Benefits of Long Term Relationships Between a Medical Products Manufacturer and an Expert Medical Translation Services Provider

In many instances, it takes an average of 3-5 months, with a number of medical translation projects within that time, to quickly achieve the top of the learning curve between medical manufacturers and medical translation service providers. Long term client and medical translation service provider relationships can improve the cost and time frame of translation project, and can also improve the intangible elements of a business relationship.

The medical translation agency working with a client over several projects begin to see ways to make improvements. These improvements include the following:

• The medical translation service provider is often able to guide the client toward optimal services after experience with several projects. For example, a client may not need in-country review services after several projects with fewer and fewer changes requested. On projects which require revisions only, a medical translation service provider may remind a client to include a supplementary document that they may have forgotten.
• The regular linguistic team for a client will strive to maintain consistency in terminology as well as style. They often recall problems and solutions that have arisen in the past. For example, if there are two ways to translate a term, the linguist may recall that one version was preferred by the client. This is usually confirmed by use of the translation memory databases, but not always.
• With regular translation work from the same client, linguists feel a sense of loyalty to the client, and will often deliver early or find further cost reduction strategies for specific project budget needs.
• The medical translation service provider understands the client’s preferred communication method (email, phone) and general availability for a more efficient sharing of information.

Medical translation services are strategic services which require time and effort from both the client and the medical translation service provider to ensure the work is done accurately and efficiently. A partnership developed through a long term relationship promotes smooth running projects, improved cost benefits and delivery over time.