Die Rangliste basiert auf der Forbes sowie Dun & Bradstreet-Analyse der Finanzposition für die einzelnen Unternehmen, einschließlich deren jährlicher Gewinne, der Nettoerträge, des Anlagevermögens, der Investitionen sowie des Wachstums des Marktanteils. Diese Auflistung berücksichtigt ebenfalls den Umfang, in dem diese Unternehmen den Handel mit neu eröffneten internationalen Märkten steigerten, und ob sie EU-Fonds nutzten. All diese Parameter werden dann kombiniert, um bestimmen zu können, in welchem Grad sie den Nettovermögenswert eines Unternehmens erhöht haben. Argos Translations hat seine Position in dieser prestigeträchtigen Auflistung erhalten, weil wir uns sehr stark auf unsere Kerndienstleistungen professionelle Übersetzungen, die Innovation sowie die Kostenkontrolle konzentriert haben.

Requirements:

• University degree in linguistics
• Perfect knowledge of two of the following languages: German, French, Spanish, Italian
• Command of English will be considered a plus
• Experience in translation and proofreading work will be considered a plus
• Meticulousness
• Excellent computer skills (MS Office)

Form of settlement: agreement for pieces of; 3-month training period in our office followed by working in our office or remotely (as preferred).

Interested job applicants are welcome to send their CV and cover letter to:
korektor@argostranslations.com. Please include the code: QA in the e-mail subject line.

Please include the following statement: “I hereby authorize you to process my personal data included in my job application for the needs of this and future recruitment processes at ARGOS COMPANY Ltd. Sp. z o.o., ul. Mogilska 100, 31-546 Kraków, Poland (in accordance with the Personnel Protection Act of 29.08.1997 no. 133 position 883).”

No, it doesn’t start with an „S” or an „F” and there is no „Q” in it. This word in our industry is ‘cena’ and it is the Polish word for„price”. Translation prices is exactly what we’ll be examining here. Price is usually, as anyone and everyone knows, the defining factor for customers on whether to purchase, and the defining factor for producers on how to target their products to the client base.

What horrible secrets about Eastern European translation pricing will be revealed in this article? Probably nothing too revolutionary. Hopefully this article will expose some common sense responses to issues with pricing, and probably address several universal problems shared by all translation companies and localization service providers in the rest of the world.

1. ROI – ‘Don’t bother localizing if you can’t make a profit’

There is plenty of talk about localization ROI and how it affects pricing. The decision of whether it pays to localize something before you decide to enter a market sounds obvious. Why then do we see companies complaining about localization costs in the context of their ROI?

The underlying issue here is that companies are complaining about their products’ lack of competitiveness. It happens, there’s no shame in that. No matter how you slice it, it comes down to money. And if there is not enough demand backed by money for a product, then localization, in the eyes of management, doesn’t seem to pay off. If an application is designed for Eastern European end users, then it either has to be relatively inexpensive or should be tailored to a specific niche market where lower sales volumes give an acceptable return. The Eastern European software market will not usually generate huge sales based on its size alone anyway.

As such, localization decisions are often put on a back burner, and investment decisions are based on poor information about the market. The result - a company finds itself in Eastern Europe before it has properly estimated sales potential. Then, normal business processes come into play; managers are pressed to make a profit, and we see the localization problem handed over to the local distributor.

All of a sudden, a company that specializes in software distribution is responsible for the software publisher’s image and quality in the local market. Local distributors are often very small, with little infrastructure, inadequate resources and small translation budgets (coming out of their own small pockets). Nonetheless, localization responsibility for the product is suddenly literarily dumped upon them. This imposes additional problems on the distributors not only associated with added incurred translation costs, but also the problem with answering questions such as: ‘how to localize’, ‘what agency to hire’, ‘how to go about adapting the product to this region’…

It all boils down to one simple fact, distributors usually lack the experience in localization, and that lack of experience will further result in declining sales numbers and added costs.

Software publishers fool themselves into thinking that it is so much in the distributor’s interest to do a great job localizing the product (ergo, the distributor will have an easier time selling the product) that they, themselves, don’t need to worry about it. However, distributors usually don’t understand the complex issues connected with localization. Even if a distributor does recognize what’s involved, the „simple, low-value added service” attitude toward localization services prevails. The real world consequences are poor-quality localization and serious harm to the software publisher’s image and brand.

2. What’s going on among the bigger buyers of translation/localization services?

What are the organizational structures of larger buyers of localization services, and how do they affect the price of translation? It seems as if Microsoft is getting its act together by limiting the number of vendors and giving the remaining more work. IBM and Oracle also seem to be well-organized in this respect. Unfortunately, there are other large buyers of translation and localization services that have not addressed the issue of centralizing or streamlining costs.

It is quite remarkable how some large buyers deal with this problem. Our translation company, Argos Translations, works with one particular client directly through two different offices and indirectly through three other localization companies. Of course, we are paid different rates, negotiated completely independently with each of these channels. And now the punch line: the rates we receive working through one localization company are 50% higher than what we receive working directly for the client. So where are the client savings? Where is the streamlining? What about consistent terminology? The value of working through a limited number of MLVs is understandable, but what is the point of doing it a little this way and a little that way?

How the biggest clients deal with their translation and localization is only one issue. Another question is how far these companies are willing to go to lower localization costs. Last year, our company was in negotiations with a very large global company to take over a large portion of their Slovak localization work. I am not going to name any names here, but suffice it to say that this is one of the elite, with over $50 billion in annual global sales. Since this was a large, long-term client, and there were significant volumes involved (mostly documentation), we decided to quote this client the extraordinary attractive localization / translation price (at that time) of Euro 0.12 per source word.

The company got back in touch with us to tell us that they really liked our experience and wanted to choose us, but they had an issue: price. We asked whether it was a question of 1 or 2 Euro cents, and they made it clear that the price would have to be „significantly” lower. It was obvious that we weren’t even close to their price expectations. They were looking for Euro 0.07-0.08! How is it possible that the rates being paid by this particular global giant were so low? How does this reflect upon our industry?The only answer I can offer is that such clients receive low translation prices at the expense of similarly low level of quality that they obtain.

3. Quality: does anybody really care?

I was recently dozing through a translation conference as one of the speakers, a professor of linguistics, was discussing the ethical importance of a high-quality translation. I was suddenly jolted awake by a statement he made along the lines of „it is the translation vendor’s ethical responsibility to ensure the highest-quality translation.” When question time arrived, I duly asked what we should do if our client does not give us enough time to do the job in an „ethically responsible” manner. The gentleman told me that it was our moral responsibility to ask for more time.

As good and applicable as his reasoning is, unfortunately it almost never applies in the real world. I tried to imagine the response that I’d receive if I were to call my client and suggest, „Listen, I know this is a 1.2 million-word project, but you really should have met your development schedule. And I know that your priority was to ship FIGS first, but this was delayed. And now, on top of all that, you want us to use this outdated TM software because this is what your previous version was in, yet the TM database we have received is full of inconsistencies that need to be removed before we start translating the new version. What it really comes down to is that we are only going to have time to do the translation and have it reviewed independently TWICE. This won’t be enough to maintain our ethical language standards.”

Unfortunately, the truth is (maybe I shouldn’t be saying this too loudly) that our business is full of concessions. It is a humorous concept, really, when you take into consideration that we are supposed to offer incredibly high-quality, incredibly fast turnaround times at incredibly low rates. Obviously, something has to give here, and I believe that the way localization services providers handle this contradiction is by diminishing the definition of excellence in our industry.

The best companies in our industry are the ones that have the best systems in place to provide the highest quality possible while trying to maintain costs at a level that does not hinder such quality, according to „real world” business conditions. Otherwise, we’re all familiar with the concept of ‘garbage in, garbage out’. It is that simple, really.

4. So, how does all of this affect price?

Well, simple logic follows that the software publishers and the larger buyers of translation and localization services are in control of the prices themselves. They will define the localization and translation prices simply by deciding what level of quality they are willing to accept and pay for. Unfortunately, this sets up an inverse relationship between price and quality. In the end, though you can find a wide range of prices, the choice which localization company you go with will be your own. And even though price might be the defining factor, just remember, you get what you pay for.

5. The truth about Eastern Europe(GRAFIKA)Cost per World in EURO

What About Profit?

