A Leading Japanese Manufacturing Company

Ulatus Empowers Market Leader in Mechatronic Systems with 45% Faster SOP Translations for China Expansion

Client Testimonial

Ulatus proved indispensable in tackling our challenges, delivering precise and comprehensible solutions for complex technical translations, expedited projects, and intricate schematics, ensuring the success of our initiatives

Project Summary

Case Study on translation for A Leading Japanese Manufacturing Company
  • Language Pair: Japanese to Simplified Chinese
  • Specialization: Industrial safety documents
  • Document Type: Standard Operational Procedures (SOPs)
  • Volume: 934852 characters
  • Service: Translation + Translation Check

About the company, what were their requirements and why?

Our client primarily engages in manufacturing and selling products associated with three distinct business segments: packaging plant operations, mechatronics system solutions, and agricultural equipment. This involves a specialization in developing and marketing a variety of products and services within these domains. Each of these business segments represents a specific niche within the client's overall operations, highlighting their diversified portfolio and expertise across various industries.
The client was in search of a translation partner capable of translating their Standard Operational Procedures (SOPs) for their various Mechatronic systems. This undertaking demanded a deep understanding of the client's business operations, including the intricacies of various operational processes, the functioning of all systems involved, and the industry-specific terminology used in mechanical and industrial translation. Translating Japanese SOPs into Simplified Chinese presented a formidable challenge, given the complexity of both languages. Furthermore, the client's SOPs were not just documents; they were intricate works, with stringent formatting requirements, reminiscent of meticulously crafted masterpieces that needed to be preserved across more than 200 official documents.

Challenges we overcame during the project

Needing top-notch quality that meets established international intergovernmental criteria

Taking into account the client's intergovernmental organization affiliation, the requirement for flawless interpretation was an absolute necessity. The importance of accurately conveying the messages and maintaining the integrity of communication was paramount. As a result, our primary goal was to meticulously identify and engage interpreters who not only possessed exceptional linguistic skills but also demonstrated a profound understanding of the subject matter and context. We aimed to assemble a team of interpreters who could consistently deliver precise and nuanced interpretations, ensuring effective and seamless communication between all parties involved. Our dedication to sourcing interpreters of the highest possible standard reflected our commitment to upholding the client's expectations and facilitating successful intergovernmental engagements.

Navigating the Technical Complexity: Translating Standard Operational Procedures for Mechatronic Systems

The translation of Standard Operational Procedures (SOPs) for Mechatronic systems proved to be a significant challenge, primarily because of the profound technical complexity and the extensive use of specialized jargon within the field. Mechatronics involves a sophisticated blend of mechanical, electronic, and software engineering, making the accurate translation of technical terms and concepts a formidable undertaking. This necessitated a thorough understanding of these specialized terms to ensure precise and easily comprehensible translations.

Accelerating the Fast Track to Chinese Market Expansion: Strategies for Success in a Growing Economy

The client's request centered on the urgent publication of the Chinese Standard Operational Procedures (SOPs), which necessitated a expedited translation process. This tight schedule was driven by the client's significant market expansion into China and their concurrent need to swiftly provide the translated SOPs for training new Chinese-speaking staff. This would ensure a smooth and efficient assimilation of company procedures by the new workforce.

Drawing the Line: Translating SOP Schematics

When considering the translation of SOPs, it became apparent that they contained numerous schematics used to offer a graphical explanation of the system's components, processes, and interactions. These diagrams needed to be translated while preserving their formatting without causing clutter or compromising readability. Moreover, these system illustrations frequently included technical terms and abbreviations that lacked direct equivalents in the target language, necessitating careful adaptation.

Solution provided by Ulatus to client

Leveraging Linguistic Teams, Glossaries, and Quality Assurance

Given the substantial scale, language pair and the constrained timeframe of the project , it became apparent that the deployment of a specialized translation team well-versed in the intricacies of Mechatronic systems was imperative. This entailed the meticulous selection of expert linguists and reviewers through a rigorous screening process, emphasizing their profound comprehension of both the subject matter and the profound technical intricacies involved. The entire linguistic team diligently curated a comprehensive glossary, which served as a reference across all project documents, ensuring terminological consistency. To further enhance efficiency and maintain uniformity, Computer-Aided Translation (CAT) tools were harnessed during the translation process. A stringent quality assurance protocol was implemented subsequent to the translation of each document, leaving no room for overarching discrepancies or inaccuracies.

Achieving a 45% Expedited Project Delivery

Given that the client needed the translation faster, it was essential to create a project schedule that outlined all project stakeholders and deadlines. Jira was effectively employed for overall project timeline management, ensuring that the entire project, encompassing over 200 documents, adhered to the specified deadline. Furthermore, we strategically prioritized select critical documents, required by the client ahead of the initial deadline. This strategic prioritization enabled us to complete the project 45% ahead of the originally projected time.

Localizing Schematics in SOPs with InDesign Expertise

Translating schematics within SOPs proved challenging, as it demanded a profound grasp of system operations. Ensuring the precise preservation of formatting in these system diagrams was a top priority. To address this, our specialized Desktop Publishing (DTP) Team took on the task of upholding the original format while guaranteeing that textual elements didn't compromise clarity. This meticulous process involved the methodical processing of InDesign files, individually, by our skilled in-house DTP Team, leaving no room for errors and delivering Chinese-localized schematics ready for use.

Accomplishments

  • Delivering the project 45% ahead of the standard completion time, we successfully met all customer requirements, including the accurate translation of technical terms and maintaining formatting consistency throughout the document.
  • Our ability to customize solutions to align with client's distinctive requirements has been pivotal in fostering strong, lasting relationships based on trust and adaptability.

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