A scalable translation solution with technology and a human touch

B2B International is a leading provider of business-to-business (B2B) market research, offering a wide range of research services. Each project is typically tailored to the specific objectives of the client, including some of the world’s largest B2B organizations.

As a part of the Merkle B2B group of agencies, the B2B International team have access to some of the best B2B capabilities available, across data, performance media, creative and brand transformation, allowing the delivery of fully integrated solutions.

Committed to providing the highest service to their clients, B2B International understands that the effective and timely delivery of multilingual market research across international markets requires a combination of high-quality localization expertise, extremely competent project management and efficient delivery processes. When localizing market research content for global markets, accuracy in words, terminology and language are critical.

To ensure that the topics, intent and questions involved in any research project are crystal clear and will resonate and feel relevant to the target respondent, it’s important to incorporate any appropriate cultural nuances and local terminology into the translation process.

Accordingly, B2B International concluded that they needed a Language Service Provider that was more than just a commodity supplier. They were looking for an effective business partner who could scale with them and support their business operations.

After a rigorous process, RWS was selected to support medium to largescale localization services, spanning 45 languages and hundreds of research projects.

“I never dreamed it would be possible to do work in some of the languages we work in today, like Tagalog and Swahili,” says Simon Brett, Senior Quality and Compliance Manager, “but as our needs expanded, we needed a partner that was able to scale and grow with us.”

To automate localization projects and to provide visibility across the team, a user-friendly portal utilizing RWS Trados Enterprise was deployed. This provides B2B International with a quick and easy way to upload files for localization and to select appropriate deadlines with options for faster turnaround times.

With instant quotes and delivery timeline options available online, B2B International can approve and initiate projects quickly and easily, receiving email and online notifications when the work is completed and translated files are available for download.

Translations for all relevant projects are saved in translation memories, creating an effective way to leverage content for future work, maintaining quality and reducing future translation costs.

In the case where survey responses are collected, machine translation is used to instantly translate the multilingual responses and understand the results.

To manage localization projects efficiently, a dedicated, one-on-one point of contact is available for anyone in B2B International who needs localization and provides expert advice to help ensure that projects are completed on time and to the right quality level.

For Simon, a highlight of the partnership with RWS is working with his dedicated project manager, who provides consistent, proactive and responsive service.

“The portal is great for generating word counts and receiving instant confirmation that the deadline works well,” says Simon. “But I also like a human touch. I appreciate that our PM collaborates with me to confirm if a timeline is possible and gives me options. If something is delayed, she gives me a pre-emptive heads up so I can let our internal stakeholders know.”

Simon feels that B2B International’s partnership with RWS has helped prepare them for whatever the future brings.

“There may always be new markets coming with new languages – you never know when that’s going to happen,” Simon says. “That’s when you need a strong global partner who can grow with you.”

To set up a future-proofed localization program, Simon advises that doing your due diligence is important. He recommends evaluating providers against both current and future requirements, selecting a partner that has the capability to scale, has the technological capability to provide a TMS (Translation Management System) portal for automation and efficiency, and has the skills and experience to provide solid advice on creating efficient processes. Project teams that offer experienced people with good communication skills are important differentiators.

“Although I wasn’t convinced that we needed a new partner at the time, I’m really glad we work with RWS,” Simon says. “It’s a great service and I can’t see why we’d go anywhere else.”

• 45 language pairs provided
• 47% cost reduction via the use of translation memories
• Over 870 projects completed