Just because a company is based in Eastern Europe doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have serious costs. We all know that you can’t get Trados or SDLX any cheaper in Poland or the Czech Republic than in the West. Every computer has to have an operating system and other basic software as well, all of that costs too. The top staff needed to run a professional localization company doesn’t come that cheaply either.

If we look at these figures in Western European terms, Euro 0.05-0.06 for infrastructure and fixed costs is quite a bargain, but that is still far from zero, as some requests for quotes would seem to imply. If we add to this the linguistic costs, which include professionally trained and tested translators, reviewers and specialists/consultants, the cost per word for translation goes up to between Euro 0.09-0.11. Remember that this is the COST to the company.

These rates are fine if we assume that professional localization companies will continue to operate in this industry without making any real money. However, let’s not kid ourselves. Neither are we, nor our clients, nor our clients’ clients, in business to come out even. Unfortunately, the prices for Eastern European translations generally hover around the level of Euro 0.09-0.11 (when working directly with Eastern European companies). The truth is that nobody is operating a business with the intention of losing money, so something has to give, and something does give.

So, taking the above into effect, how do all these translation/localization agencies stay in business, stay profitable and make money? There are two routes to making a profit at these translation price levels in the short term:

1. El Cheapo: Of course you can get the one-off translation that is good and cheap, but try getting it day-in, day-out. If you were to come to a country such as Poland and open the phone book, you would find that companies are charging as little as Euro 0.03 per word for translation. These are real companies, and they are somehow operating, paying rent . . . even advertising in the telephone book. I invite all the skeptics to see for themselves. This is real. Agencies such as these will find the rates mentioned above to be extremely profitable. I am not going to even start to discourage anyone to use such services. However, I will continue to stand by my prior statement, i.e., „you get what you pay for.”
2. Higher volumes: This is the model we follow, and we are profitable. You need to have a high enough volume to lower your fixed costs.With higher volumes,you can hire better people full-time, including very high-quality, in-house translators, and you can offer better customer service. However, you must have the work day-in day-out, that is the key. Of course, the profitability will not be as high as with the „El Cheapo” model, but at least the business makes sense. It keeps running. Most importantly, it doesn’t cut down on quality.

6. Price dumping: a reality in Eastern Europe

„Dumping” is actually not the right word here since it implies that a company might be acting strategically to drive other companies out of the market. This is not the case with the Eastern European translation market. The reason why companies find it economically viable to offer such cheap translation services is that there is a market for it. The market is internal, and it is a result of the attitude toward translation in these countries.

We joke that we are „garbage men” (to be politically correct we should say „waste disposal specialists”). But we really are treated as such. This is a non-value added service that almost ‘anyone can do’. What do most people, when choosing their garbage company, base their decision on? All together now: price. Same case applies here. „Make my problem go away, and the cheaper the better.

The prices that are paid in public tenders are a good indicator of the state of the market in Eastern Europe. We don’t compete for public tenders at all because the prices are just ridiculous. I was reviewing the results of such tenders in Poland in 2002, and the price that won on average was Euro 0.03 per source word. This is often for tens of thousands of pages of work. Companies work at these rates and neglect the concept of quality and standards altogether.

„You get what you pay for.”

7. The light at the end of the tunnel

There may be some individuals who will not be pleased that I have revealed our „dirty little secret” here in Eastern Europe regarding the true translation prices available on the market. Possibly, there will be some readers who are encouraged by the news that you can get „even cheaper” translation services. I am totally confident that this will change in the future. The numbers are real, but they can’t last forever. Something has to give, and quality standards will be victorious in the end.

We are still in a period of transition in Eastern Europe, so it will just be a matter of time before the market sets itself straight. No company is going to stay in business by offering low-quality services over a long period of time. The time of quick and easy money in this business is coming to an end. The more fingers that are burned with these ultra-cheap translations, the faster the market will get to where it should be.

Prices in Eastern Europe will eventually increase. Translation prices in some higher cost countries will fall. It is just a matter of time before the prices all over the world will even out, and agencies will have to turn to their abandoned competitive advantage: quality. Once Western companies understand that Eastern European companies can offer the same level of service, or better, than their EU and US counterparts, we will see a real level playing field when it comes to translation pricing.

Consequently, until the four-letter word of pricing is addressed, though, there will be a number of other four-letter words that may be applied to the quality of localizations being done, such as, „This localization is a load of XXXX, what a XXXX up!”

About the Author

Kevin Fountoukidis was born in New York City. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Immediately upon graduation in 1992, in search of new experiences he moved to Eastern Europe. He soon founded Argos Translations in 1996 and presently is its managing director and the company’s largest shareholder. The company has become one of the market leaders in providing Eastern European translation and localization services, all in the short span of just six years. Kevin has resided permanently in Poland since 1993. He can be reached through sales@argostranslations.com.

Wenn Sie ein professionelles Übersetzungsunternehmen für die Durchführung Ihrer Lokalisierungsprojekte suchen, kontaktieren Sie Argos Translations noch heute und fordern Sie ein unverbindliches Angebot an.
Oder werfen Sie einen Blick auf unsere weiteren Projektkurzbeschreibungen.

Polish immigration into the UK

Prior to the accession of Poland, among others countries, into the EU, the British government estimated immigration from the newly acceded countries at somewhere between 5,000 and 13,000 people per year. This was based on low historical migration rates and a government assumption that ‘even in the worst case scenario, migration to the UK as a result of the Eastern enlargement of the EU is not likely to be overly large’.

Just over two years later and the UK’s population is swelling at the fastest rate recorded in forty years and has recently topped the 60 million mark. Much of this has been credited to the bus, plane and boatloads of young, hungry Eastern Europeans arriving seeking employment, and with it a chance of a new start in a land of increased opportunity, or the funds to kick start businesses or property purchases back home otherwise beyond their means. How many are there exactly in the UK? It depends who you ask and who you believe. Officially, around half a million Eastern Europeans were officially registered to work as of Summer 2006. If, however, you believe highly-respected Polish publication Polityka’s estimate that 1 million people have moved to the UK from Poland alone and combine this with the popular belief that between half and two thirds of the Eastern-Bloc immigrants are from Poland, the overall number of migrants from Eastern-bloc countries could theoretically be over 1.5 million. Perhaps the only truth that can be deducted from this plethora of statistics and estimates is that the true number will likely never be known due to the government and official authority’s inability to obtain reliable data.

Depending on where you stand, this phenomenal wave of immigration is either a death knell for British values and the tradition of the blue-collar British worker, or a powerful boost to the British economy while others in Europe stagnate. While industries in other EU countries have been limited in their attempts to expand by an unavailability of high quality, reasonably-priced labour, many UK industries have been able to fuel their expansion and advances with hard working Poles, Slovaks, Lithuanians and Czechs. Regardless of the government’s decision on allowing potentially high numbers of similarly-minded Bulgarians and Romanians join the UK workforce, Britain’s ethnically diverse make-up has been irreversibly altered.

Poles Packing A Consumer Punch

It’s not just industry that is feeling the effect – Eastern Europeans, armed with higher wages and previously unheard of disposable incomes are rapidly learning to exercise their purchasing power while firms, though initially slow to react, are now scrambling to peddle their goods to this new, vibrant sector of the British population. It’s not just businesses in London that are drooling at the prospect of a whole new demographic group to market to, the pursuit of the Polish pound is spreading to Nottingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh with surely many more to follow now that national chains are targeting this new market.

With good reason too – demographic studies of those that have entered the UK reveal that over three quarters of immigrants fall into the 18-34 age bracket. The popular estimate is that the average age of the Polish immigrant is 28. Following natural migration trends, the large majority of these are single, with fewer responsibilities, resulting in an increased disposable income and a greater tendency to participate in the consumer culture that has been behind Britain’s economic growth over the past few years, at a time when most of Europe has been desperately trying to rein in escalating unemployment and avoid economic stagnation. Exactly how much are Eastern European immigrants contributing to the UK economy? Trusted think tank, the Centre for Economics and Business Research calculates that the average Polish migrant worker earns L20,000 per year, of which L6,000–7,000 is disposable income. With exact numbers of immigrants being unknown, the CEBR estimates spending power for this immigrant group to be somewhere between L3.5 and L4 billion.

Doug McWilliams, chief executive of the CEBR, remarks:

It’s basically been like adding the consumer demand of Liverpool to the economy in just two years. These people work hard, often 10-hour days, six days a week, so they certainly do have considerable spending power.

