We must constantly rethink what our translation services companies bring to the world, both generally and professionally. The hyper-fast pace of change, especially technological, sometimes makes us wonder if we are adding the most value to a client’s operation right now. How much value are we going to add within 5 or 10 years, if we keep doing the same thing we do now? What do we need to learn and change?
Recently I was thinking back to when I started Varendi Translation in the late 1980s. We were knowledgeable professionals with stacks of dictionaries and reference books. We also had a landline in case we needed to ‘google’ something—i.e., call a friend for help with terminology. Our main mission was to convert texts (medical, legal, financial) from one language to another language. We saw our mission as providing translation services. That’s what we thought, at least.
Translation Evolution Journey
Computers were just becoming affordable and gradually replacing the typewriters. There was no Internet as it is today, and we had to print our translations with dot-matrix printers. I remember having to wait for hours for some translations to print. Clients loved the layout!
Translation companies intensively use technology today. By changing client expectations, technology has forced changes in turnaround time, quality, processed volume, and cost. These are changes related to form rather than substance: how we can deliver faster, how much we can lower the price, what tools we can use to improve terminology consistency, and so on.
The Purpose of Translation Companies
What about the purpose? With all the evolution in mechanics and technology, the main purpose of a car maker is helping the buyer to go from one place to the other, still after all these decades. With drones and intelligent weapons, we can’t say we don’t need soldiers any longer. Their tools and training have evolved, the bar has been raised, but the purpose is still the same.
Now, the main purpose of a translation company is… well, guess what? Helping the client convert texts from one language to another so that they can penetrate otherwise unreachable markets. Faster, better, cheaper, adapting cultural aspects, offering advice, measuring quality, and a ton of new requirements. Still, we are the ones who help clients globalize without the risks brought by language. Looking back to the 1990s, I see that, with fewer tools, we were doing the same thing. That purpose will remain at the heart of what we do. It’s the what, not the how.
About Varendi
Since 1989, Varendi has specialized in technical and certified translations across English, Spanish, and Portuguese (Brazil). With a focus on process quality and legal compliance, Varendi supports their clients with accurate technical translations delivered on time.
