Main Content

Developing High Performing
Localization Teams

Instructor: Andrew Draheim

09:00 - 17:00 : Monday, December 8, 2008

Overview

If you answer ‘yes’ to one or more of the following questions, this workshop is for you. Tired of dealing with a different project manager every four months? Got beaten up by your country offices over poor translation quality? Cannot deliver on time to meet the next release date? Finance department on your back to lower localization cost? Lack recognition, funding and support form senior management? Everyone around you wants localization services fast, cheaper and better?

The bad news is, you are not alone. Almost every manager in translation, localization and globalization deals with at least one of those issues at any given time. The good news is, you can get the situation under control. You can even create raving fans among your executives, peers, staff, vendors and clients.

This workshop will equip you with the knowledge and tools to achieve just that. You will take a look behind the scenes of what really happens on the vendor side. You will understand why

  • Dedicated project management teams are rare
  • Qualified translators are hard to find
  • Quality standards set your standards low
  • Internal reviewers bring cost up and quality down
  • Management only cares when things go wrong

Equipped with these new insights you will learn how to address these challenges effectively by taking pro-active steps to build a high performing localization team. You will learn how to:

  • Get the most out of your vendor in terms of quality, value and service
  • Optimize vendor management to reduce total localization cost
  • Increase acceptance of localized material from country offices or internal clients
  • Create performance standards that help meet or exceed your company’s revenue and profit targets
  • Break down overall company goals into meaningful key performance indicators for jobs and functions
  • Partner for success with management, peers, staff, vendors and clients

Who will benefit from this workshop and why?

This workshop is geared towards anyone in a management function in globalization/localization departments, from department head to team lead and project manager who get their work done through internal or external resources. In particular, users of language services will benefit from the approach to partnering with vendors. Participants typically have one of the following or similar job titles:

  • Chief, Translation Section
  • Communications Manager
  • Coordinator Translation Services
  • Director Localization
  • Director of Web Globalization
  • Director, Translation Services
  • Globalization Manager
  • Head of Translation Division
  • Localization Manager
  • Localization Program Manager
  • Localization Team Lead
  • Manager - Globalization Program
  • Senior Localization Manager
  • Translation Manager

Agenda

09:00 - 09:30 Welcome and Introduction

  • Who's who?
  • Participant expectations
  • Workshop overview

09:30 - 10:15 Understanding the mechanics behind your vendors’ P&L statement

This unit analyses a typical profit & loss statement of language service providers and what it means for you in terms of:

  • Availability and cost for translation vendors
  • Long term commitment of project managers
  • Quality of service from all production partners
  • You ability to deliver on time, on budget, on quality targets

10:15 - 10:45 Coffee Break

10:45 - 12:00 Partnering for Success

This unit continues the analysis of a typical profit & loss statement and sets the basics assumptions for effectively addressing resulting challenges. It helps you to set the stage for high performing localization teams through:

  • Understanding the situation
  • Supporting your own company’s goals and vision
  • Matching operational capacity with your needs
  • Engaging your supportive environment

12:00 - 13:00 Lunch

13:00 - 15:00 Linking localization programs to revenue and profit goals

This unit focuses on your own work program by:

  • Defining key goals relevant to your management
  • Developing key performance indicators for your team
  • Implementing performance standards with production partners

15:00 - 15:15 Coffee Break

15:15 - 16:50 Managing your boss, your staff, your vendors

This unit puts it all together and provides you with tools to effectively communicate your goals, manage performance and achieve desired localization team effectiveness by:

  • Finding agreements on goals, roles and responsibilities
  • Monitoring and reporting progress
  • Implementing continuous improvement action
  • Communicating and celebrating success

16:50 - 17:00 Wrap-up and adjourn

About Andrew Draheim

Andrew Draheim is founder and principal of KIDD & DRAHEIM, a boutique consulting firm that provides strategic and tactical solutions for operations, globalization, marketing and business development.

Andrew develops high performing operations that meet or exceed desired profit margins, deadlines and quality targets. Leveraging two decades of implementing proven tools and methodologies, Andrew turns knowledge workers into high performing company assets. He understands that localization professionals are not paid to work 9-to-5 but to be more productive. Andrew has celebrated success in leading global organizations, such as Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group (Scientific American, The Macmillan Group, and many others), Berlitz GlobalNet (now Lionbridge), The World Bank, Merrill, and thebigword.

Andrew completed the implementation of five localization hubs in developing countries for the World Bank. He implemented and managed one of the world’s largest Global Translation Management System (GTMS) installations. He is co-author of the Best Practice Guide To Implementing Global Content Management Systems (CMS) published by the Localization Industry Standard Association (LISA). Andrew has also served as Managing Director for Central & Eastern Europe for Berlitz GlobalNet and Managing Director of HEP, the electronic publishing arm of the Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group that includes Scientific American, Henry Holt, St. Martin’s Press, Farrar Straus and Giroux, as well as Handelsblatt.

Andrew is a featured speaker, facilitator and participant at many high profile industry events, such as Inter-Agency Meeting on Language Arrangements, Documentation and Publications of the UN network and the European Commission (IAMLAPD), Inter-Agency Language Roundtable of the US government (ILR), Digital Economy Forum of the Robert H. Smith School of Business, Vendor Conference of the World Bank, IMF and Inter-American Development Bank, and ProZ translator conference. He also presents at events organized by Localization Industry Standards Association (LISA), Gilbane Content Management, International Quality and Productivity Center (IQPC), Globalization and Localization Association (GALA), Translation User Automation Society (TAUS), and others.

About LISA Workshops

LISA Workshops make use of presenters with real-world experience in the subjects they teach about. Workshops do not pitch any products or services, but instead provide a general overview with candid and practical evaluations of tools and products that impact your business.