They do indeed have spending power – spending power that businesses interested in potential new markets would be wise not to ignore.

The potential for increases in the immigrant worker class’ spending power and consumer demand appears to be almost unlimited and those expecting slowdowns in the near future might well do better than to hold their breath. While on other fronts increased immigration is a controversial topic, economically the British government can have little cause for complaint. Eastern Europeans have plugged holes in sectors short of labour, helping to keep inflation down, and in the relatively liberal open-market economy of the UK, the extra labour has been an easily absorbed asset. The minimal effect being had on unemployment as a result of immigration in the UK has disproved the theory that there are a finite number of jobs in the labour market and that the immigrant’s gain is the Brits’ loss. Though registered unemployment has crept up recently the government argues that this is not due to the economy failing to create jobs. Indeed, the number of job vacancies remain high and the overall job market continues to expand. From an economic point of view, the fact remains that while almost all immigrant workers in the UK have found full-time employment, the non-migrant unemployment rate has remained steady – proving that immigrants are helping to fuel economic growth rather than undercut British workers in the labour market and steal their jobs.

Whether it be reduced costs and waiting times for housing repairs in London as a result of Polish plumbers and builders or new additions to the high street as a result of Polish demand for imported goods, many towns and cities are coming to appreciate the addition of yet another flavour to the bubbling concoction that is multi-ethnic Britain. Government and big business certainly appreciate the benefits brought by this dynamic new demographic group. According to the Ernst & Young Item Club, Polish and other Eastern European immigrants are having a positive economic impact by making the UK workforce ‘younger, more flexible and economical, easing the pensions burden and keeping interest rates lower’. This not only helps to keep mortgages down but has also been responsible for boosting what was an otherwise waning buy-to-let market. The influx of workers needing instant accommodation has resulted in massive increases in cash advances being given for buy-to-let purchases with, in some company cases, figures doubling between 2005 and 2006. With so many economic positives, the trend for Eastern European migrants seeking work in the UK is unlikely to slow any time soon. At least, if the UK’s biggest businesses have their way, the trend will certainly continue. Key members of the Business for New Europe Group which includes Sainsbury’s, Centrica and Merrill Lynch, have recently made clear their thoughts on the matter by pushing for maintaining the open door policy for EU immigrants and arguing that such a policy is in the best interests of British and economic growth. With government seemingly loathe to stunt economic growth and the support of big business, expect the immigrant population to continue to rise, especially with Romanians and Bulgarians soon to be added to the mix.

This means that the L3.5–L4 billion added to consumer spending as a result of migrant workers could literally be just the beginning; from 1st of January 2007, the double taxation of Polish workers no longer applies, further increasing the disposable income available to Polish workers in the UK. Up until this time, workers paid taxes on their UK incomes only to receive further demands from the Polish Inland Revenue – effectively meaning a double taxation or, as some had labeled it, an unjust ‘Pole Tax’. Under the new system, Poles will pay tax in the UK only on that income earned while in the UK. For those splitting time between the UK and Poland, Poles will pay tax in Poland only on that income earned in Poland. The estimation of L3.5–L4 billion of consumer spending power was made during 2006 meaning that the abolition of double taxation will free up even more disposable income, especially in those sectors of the migrant population on the lowest wages.

Profiling The Polish Purchaser

Among opinions canvassed among Polish immigrants in the UK, long-term intentions are mixed. Many have taken up similar positions to those held back home, skilled or unskilled, but now on considerably higher wages and intend to make the UK their new home. Meanwhile, others have, for the short-term at least, abandoned or put on the backburner, long-term goals in the hope of earning as much as possible, regardless of position as a means of realising long-held dreams further down the line. This perhaps explains the oft-seen phenomenon of highly skilled economists working night shifts at the local supermarket. It is believed that some 70% of Poles in the UK are graduates and, while it is true that the majority are currently in low or unskilled jobs, it is inconceivable to think that this highly skilled class of immigrants will not, with time, ascend into the ranks of the skilled workforce. Inevitably this will be accompanied by wage increases and with the importance of brand loyalty and creating lifelong customers, there has never been a more apt moment to ‘go Polish’.

While it is true that Poles and Eastern Europeans, on arrival, generally tend to live in shared accommodation in conditions considerably less than luxurious, the common conception that wages earned by these immigrant groups in the UK are sent straight home is being disproved by actual figures. Western Union claims that while 60% of Poles working in the UK do wire transfer money home, many do not and, as is natural for young, responsibility-free singles, most are much keener on experiencing the delights of the consumer heaven that is British life – that means spending those hard earned pennies. Indeed, while there are more and more Polish goods and brands rearing their heads in British corner shops and super markets, there is a sense of pride and exclusivity in bringing British brands back to Poland or donning the best British labels whether it be on the streets of London or Lublin.

Whether they be holiday workers or those in England ‘for the long haul’, both groups provide intriguing and mouth-watering opportunities for UK firms. A quick flick through the pages of Cooltura, the UK’s leading Polish-language publication, reveals a myriad of money transfer firms, firms offering cheap call cards to Poland, agencies offering to, for a fee, provide assistance in obtaining national insurance numbers and access to benefits, and travel companies promising the best route home. Many of these firms act as intermediaries, capitalising on the immigrant’s unfamiliarity with UK procedures and the English language to provide straight forward services at a premium rate – they do not provide services otherwise unattainable directly to anyone residing in the UK but make themselves appealing to Eastern Europeans in the UK by targeting them directly. Adopting the native language of the immigrant removes the uncertainty and potential barriers experienced by newcomers and, perhaps most importantly, make the client feel important and valued. After all, its much easier to trust the familiar than the unfamiliar – never more so than when arriving in alien surroundings where culture, customs and practices aren’t like those back home. Who would you trust your money with – a company that doesn’t speak your language and who you don’t fully understand, or the company that takes the time and effort to cater to your needs and who you feel comfortable with? A spokesman for a high profile advertising firm in the UK confirmed this viewpoint.

This community is growing at a rapid rate and, like other ethnic communities, it will be important to speak to them via their own media, something that clients now appreciate.

This is the penny that is finally dropping with British firms. Where small firms and corner-shops have led the way, the giants that are the national companies are sitting up and taking note. Of late, larger companies from both Poland and the UK are acting – Cooltura has recently grown to 100 pages, largely due to increased demand for advertising space. Small firms are now being joined by big-hitters such as LOT (Polish Airlines), Pizza Hut, Virgin Atlantic and Ocado. The same is holding true in Dublin where the Evening Herald now includes a 12-page supplement in Polish every Friday. This too has resulted in considerably increased circulation and increased demand for advertising space, most notably among travel related firms and mobile communication service providers.

While choice is not synonymous with many aspects of Eastern-bloc life, this dynamic migrant group of determined, ambitious workers, for the first time is greeted with more options than ever before, even for the most basic of services. While back home, up until fairly recently, access to money transfer facilities, benefits, official papers and even international travel, were severely limited and customer service non-existent, Eastern Europeans intent on working abroad are being greeted with more an more options on arrival in the UK – more and more firms eager for a slice of the migrant-worker pie. Whereas the first immigrants were limited in choice to a single budget airline or coach service, today the options are overwhelming.

Fighting For The Flying Polish Pound

Today, it is almost impossible to take a 15 minute bus or tram ride through Warsaw or Krakow and not see an advert for a special offer from Ryanair, Easyjet or any one of the budget airlines. More recently however, even airlines such as British Airways are targeting the many thousands of people making the short trip from Krakow and Warsaw to London – proof if proof be needed of the ever-increasing importance of the Polish Pound. British Airways is not alone in rushing to take its piece of the pie, with many more airlines, old and new, looking to tap into the growing demand for cheap, convenient travel to and from Poland. Recently Britain’s Jet2 and SkyEurope have joined Centralwings, Ryanair, Easyjet and Wizzair satisfying growing migrant worker communities’ demands by offering flights between Poland and non-traditional regional airports in the UK. However, not all airlines flying to the UK from Eastern Europe have advertising and promotional material available in the native languages of the traveller and, in some cases, ticket booking facilities have yet to be made available in multilingual format.

