Case Studies
See how Tilde Language Services has helped clients achieve success.
Commercial client wins contract based on translation of RFP
The Challenge
What happens when you need a large document translated at the last minute? A private American company became aware of an open RFP from South America late on a Thursday evening. Responses were due in just two weeks, and the sales team needed to begin preparing their proposal as soon as possible in order to submit the required documents in time. They scanned through the 50-page RFP but only one of the three sales team members spoke Spanish, the language in which it was written. One salesman copied the text and put it through Google Translate, hoping to get enough gist of the document’s meaning to be able to understand what the client’s requirements were. No dice; the Spanish-speaking salesman laughed at the inconsistencies and oddities of the machine-translated legal and technical language in the requirements document. This surely wouldn’t work, but if they didn’t get their hands on an English version of the RFP soon, it would be too late, and the company would miss out on a $100,000 opportunity.
The bilingual salesman offered to take the document home and begin translating it on his own time, but after just two hours of crawling through the long text and becoming frustrated with formatting issues, he calculated how long the translation would take at the rate he was working: 40 hours! He couldn’t possibly replace all his other work time with this translation, and even if he gave up every evening for a week, he wouldn’t get it done in time. It was time to call in the experts.
The Solution
The client contacted Tilde Language Services on Friday morning needing this large RFP translated by the following Tuesday. We put together a team of trusted colleagues to help translate the large file quickly and effectively, while maintaining a glossary of terms so the translation would be consistent in terminology. We shared a running commentary on troublesome terminology and questions about the text, and managed to deliver a final, formatted, complete translation with two hours to spare.
The Results
The company submitted their bid for the project, and six months later the client sent us a new letter to translate. It was the confirmation of awarding the bid to our client! “I am writing to notify you that Administrative Resolution […] has awarded the bid to your company.” We can be proud of our work when the client wins big. Congratulations!
Legal client’s successful merger dependent on proper translation
The Challenge
A large shipping company based in Asia acquired a much smaller, but significant, logistics enterprise in South America. The merger was processed and operations were ongoing, but the parent company was required to provide English versions of the subsidiary’s bylaws and articles of incorporation to prove their company name, date of formation, corporate purpose, and other relevant information to the customs authorities they interact with worldwide.
The parent company asked their subsidiary for copies in English, but the small company only had the original Spanish version of the files. It would be critical to obtain an accurate, professionally-translated copy of the file from an ATA-certified translator as soon as possible. Here’s the catch: the authorities our client was working were requiring a certification from a notary public or attorney attesting to the translator’s qualifications. Since notaries operate differently in different parts of the world, this was a unique request and the client was desperate for a solution.
The Solution
The shipping company knew just where to start: the American Translators Association directory of translators. Using the proper filters, they found Tilde Language Services met all their requirements: ATA-certified, Spanish to English translation with a specialization in logistics and transportation. The perfect match! Our team of translators was even able to satisfy the client’s need for an attestation of translation credentials by bringing onboard a local notary public who is also a translator. The shipper checked their requirements carefully and passed all relevant information on to the translation team so we could be sure to provide a translation that met all their needs.
The Results
In the end, the parent company was satisfied and able to confirm all the necessary paperwork with the customs authorities despite a rigorous process involving many stakeholders. A win for our clients is a win for Tilde Language Services!
Teacher earns higher salary after translations of academic records prove his credentials
The Challenge
A client came to Tilde Language Services to request translation of a copy of his university degrees from Barcelona, showing that he had completed his master’s degree several years prior. The client had requested a copy of the paperwork from his university months ago and followed up many times seeking the paperwork he needed. Finally, paperwork in hand, he needed an English version to submit to his employer in the U.S. As a Spanish teacher in the public school system, having a master’s degree entitled him to a higher pay grade than he was currently receiving but he needed to prove he had completed the degree. He was losing hard-earned money with every day that passed.
The Solution
Tilde’s team got right to the task of translating the client’s academic records quickly and accurately. We began with a translation step, followed by editing by a second linguist, and then validation to ensure accuracy and completion. The final translation we delivered to the client included clean formatting to match the source file and a signed certification of accuracy with the translator’s ATA certification seal.
The Results
The client’s response to our delivery was almost immediate. “I’ve waited, as you can see, a year to have these documents and I’m losing money for every day that passes. I appreciate your assistance immensely.” Another client well served!
Criminal case rests on translation of phone call recordings
The Challenge
A district attorney’s office came to Tilde Language Services about some recordings they had of a defendant’s phone calls for an upcoming criminal case. They felt the files would be useful in their prosecution, but the speakers on the calls alternated between Spanish and English. The court would require the DA to submit a written record of the full conversation in English, as well as a copy of the original transcript in Spanish and English. The Spanish-speaking staff in the office were able to understand the calls from their working knowledge of Spanish, but didn’t have experience creating a court-ready transcript-translation to be submitted as evidence.
The Solution
The DA asked Tilde Language Services to create a written transcript of the conversation as it occurred (in both Spanish and English) as well as a side-by-side translation of the full conversation in English. This would be accompanied by timestamps at the appropriate intervals, as well as line numbers so that the prosecutors and court would be able to indicate specific statements from the phone calls to be used as evidence.
The Results
Using the deliverable provided by Tilde Language Services, the prosecutor was able to present the transcript to the court. During the trial, he referenced exact lines from the phone call using the line number from the transcript and the timestamp from the recording to make his case.
HR department expands candidate pool through translation of employee materials
The Challenge
A Lancaster company approached Tilde Language Services about assisting with translation of its employee handbook, application, and other human resources materials into Spanish in order to begin hiring candidates with limited English proficiency. The company had had hiring difficulties in the past because their pool of candidates was limited and their only way of communicating with Spanish-speaking applicants was through current bilingual employees. The company recognized that while their bilingual employees were helpful in a pinch, they could not be expected to provide high-quality translation services on a regular basis. They needed an impartial third party solution that could offer quick turnaround for the long documents they needed translated, as well as maintaining a database of translations for future leveraging.
The Solution
Tilde held a discovery phone call with the company’s Human Resources department to better understand their needs. We discussed language variants, maintaining consistency over multiple files and multiple revisions of the same file, and the added challenge of having English-speaking staff be able to read and understand applicants’ submissions in English as well. Tilde provided application forms that contain both Spanish and English text, and began a database to preserve all translations provided to the company for future reference.
The Results
The bilingual application forms we provided were a huge hit; the company’s Spanish-speaking and English-speaking staff alike can use just one document to exchange critical information, and no one needs to worry about being misunderstood. All new hires are supplied employee manual and training materials in their native language, ensuring that they have a complete understanding of the benefits, expectations, and rules applicable to them on the job. This helps to keep both the employees and their HR representatives happy and safe!
Let’s Start Your Translation Project
It’s simple; reach out here when you have a language services need or want to discuss your options. We’ll be happy to provide a quote and turnaround time. Let us know of any special concerns regarding confidentiality, deadlines, and language variants.