Lacrosse case study
Scope of work: English -> French translation and proof reading of the French version
Project volume: 372 pages for translation + 176 pages for proof reading
Type of translation: financial translation, legal translation
Duration: 7 weeks
In January 2021, our client – a global branding agency responsible for the multilingual communication of its clients – invited us to collaborate on a translation project.
The project entrusted to us involved the translation from English into French and proofreading of the annual report of a French listed company , which was ultimately to be published in print.
How to plan the work and build the team?
In the initial phase of the project, we focused on defining the client’s expectations and developing appropriate processes. At this stage, we learned that the client’s priorities were to make the translation terminologically consistent with last year’s report and to submit the text in parts so that the graphic designers could start their work as soon as possible.
Once we had set our priorities, we presented the client with the solutions we felt were most beneficial to them and began our search for suitable contractors for the project.
The final team consisted of French translators and an experienced project manager. The translators were native French speakers, experienced in financial and legal translation. The main role of the project manager was to communicate with the translation team, prepare text files and keep an eye on the agreed work schedule.
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Project volume
7 weeks
Duration
financial | legal
Type of translation
English → French
Scope of work
Schedules, communication and technology
Knowing what our client cares about most, we were able to plan the project work accordingly. One of the challenges was to design the activities so as to also take into account the deadlines of the client’s external partners (financiers, graphic designers, printers). This area was entrusted to a seasoned project manager, who controlled the timetable for the submission of subsequent chapters. He also monitored the progress of the report on the client side, which helped ensure a smooth translation process.
The second priority was terminological consistency, hence the immediate decision to use CAT tools (computer-assisted translation) and the translation memory (TM) already developed for the previous report. Based on the bilingual version of last year’s report, we developed ‘glossaries’ of terms that served as instructions for the translators. By creating these guidelines, we were able to ensure that elements such as industry terminology, the notation of numbers and dates or the translation of proper names remained consistent throughout the client’s investor communication.
The effects of our cooperation
Although we were not involved in the translation of previous versions of the report, we ensured stylistic and terminological consistency in the document. As a result, it can be successfully used in shaping the company’s professional image. The report is a source of valuable information about the client’s activities and is an excellent tool in the company’s marketing and sales communication.
The use of CAT tools has also allowed us to translate large volumes of text in a short space of time and ensure that our client meets deadlines.