Is this a concern? Are companies missing out on custom as a result? Only the companies themselves could tell you but, with more and more options available, who would you book your ticket with? Would it be the company marketing to you in your neighbourhood with a marketing campaign that appeals to you, your customs and your sense of humour and values, or would you trust your money with the company who you have to perform an internet search to find, whose ticketing terms and conditions you think you understand but aren’t completely clear? This is the choice for many looking to take the plunge and seek employment abroad. The initial decision and travel can be a daunting experience, as are the first few months in a foreign country. Taking into account the potential spending power of many such travelers, is it not important for your firm to make the process of spending as easy as possible?

Argos Translations canvassed the opinions of a group of Polish citizens currently working in the UK. On average, Poles employed in permanent positions in the UK planned on average just over three visits back to Poland per year. In addition it was found that, though price had previously been the most important consideration, as the canvassed group became more and more familiar with the location of cities, airports and their place of work/residence as well as having more disposable income, price, though still important, became less important as the emphasis on convenience increased. In addition, most were found to have strong preferences for who they travelled with and, in most cases, only prohibitive price changes or seat unavailability would lead to a change in choice. This is a clear indication of brand loyalty and familiarity but where has this come from? It is no surprise to see that those that fly to and from Poland most frequently and are constantly increasing their routes are also those that are most visible in streets, trams, buses and magazines – a sure sign that tailored advertising and localization services and promotions lead to increased custom.

Piggy Banking The Polish Pound

One of the most lucrative and increasingly targeted sectors of the immigrant market is that of banking. After all, once the ticket is bought and the job secured, the obvious question to follow is where to put that hard-earned cash. UK banks, small and large alike, have realised the huge amount of income being earned by Eastern Europeans and are now scrambling to embrace this ever-growing demographic, with some going as far as Poland to court the prospective client. Poles have been identified as a major growth area in the banking industry and the sector’s leaders are amongst the most imaginative of British firms in courting this new income stream. Barclays, HSBC and Lloyds TSB have all been active in catering to arriving Poles, by employing Polish-speaking staff. While this was initially to cater to immigrants in London, this is now spreading across the whole country. As banks identify university students as potential lifelong customers and do all they can to obtain their custom, Eastern European immigrants are being seen and targeted in the same way. Barclay’s bank, among the UK’s largest banks, has been among the most pro-active in wooing Poles…

The Polish community in the UK is growing and is a key target audience for us… We’re finding they value expertise on how to bank in the UK which is delivered in their own language.

This attitude and commitment to securing the custom and loyalty of immigrant workers was typified in September 2006, at Barclay’s Bank Sports Ground – the venue for the eighth annual Polish Festival. Both Barclay’s and HSBC were there to pedal their wares to in excess of 10,000 visitors. Barclay’s as well as providing the venue, also brought its recruiting hat to the fair – actively searching for the Polish-speaking potential employees that might give the bank the edge over other UK banks. In migrant hotspots, Ealing and Hammersmith, the bank has been providing evening classes aimed at helping staff deal with Poles and other Eastern European immigrants to open accounts. However, opening accounts is just the start of banking life in the UK. The committed and ambitious among the immigrant class will soon look to shed their immigrant tag as they look to put down roots and banks such as Barclays are among the leaders in facilitating this. In South London free seminars are regularly organised to offer Poles advice on how to obtain a mortgage or set up a business in the UK.

HSBC appears to be putting equal emphasis on pursuing the Polish pound. It recently rolled out its latest initiative specifically targeted at immigrant workers – the Passport account. The specially designed current account allows would-be immigrants the opportunity to open an account up to three months prior to arrival in the UK or up to four months afterwards and is sweetened by 10 pounds worth of mobile phone credit provided by the Carphone Warehouse. Though the account has been designed with immigrants of all nationalities in mind, the majority of those signing up will have been Poles. The account offers customers discounted international transfer fees and the added advantage of being able to open the account with foreign identity documents, thus removing perhaps the greatest barrier to banking facilities encountered by immigrants – that of lack of UK-issued papers, proof of income and address and the often intimidating prospect of dealing with such matters on foreign soil.

HSBC will soon be able to benefit from being able to market to Poles both home and abroad, giving it the significant advantage of being able to provide a cross-border solution to workers splitting time between the UK and their home country. With plans to open branches in larger regional cities, including Wroclaw, Katowice and Poznan, the bank hopes this will give it the edge in attracting the business of immigrants and also, by allowing companies the ability to open cross-border accounts thus making international business easier.

Keen not to be left behind in recognising this new dynamic aspect of the UK’s population, Lloyds TSB are making their own plans to keep up with competition.

We regard Polish consumers as a very important target audience, one which is industrious and a key mover in the UK economy… As such, we will be developing a number of programmes which we believe will have appeal and relevance to them.

Indeed in Scotland, the bank has been active in catering to the increasing number of Polish workers and is making banking literature available in Polish and hiring Polish-speaking staff at its Edinburgh branches.

If history is anything to go by, the immigrant class is one that should be courted with special care by banks and other financial institutions. History has taught us that an extraordinarily high number of successful entrepreneurs emerge from immigrant backgrounds and there is nothing to suggest that Eastern European immigration wave of the last few years will be any different. With so many now in the UK, the potential for another Michael Mark, the founder of Marks & Spencers, born in Russia of Polish origin, certainly exists. Entrepreneurs, by their very nature, are bold risk takers and Eastern European immigrants can claim to be both, having abandoned the safety and comforts of their homelands, often with very few possessions, for pastures new. Their ability to identify and exploit business opportunities where native eyes have become blunt and provides another reason why banks, especially those providing help for business start-up, appear keen to curry favour with the UK’s newest demographic.

However, are seminars and Polish-speaking staff enough? Though these are clear steps towards identifying and valuing the immigrant workforce, they are still limited by the availability of such staff and the ability to attend seminars; not such a straightforward issue considering the average Eastern European’s penchant for working 10 hours 6 days a week. It is surprising therefore to see so little official material translated into Eastern European languages and not a single one of the UK’s major banks has, so far, provided a multi-lingual language option for sections of their websites. How much would a multi-lingual webpage or documentation and information packs cost to produce compared to the potential benefits to be reaped from securing a significant slice of immigrant business? Argos Translations specializes in the localisation of websites, software and on-line user guides and has worked with some of the world’s biggest companies in producing Eastern European language websites. Argos Translations intimate knowledge of local business practices, its experience and highly qualified localization and DTP specialists allow the company to provide services consistent with a client’s brand and presentation preferences regardless of language. In fact, by accurately localising online content to the language of their target audience, Argos Translations clients have been able to profit while opening new sales channels and increasing their market share.

Supermarkets Pulling In The Polish Pound

Quick to follow the banks but, for once, not quick enough to beat out the cornershop trade, are the UK’s leading supermarkets. J Sainsbury, Tesco and Asda, the UK’s three largest supermarkets all took the plunge in Autumn 2006 in their attempts to woo the immigrant market. Sainsbury’s stores began their courting of the customer with 32 Polish foods including preserves, marinated peppers, meatballs and cabbage stew, with the promise of more to follow. Tesco’s roll-out range included 45 products including borsch, pickled vegetables and sauerkraut, as well as typical delicacy products such as golabki, flaki, fasolka and the Polish take on goulash. The ethnic project manager for the UK’s leading supermarket, Martin Koyce explained the reasoning behind the new product introduction.

The types of items that Polish people miss the most and that are in greatest demand are comfort foods such as soup, pickled cabbage, and marshmallows covered in chocolate. We’ve had so much demand for Polish foods that we spoke to the Polish community to find out the kinds of things that they missed the most from home… But there is also a big demand from the huge number of people born in Britain of Polish parents who want foods that will remind them of their Polish roots.

Low price specialist Asda, of the Wal-mart group, began its push soon after with a host of jarred and tinned products with plans to follow up with chilled Polish foods and ready meals.

These are three of the largest companies operating in the UK all singling out Polish immigrants as an important market to be targeted. With continuously-increasing disposable income, spending power, not to mention population, is it any wonder that these companies are making Poles a priority? Supermarket advertising and customer communication is notably simple, with the emphasis being on the all important numbers and accompanying pictures – the need for advertising literature and catchy marketing has decreased due to the increasingly price-sensitive nature of the market. Supermarkets are reaching out to Eastern Europeans by providing them with familiar products and, importantly, by showing them that their pounds and pennies are important to them. Being amongst the most competitive of retail environments, any supermarket manager will tell you the importance of securing the custom of one person and the ripple effect this has on securing and maintaining other customers. Not every industry is like supermarket retail but the basic principles are there for all to see. Create an environment in which the prospective client feels comfortable and, providing the product is good, business will follow. For those companies or industries where offering familiar native products and brands is not possible, the onus is to make those brands and products they do sell familiar, recognizable and understandable by the prospective client.

