CASE STUDY #1
Major project
Translating a technical training program comprised of six courses
Initial project details
- Expected total of 75,000 words
- Some 15 Word files plus several PowerPoint presentations
- Most files already 80% final
- Remaining files 40% final
- All final files to be sent to the agency 10 days later
- Few updates subsequently expected
- Seven-day turnaround time requested
- Same delivery date for all files
- Initial use of course material slated for 7 days after translations received
- Based on above details, 100% of project is urgent, requiring rush fees due to high volume and tight deadline
Assessment results
- 25% similar or identical content found across documents
- Several thousand words of comments intended for trainers only and not requiring translation
- Actual number of words to translate = 50,000 rather than 75,000
- Agency suggests starting translation of 80% final files in 2 days rather than 10
- By starting translation in 2 days, the agency has an extra 8 days to work on most files
- For 40% final files, agency recommends staggered deliveries over 10 days rather than 7 and guarantees formatted, ready-to-use material
Benefits
- No rush fees—and in fact no charge at all—for the 25,000 repeated words
- No rush fees for most files (80% final), with translation starting sooner and turnaround time extended by 8 days
- No rush fees for up to half of remaining files (40% final), with staggered deliveries over 10 days rather than 7
- Rush rate applies only to the few files requiring urgent translation and any emergency updates
- Total project costs 40% to 50% lower than initial projections
