and that’s why you should consider this point a positive requirement for future hires.
It can save you from embarrassment or it could save you from bankruptcy. Does that mean you should fire most of your non-native born staff and start anew? Certainly not. But it may mean that you need to reevaluate your arsenal and confirm that everyone you employ is filling a position best suited to their capabilities. If not, some tweaking may be in order.

Easily Overlooked: Software
It can be easy to overlook but are you sending out documents that your clients can read in the current format of software? Follow this simple rule if you are unsure: Always err on the side of the latest update. That means if there is a newer version of software available you will want to obtain it and put it into effect. Although many companies are using older versions that are updated electronically to match configurations of the newer versions, the last thing your company wants to be labeled as is ‘out of style.’
This post was contributed by Karen Sampson, who writes about degrees in art and humanities. She welcomes your feedback at Karen.Sampson1120@ gmail.com
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