Whether this be explaining the main selling points of a bank account or the advantages of a phone contract, having the details clearly explained in the native language of the client certainly helps in attracting and maintaining new business. Professional translation is crucial to allaying the doubts or fears experienced by non-natives. Contracts, technical documentation and terms and conditions are difficult at the best of times and are obviously likely to pose problems – Why not show your potential client you understand their doubts and fears and demonstrate their value to you by providing information to them in their native language? The cost of translating manuals, contracts and terms and conditions pales in comparison to the potential revenue waiting to be unlocked.

Communicating The Message Home And Away

The potential to benefit from this immigrant population is almost unlimited, especially for those firms operating in both the UK and the immigrant’s home country, whether it be Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia or Lithuania. While it is difficult to ascertain exactly how many immigrants plan to stay in the UK or return home, a significant number falls under the category of ‘boomerang workers’ – those who split their time between the UK and their home country. For those companies operating in both the UK and the migrant’s home country, the ability to benefit is potentially doubled. Firms with recognisable logos and brands are able to benefit from being a face with whom they are familiar from back home, thus making them the likely choice on arrival in the UK. In new, unknown surroundings, the familiar will always be more appealing than the unfamiliar and this is no different for immigrant workers arriving in the UK. Equally, experiences in the UK can provide an opportunity to appeal to the migrant worker and influence their decisions once back on home soil. How often do our holiday or foreign experiences influence our choices on arrival back home? We try something abroad previously unavailable to us at home, whether it be a beer or wine, and develop an affinity to it. When the product becomes available back home, we are instantly familiar with it and are more likely to develop a sense of loyalty to it than we would for an unknown brand or product. Eastern European migrants in the UK experience a similar, albeit extended and more serious in nature, development of cross-border brand familiarity. While difficult to ascertain the exact statistical effect of such crossborder brand recognition, Argos Translations survey of migrant workers proved that, when back in Poland, they now regularly bought brands that they were accustomed to seeing in the UK that they had not previously consumed regularly – an example of the ability to breed cross-border brand loyalty.

Dual-presence firms such as Tesco and Orange lead the way with recognisable, market-leading brands. Tesco, having established itself as the undisputed leader of the UK supermarket sector with an estimated one out of every eight pounds spent in the UK economy being spent in the retail mammoth’s stores, is rapidly expanding its operations all over Eastern Europe. Currently the retail superpower has over 100 stores in Poland alone and a further 150 distributed between Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Certainly the firm’s joint presence in Poland and the UK is helping with employment, with the Polish press littered with job advertisements for work in Britain. For those daunted by the prospect of taking the plunge that is seeking work and a new life abroad, it is surely comforting to know that the employer at the end of the journey is one you know from life at home. Does this apply to customers too? Though Tesco’s devotion to being flexible and the belief that every market is unique and requires a different approach has obviously done nothing but aid the firm’s international aspirations, a safe bet suggests that the familiar red, white and blue sign, the same plastic bags and the same own brand goods, found in the same familiar store layout, has more than just a little do with the company’s resounding success and rampant expansion. Tesco’s emphasis on the belief that building brands enable the building of important lasting relationships with customers is one, that with the added importance of developing global brand recognition, will stand the firm in good stead with regards to capturing a slice of the extra custom generated from Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Similarly, mobile phone service provider giants Orange and o2 have found themselves in prime situations to reap the rewards up for grabs as a result of a migrant worker class adept at shifting residence points several times within a short space of time. Orange announced the transformation of the Idea brand to the internationally-familiar Orange in September 2005 and within one year had cemented its place as Poland’s market leader. Telefonica-owned o2, having entered the Czech and Slovakian markets, soon commenced re-branding of Czech brand, Eurotel and the rollout of the now familiar o2 brand. This involved a huge marketing campaign combining internet, print, television and billboard advertising as well as non-traditional methods such as interactive advertising points at tram and bus stops that allowed users with bluetooth-enabled telephones to download the Leftfield track used in the company’s television advertisement. Though the majority of Eastern Europeans in the UK are from Poland, significant numbers have also arrived from Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The natural assumption, and one backed up by Argos Translations poll of Poles working in the UK suggests that, after arriving safely and finding accommodation, the first priority is to establish a means of communicating with loved ones back home. This explains the plethora of international calling cards being advertised in the pages of Cooltura and also Carphone Warehouse’s urgency to secure its position as exclusive telecommunication sponsor at the eighth annual Polish festival in London in 2006. With over a half a dozen mobile telephone service providers to choose from, being able to rely upon previously-established brand recognition as Orange and o2 are able to do with immigrants arriving in the UK, provides a massive advantage in the race to secure this highly lucrative market share. Naturally this advantage will be doubly effective in the case of ‘boomerang’ migrant workers splitting their time between their home country and the UK. Firms such as Orange, o2 and Tesco, should they be successful in capturing the business in the first place, are in the enviable position of being able to develop a cross-border sense of brand recognition, familiarity and, above all, loyalty. The planned expansion into Poland and the introduction of the innovative Passport scheme means HSBC will soon be able to count itself among the well-positioned few that are able to rely upon the continued custom of migrant workers both at home and in the UK.

TRADE UNIONS HARNESSING POLISH POWER

The well-documented influx of Eastern European immigrants has breathed, much-needed life into British industry and the economy. Blue and white collar workers alike entering Britain have helped to fill skills shortages in a diverse range of industries from accounting and IT to manufacturing, agriculture and catering. Certainly low skill industries have found the solution to shortages of devoted workers willing to work for the minimum wage. Indeed, the enthusiasm and dedication shown by immigrant workers has far exceeded even the wildest of expectations – hence the ever growing number of firms specifically targeting Eastern European workers. This has proved to be a mutually beneficial arrangement with Eastern Europeans earning salaries unattainable back home while big and dynamic businesses have been able to reduce their employment costs and expand without being limited by labour availability. However, less well-documented has been the impact on institutions such as trade unions and the ways in which official and government institutions deal with this new demographic. With many immigrants likely to stay in Britain and establish themselves as full-time, permanent residents, this dynamic, educated, ambitious group presents, and will continue to present many attractive and important possibilities to such organisations. The importance of reaching out and connecting to this group, though important on arrival, continues to gain importance as this group establishes itself in the UK.

Though Britain has a rich history of influential trade unions, the demise of traditional industries and a general shift in attitudes away from unionism has left many organisations lacking the ingredients and appeal needed to stir up new membership. The wave of immigrant workers from Poland and Eastern Europe has and can continue to prove to be a saving light for British labour organisations that have seen their influence wane in recent times.

So what makes Polish workers such a desired target group? Many of the Poles travelling to England in search of manual labour stem from Polish families of unionised manufacturing workers, dock workers, or organised miners, all of whom in many ways inherit the belief in the power, significance and the protection that trade unions offer. This heritage is heavily influenced by the “solidarity” movement of the 1980’s (lest we forget “solidarity”: a Polish labour union capable of bringing the whole communist behemoth to its knees). These workers are not only keen to join British labour organisations, but often bring with them the experience and know-how needed to make organised unions work in the 21st century. With each new immigrant blue-collar worker arriving from Poland and Eastern Europe, British trade unions benefit from an additional, devoted member with a rich tradition of unionism running through their veins.

Trade unions in the health sector have been among the first to embrace Eastern European health workers. Following the recent involvement of Polish workers in the first national strike in the UK’s health services for almost two decades, it was the power and experience of Polish unionists that garnered much of the attention.

With the help of Polish members, the union managed to organise a 24-hour stoppage of the transportation of medical items in protest at a management decision to transfer a L3.5-L4 billion, 1.6 billion contract from the UK to Germany. When asked about the effort and how the union was able to harness the manpower to organise the strike and simultaneously attract the help of Polish members, the answer they provided was simple; they supplied information for their current and potential members in their native tongues. A spokesman for Amicus commented:

The union is used to dealing with workers from foreign countries. It can produce information leaflets in more than 50 languages (and) places advertisements in Polish newspapers and prints recruitment forms, (even going so far as producing) health and safety and other information leaflets in Polish.

