One of the languages that Novoterm recently added to its repertoire is Korean. It is a difficult task – the process of finding translators and proofreaders, and then testing them to make sure that they come up to Novoterm´s standards, takes approximately three months.
Novoterm´s approach has proven highly successful. Despite tough times, the business is doing very well and the number of customers is steadily increasing. One explanation could be that, in times like these, it is more important than ever to ensure that information is correct. Another reason could be that the customers have previously worked with several translation suppliers and now wish to reduce that number. This results in fewer translation companies sharing a larger workload.
”We have our price standards and we stick to them”, says Peter Thyberger, founder and marketing manager of Novoterm. “What matters is the quality. We know that, and so do our customers.”
When a new customer shows an interest in translations at Novoterm, the project manager gathers information about that specific company – "just as lawyers do their research", says Peter Thyberger. This includes annual reports, websites and other things that are important in order to really understand the customer's style and method of communication. Meetings are also scheduled with the company´s representatives. The translators are then selected. Before allocating an assignment, the project manager firstly goes through the material carefully so he or she is able to provide instructions. Only then can the translation work begin.
What commonly happens is that a translation company acts purely as an intermediary service between the customer and the translator, with the result reflecting the translator's view of what the text should look like. “We do things differently”, says Peter Thyberger. “We proceed entirely on the basis of how each specific customer communicates.”
The requirement for the translator to be resident in their native country helps to ensure that the language flows well. If someone has lived abroad for some time, it is easy to lose parts of the language, even though he or she officially speaks the language.
“For example, we translate a lot of fashion texts”, says Peter Thyberger. “This means that the text has to include a bit of "street language". This is difficult if you are not actually there hearing it on a daily basis.”
Once the translation is complete, it is examined in detail - down to the last comma.
“Dealing with words is like being a detective”, says Peter Thyberger. He argues that, when he started the business in 1995, he was not very familiar with each particular language, but more interested in the meaning of words and the importance of getting the wording right in order for the information to really reach the recipient.
It was this starting point that led to Novoterm´s quality policy. On the question of how this is expressed in practice, he replies that all employees of the company – including the translators – should be able to go home at the end of each day proud and happy about what they have accomplished.
“This means never ever being careless and not giving up until the result is really, really good”, says Peter Thyberger.
For more information and contactNovoterm Translation AB
Sankt Eriksterrassen 72 B
112 34 STOCKHOLM
Tel +46 8 211719
Fax +46 8 218801
info@novoterm.se
www.novoterm.se