Due to an unfamiliarity with current affairs it is understandably difficult to attract the attention of foreign minorities and expect their participation even when a given topic may directly or indirectly impact their working and financial conditions. In fact, without communicating to them in their native language, it’s virtually impossible to enlist a foreigner to your cause even if doing so will directly benefit them. Through the targeting of immigrants directly with multiple leaflets and documents written in their native language, Amicus learned that enlisting immigrants to the union’s ranks was much simpler once it was made clear to them what the benefits of doing so were. In essence, both the trade union and its new members reaped mutual benefits of having translated information that led to enrolment. Since this time, unions in other industries have followed this example with similar success. Unless recruited by the already existing trade unions, it is only a matter of time before immigrants begin to establish their own unions, dedicated to obtaining more favourable regulations. This notion underlines the importance of existing trade unions recognising the individual nationalities of those both already unionised and potential members yet to be unionised and communicating with them accordingly.

Government Gaining From Immigrant Income

Undoubtedly immigration from Eastern Europe has brought its fair share of benefits but just how have polish workers benefited the British government and the economy at large? The wave of Eastern European immigrants arriving in Britain and willingness to take up minimum pay jobs has been credited with helping the British economy successfully stave off the threat of inflation. What does this mean for the average business and for the government? Low inflation has helped to keep the pound in good health enabling the UK economy to fare well against European counterparts. The country’s importing position is strengthened thus allowing resources and goods to be obtained on more favourable terms and firms are being able to plug skill shortages and fill those positions considered less desirable by British workers. In stagnating industries, the newfound availability of enthusiastic, hardworking candidates has not only boosted production in many sectors but also removed previous obstacles to industry expansion – a principal reason behind big business’s desire to keep the open door policy on Eastern European immigration in effect.

Given the economic benefits provided by Eastern European immigrants, is the government doing enough to cater to this new sector of the population? With the possibility of other EU countries relaxing immigration policies in order to tap into this highly motivated, cheap work force, Poles and other Eastern European immigrants may soon be able to benefit from greater choice when considering foreign employment opportunities. The government is taking active steps to maximise the benefits to Poles of being in the UK. One of the prime examples of this has been the recent cooperation with the Polish government to regulate and counterbalance taxes and eliminate the so-called ‘double taxation’ on Poles living and working in the UK. A recent change in legislature came about after support from trade unions motivated to protect the interest of its Polish members. As Brandon Barber, TUC general secretary, commented:

Unions, campaigners and community groups in Bristol have worked together to secure an important victory for thousands of Polish workers across the whole country and end this unjust ‘Pole tax’. The government rightly recognises the value that Polish workers add to the UK economy and has responded quickly to union concerns that they were not being treated fairly.

In fact, this legislature made sense not only for immigrants, but for the government as well. The reality of the situation is that the more complicated and unjust tax laws appear to be, the less willing immigrants are to work and register via the official and legal channels. This in turn directly results in less money being sent back to the government, and allowing cash in hand employers to thrive at the expense of accurate government information and revenue collection.

Government Poles Apart From Immigrants?

An example of poor registration participation and the need to improve communication as a means of obtaining accurate information was reported in the Berkshire borough of Slough recently. It was named as one of 25 boroughs where government statistics severely underestimated the true extent of immigrants numbers in the area. A council spokesman commented…

We believe that 10,000 Polish people have come into the town, but the government statistics only show 300. This puts a huge strain on services such as education and social services.

In the borough of Crewe and Nantwich, local authorities began offering advice sessions to new arrivals in the area, though this too was complicated by a lack of reliable information as Councillor Gwyn Griffiths remarked back in January 2006…

The government were saying nothing… There was no specific advice to local authorities; the government said the impact on any individual area would be very limited. And that’s not proved to be the case.

As government funding and budget allocation is measured according to official statistics, councils such as Slough are in danger of losing out on up to L15 million in funding between 2007 and the next census in 2011 as a result of unreliable data. The home secretary John Reid has come under increasing pressure to ensure figures are correct and has ordered the Office for National Statistics to conduct an urgent review into migration estimates with the threat of councils increasing council taxes by as much as 6% to cover budget shortfalls.

How many of these problems could be resolved by making the registration process easier to understand? Having the process and all related documentation adapted to suit multiple languages would remove many of the potential obstacles faced by immigrants new to the UK, thereby aiding government organisations in capturing accurate data and budgeting accordingly.

Poles Going To The Polls

Aside from economic benefits, the influx of Poles and Eastern Europeans into the UK presents intriguing new possibilities politically. Though many immigrants will return home, a great many will, having sampled a more prosperous life, make the UK their permanent long-term residence. A longer-term result of this will be increased citizenship and the emergence of a strong, like-minded, immigrant voter block. At present, unlocking the Polish or Eastern European immigrant vote could prove vital in marginal seats but, over time, as has been the case in America, this immigrant voter block may prove to be a highly influential, highly desirable target of politicians and political parties both on a local and national level.

This has already been exploited in Scotland with political groups identifying Poles as a tipping or deciding factor in local and national elections. The Scottish National Party – famously supported by Hollywood Superstar Sir Sean Connery - has recently identified the tens of thousands of Poles working and living in Scotland as vital to the party’s hopes of obtaining sovereignty for Scotland. Recognising a perceived similarity of mentality, the SNP first initially reached out to freshly-registered Poles in Scotland by sending registration information and necessary documents.

We’ll then provide a full manifesto in Polish, once it’s done… They are benefiting from independence from the Soviet state and joining the EU. Obviously, they are more open to the message that Scotland is an ancient, independent nation.

The Scottish Labour party, equally aware of the untapped potential of Polish votes, have stepped up their courtship of this rapidly expanding community by increasing visits to areas densely populated by Poles to praise the group’s positive impact on the economy. These are perhaps just the firsts step in attracting the rapidly growing, evermore acclimatised voting block. Argos Translations canvas of immigrant opinion revealed that the main obstacle to participation both in employment and voting registration is that of language difficulties. For every Pole in the UK with strong English skills, there are many who find anything other than the most basic of communication to be a daunting experience. Registration for national insurance and benefits is obligatory – voting however, is not. In order to appeal to immigrant groups and encourage their active participation, the onus is on political parties, both on national and local levels, to facilitate this participation in the most accessible way possible.

Once this occurs, a situation similar to that of the U.S. may arise, where the Polish minority living in America has emerged as a frequently fought-over hot voting commodity. One of the most publicised and clear examples of how the Polish vote counted occurred during the 2004 presidential elections. During a televised debate on the Iraqi War, Senator Kerry spoke about the various coalition members working together with the US but neglected to mention Poland. At this point, George W. Bush suddenly interrupted the senator and exclaimed ‘don’t forget about Poland!’. The President’s remark sought to highlight Poland’s involvement and assistance in the war effort while boosting his own standing among Polish-Americans. Soon after this debate Polish newspapers, talk shows and the Polish media in general, repeatedly replayed Bush’s statement for weeks on end to a Polish public hungry for acknowledgement and recognition from their American ally. What’s more, regrettably for Kerry, his high-profile blunder and subsequent remarks had the effect of alienating him from the ideals that Polish immigrants cherished, and ultimately any possibility of their support was lost – a fitting example if one were needed of the danger of neglecting the immigrant vote.

U.S. candidates have long been aware of the voting power that Polish minorities maintain in cities such as Chicago, New York and Denver. Texts such as Polish-American Politics in Chicago, 1888–1940 by Edward R. Kantowicz, have been written with the sole purpose of examining Polish minorities’ voting habits, all in an effort to understand the immense political influence that such immigrant bodies might have.

America’s Midwest, with an estimated two million Poles in Chicago alone, has developed into one of fiercest battle grounds for capturing the ethnic minority vote. Come election time, leaflets are distributed in Polish, parties battle for Polish press space and media attention and candidates routinely devote time to dedicated interviews on Polish television and radio. Importantly, manifestos and promotional documentation all appear in Polish – a basic but necessary trait of American politics stemming from the history of the huge number of Spanish-speaking immigrants residing in the US and their political influence. With immigrants very much voting ‘en masse’ or in blocks, the ignorable immigrant simply does not exist.

LEARNING FROM BRITISH INVESTORS IN POLAND

Aside from these high-profile examples, a multitude of British companies have invested both resources and capital in Poland with resounding success. The Polish National Bank estimated that direct foreign investment in Poland for 2005, totalled over €77.2 billion of which more than €455 million was British. The same source states that the British earnings from investing in Poland in 2005 exceeded €333.5 million. It is little wonder UK giants have been so keen to enter Poland, and no wonder British companies are currently scrambling to attract the attention of Poles, both at home and in the UK.

Where firms such as Tesco have entered Eastern Europe seeking to tap into new sales avenues, others such as SAP did so in order to cut costs, hiring qualified and experienced Polish professionals at a fraction of the costs incurred in the UK. Regardless of the reason behind investing in Poland, these (and countless other) companies are bound by the same belief – there’s money to be made by ‘going Polish’. Argos Translations polled a few of its clients; British companies that have opened offices or branches in Poland, and asked them to share the most important lessons from their experiences. Although many of these companies focus specifically on Poles in Poland, the lessons they shared can be just as valuable for companies seeking to attract the interest of immigrant Poles in the UK.

Here’s what they cited as keys to their success…

Advice for companies interested in marketing to Polish immigrants in Britain:

Advice for companies interested in entering the Polish market:

1. In Poland good customer service is a rarity – Offering levels of service comparable to those found in Western Europe is a huge competitive advantage (a very cheap, simple way to obtain and retain a client).
2. Provide Polish clients with as much flexibility as possible in your service offering. Don’t neglect to market options that may be quite common elsewhere in Western Europe, but still exclusive and relatively new in Poland (i.e. online banking, multiple payment options, loyalty schemes, etc).
3. Be aware that many Poles are not accustomed to having the ability to use standard payments methods that are common in Western Europe (credit cards, checks).
4. Poland is ridden with immense bureaucracy. If you can cut down on bureaucracy in your service offering, whether it be eliminating excessive documentation or other ways of making your offering hassle free and convenient, market this aspect of the service. It will be seen as a novel and welcome effort to gain interest and custom while saving the client precious time.
5. Be prepared for worker strikes paralyzing various public services (i.e. postal service, public transport and so on).
6. If you can offer a service online to make life easier for the young and bustling working class accustomed to putting in long hours, you’ll be rewarded. (e.g. offer online, telephone options rather than being limited to operating hours that do not suit those with heavy schedules).

British Firms Wielding Sterling Power

In addition to bringing with them Western expertise and business acumen, British companies have been able to benefit from the extraordinary strength of the British pound over the last few years. With an almost 6 to 1 ratio, British firms have been able to extract maximum value from the pound in Poland, with costs and overheads proving to be comparably much lower than in the UK. Though this increased foreign presence, provided with the country’s entry to the EU, has been key to rising prices in Poland, generally, the prices of goods and services remain much lower than those in the UK and Western Europe meaning the potential to benefit from lower overheads and costs remains high.

Fortunately for British firms, and a key motivating factor in outward migration, the Polish unemployment rate still hovers around the 15% mark, ensuring wages remain between 20–25% lower than the EU average. For example an experienced specialist in Poland earns on average 2,500 PLN per month – the equivalent of L450. Companies are also tapping into the huge, dynamic workforce that makes up the Polish population – 63%, is currently of working age (between 18 and retirement; 59 and 64 for women and men respectively). That equates to over 24 million adults working or available for work. Combine this with the fact that the percentage of the population having been University educated is among the highest in Europe, it is little wonder that Poland has become a happy hunting ground for HR departments of many a British company.

Aside from the low cost of labour and overheads, companies that purchased property or land in Poland over the course of the last two years have benefited from the surging real estate market. Those entering Poland 2–3 years ago will have paid an average of around 2,000 PLN (L357) per sq. m. Since then, prices have, on average, increased by a staggering 225%, ensuring huge gains from property investments alone. Despite this incredible increase, investing in property in Poland remains significantly cheaper than elsewhere in the EU and prices are forecast to continue rising for the foreseeable future. Simply put, it has been possible for some companies to make money simply by ‘being’ in Poland, regardless of business operations.

Tracking Progress In Poland

For companies interested in outsourcing labour or entering the Polish market, Argos Translations has compiled some preliminary information regarding those sectors of the Polish economy that will be experiencing the most investment. According to the Polish Government, Poland’s key areas of Research and Development for 2005 included:

• Engineering and technology: over 2 billion PLN allocated
• Medical sciences: over 508 million PLN allocated
• Agriculture: over 392 million PLN Allocated

Statistics courtesy of http://www.stat.gov.pl

As one article for the Warsaw Voice explained:

The leading sectors when it comes to trade [between the UK and Poland] are automotive parts, electrical equipment, and office equipment. [Julia Longbottom, Director of Trade & Investment at the British Embassy in Warsaw] noted that ‘many British goods are international now, with components made in different parts of the world’ so this meant also using Polish components – ’the strong trademark of British goods is the ‘high value added’ of innovation, design and branding. However, it is Britain’s invisible exports that perform particularly strongly, especially the services sector.

The British Embassy’s Commercial Counsellor/Director of Trade & Investment pointed out that:

The large accounting firms are now an integral part of the Polish economy, many major British law and consulting firms are here, education is strongly represented, British property and real estate firms are also very active on the Polish market. She said that in the banking sector, people tend to comment that none of the big British retail banks are here, but in fact the large investment banks, like HSBC, are strongly represented. In the insurance sector, Commercial Union is actually a market leader, and its insurance and pensions services are ‘virtually a Polish institution these days.’ Provident Polska has also met with success – Poland is its most successful market outside the UK, with almost 900,000 customers. The British financial services sector is still set to expand in Poland – some well-known City institutions are now actively examining the Polish market…

http://www.warsawvoice.pl

In addition, Peter Blawat for the UK Trade & Investment bureau has pointed out that:

Poland’s rapid development means there are opportunities for British businesses in a wide range of sectors. For example:

• Agriculture – organic sector booming.
• Airports – Europe’s fastest developing aviation market.
• Automotive – the 7th–8th largest market in Europe.
• Construction – EU funds of €10 billion will be allocated for 2007–2013.
• Environment – €11 billion to be spent meeting EU standards.
• Engineering – large and dynamically growing area of the Polish economy.
• ICT – mobile telephony growing at 10 percent per year.
• Power – Poland needs to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
• Rail – EU funds of €5 billion for modernisation, privatisation and restructuring to come.
• Water – EU funds of €6 billion for 2007– 2013 to meet environmental standards.

Poland’s entry into the EU in May 2004 was a milestone in the country’s political and economic transformation. The largest of the new accession countries in terms of size and population, it is also the biggest recipient of EU funds, receiving €67.2 billion for 2007–13. With economic growth at 5.4% in the first half of 2006, a young and well-educated labour force, and located at the crossroads between Eastern and Western Europe, Poland offers a large potential market in central Europe.

TIME TO TRANSLATE AND LOCALISE

As well as dealing with daily requests from British firms looking to localise their documents, software and website pages for Eastern European markets, Argos Translations regularly receives requests from companies and organisations looking to either make their own lives easier in dealing with Eastern Europeans or helping to make life in the UK easier for Eastern Europeans. Either way, feedback received indicates translating and localizing into immigrant’s native languages has proved to be almost unanimously beneficial. Private businesses and national companies have been able to steal a march on competition and reach a new customer base relatively cheaply simply by translating their messages and adapting the presentation of their products to cater to this unique new sector of Britain’s population. As a result of improved communication, Government institutions, official organizations and support services have been better able to collect information, provide services and comply with requirements than prior to investing in translation.

The examples referred to in this paper are just some of the most high-profile cases of successful targeting of immigrants. These are some of the biggest, most recognisable companies and are among the first to have specifically tailored their service offerings to Eastern Europeans living and working in the UK. They share in common the provision of what most would describe ‘essential’ or ‘priority’ goods and services. Chart, if you will, the hypothetical path of an Eastern European on arrival in the UK: obviously employment and accommodation will be the first things to consider. Firms and trade unions, among the first to realize the benefits of incorporating Eastern Europeans into the workforce now regularly depend on translation in order to ensure their members are aware of all their rights or that employees have all of the information required to do their jobs successfully. Government institutions have realised that, in order to obtain accurate data and to ensure correct, legal participation in official procedures and employment, requirements must be made clear to new arrivals and any potential obstructions to their full participation should be removed at the earliest opportunity. Real-estate agents and letting agencies have been pioneers in employing Polish-speaking staff and making documentation available in Eastern European languages, helping to spur the surge in buy-to-let property purchases. Once the all important job and place to stay are taken care of, logic dictates the following thoughts would focus on banking the hard earned pennies, finding a place to buy the daily essentials and establishing a means of contacting loved ones back home.

As documented, banks are on the trail, having tailored services to the immigrant market through multilingual staff, provision of seminars and, though still not common, multilingual literature. Supermarkets have not been far behind, introducing new product lines specifically to lure Poles living in the UK.

Communication and contact with loved ones back home? Orange benefits from being the most recognisable brand for Poles arriving in the UK. O2 does the same for Czechs and Slovakians making the journey. Is being recognisable enough? All of the major phone suppliers supply phones with Polish manuals and user interfaces as they recognise Eastern Europe’s massive uptake of mobile phones and are keen to tailor their products accordingly. How soon will one of the major network providers seize the initiative and provide contract documentation or information pamphlets in Polish or Czech? Perhaps an innovative scheme that allows contract holders reduced-rate roaming in the country of their choice or a set number of free text messages to mobile numbers in their home country? Such measures would demonstrate a dedicated, unique approach, tailored to a specific sector of the market, and provide positive publicity with high word of mouth potential.

After these basic, instinctive requirements, where does your firm fit within the needs and priorities of the immigrant population? Do your services or goods come soon after those outlined above? Is a consumer market worth in excess of L4 billion of interest to your firm? If the answer to this question is yes and let’s face it, how could it not be, how is your firm prepared to deal and aggressively pursue this market? How are you going to differentiate from your competitors in securing your share? Why not go the extra mile and take the extra step that gets a foot through the door so to speak? You might have the best product but what use is this without making it accessible to the people you want to sell to most?

British firms spend millions and millions on sophisticated press and multimedia advertising campaigns in an effort to elevate their brand above those of the competition. Localisation of software and websites as well as the translation of instructional manuals and marketing material can have a similar impact at a fraction of the cost.

By hiring native speaker staff and producing multilingual literature, firms are tailoring their product promotion to a specific consumer but what else can companies do? From what is known of the immigrant population, how can their spending power be targeted effectively. History teaches, and Poles currently arriving in the UK are no different, that immigrants tend to gather and act as a ‘block’ entity – that Poles live with other Poles in neighbourhoods populated predominately by other Poles, socialise with other Poles and tend to share similar consumer habits. Take, for example, the stereotypical view of the immigrant lifestyle – six or seven people living in a residence designed for four. This high concentration of potential customers clustered in a single area, many of whom have a limited grasp of the English language creates a high dependence on word of mouth and interdependence. In turn, this puts even greater emphasis on the ripple effect of attracting one client with the accompanying potential to obtain many more as a result.

An example of this can be found in immigrant destinations. The presence of low-skilled or service industries and the role of the vast number of employment agencies involved in organising work for those arriving cannot be understated. However, much of the appearance of huge immigrant populations in certain parts of the country have been at least partially due to the international spread of word of mouth. Crewe and Southampton, as well as several towns and cities in Scotland and Wales, are examples of this, with immigrant population having mushroomed in recent times. This is often a simple case of a handful of Poles finding work in a given town or region, then telling friends and family of their good fortune. With much of Poland’s population living in rural, close-knit, communities, often with little opportunity for career progression, such stories spread like wild fire with often whole communities being transplanted from Poland to the UK. Poles trust Poles and follow the successful lead of others rather than foraying into migration blindly or with no previous background information on their potential location.

This same principal applies to many goods and services favoured by Poles in the UK. Each individual has the potential to spread positive messages and experiences through a vast network of like-minded individuals and groups, likely to have the same requirements. Whether it be the five or six housemates, the dozens of workmates or the seemingly endless streams of people following from back home and the inherent tendency to share advice and knowledge with people in the same boat suggests the value of word of mouth to be highly lucrative.

As many firms profiting from Poles and Eastern Europeans in the UK are finding, marketing needs to be tailored in such a way that it is accessible to the lifestyles led by most Poles. Immigrants generally tend to watch less television than native Brits, perhaps due to living conditions, language barriers or general disinterest. This applies equally to reading English language newspapers, perhaps explaining the incredible success of Cooltura and the Polish Express, who have both experienced soaring readership numbers since accession. It simply is not enough to expect Eastern European immigrants to participate in traditional general forms of advertising and marketing and so require tailored promotion delivered in their own language.

Once having identified Poles as a sector to pursue, apart from targeting them in their native language, what else can be done to ensure that Polish pound will be spent with you? As well as catering to your Translation and Localisation needs, Argos Translations has also done its own research into how to effectively market to Poles.

Centuries of invasion, occupation and general external interference has led to an incredibly strong sense of patriotism both in Poland itself and also among the millions of Poles scattered around the world. As such, mediums, marketing campaigns and promotions are found to be more successful when emphasising national values. For example Poles are extremely proud of their traditions, customs, food and drink. Why not take advantage of this? Alternatively, Poland’s history is filled with heroes and Poles young and old feel a great sense of pride and affinity towards them. Appropriate use of this can be an effective way of making your brand stand out from others.

Argos Translations is a ISO 9000:2001 certified, British-American translation company. With headquarters at the heart of the migration crossroad in Krakow, Poland, Argos Translations has, over the last ten years, established itself as a leading Central and Eastern European supplier of translation and localisation services. The company’s continued growth and success is built on extensive experience working with some of the world’s largest corporations such as IBM, Peoplesoft, Microsoft, BMW and many Fortune 500 companies in addition to hundreds of private businesses. Argos Translations is perfectly equipped to help you reach your target audience regardless of language barrier. With in excess of 800 qualified and tested translators available to translate into any language pair requested by our clients, Argos Translations has become the preferred choice for many companies considering entering foreign markets and reaching out to new customers. Aside from professional translation services, Argos Translations is able to count upon a dedicated, in-house localisation department comprised of specialists with extensive experience in translating and adapting e-content, websites and software for a multitude of demanding clients. Argos Translations also houses one of the largest and most experienced Desktop Publishing departments of all translation companies in Europe, allowing the company to help clients adapt their multilingual content to fit the format of their documents and maintain a consistent format and presentation across multiple language groups and geographical zones. Complementing Argos Translations portfolio of services, Argos Translations also offers voice-over and subtitling services through a partnership with a professional production studio, allowing your films, advertisements, multimedia presentations and e-learning suites to be quickly and accurately adapted to fit the language of your choice.

In partnership with sister company PMR Ltd., Argos Translations is able to offer consulting, market entrance and research services to all companies seeking to do business in Poland, open new offices or obtain data on the earning potential that Poland offers. Through this partnership, Argos Translations is able to offer a complete service portfolio for any company seeking to attract business from abroad, enter a new region, expand customer bases, open new sales channels, communicate with new clients and increase profits in the process.

Written by: Kris Grzegorczyk and Michael Malik of Argos TranslationsTranslations.com.
To reach Michael Malik by email: michal.malik@argostranslations.com

1. Background to this study

Argos Translations (www.argostranslations.com) has been offering medical device translation/localization services since 1996. Over time, as our clients grew familiar with the translation services that Argos Translations offered, they began to request additional assistance in the medical device market. This occurred largely due to the fact that we were based in their targeted local market and thus could offer additional business support. Many of our clients not only needed their devices localized and their documents translated, but also needed to understand the regulatory issues connected with entering Central and Eastern European markets. Argos Translations understood that by being able to offer a turnkey solution that would include assisting in market entry as well as taking care of the translation/localization process, we would provide our clients with unique additional benefits.

As a result, Argos Translations joined forces with PMR Consulting, a local consultancy firm with the reliability and extensive experience that complemented Argos Translations service. The result of this collaboration is an offer of a complete solution for all medical device manufacturers interested in entering East European markets.

This white paper has been commissioned by Argos Translations and is intended to provide investors with information about the basic issues they will face when considering entrance to the Polish market with their medical devices. While some of the issues raised in this white paper may be common across other East European markets it is important to note that each country has its own regulatory requirements and thus it is important not to draw any far-reaching conclusions about the region without consulting a local expert for advice.

For more information about East European medical device market entry services or translation/localization services please send us an e-mail at: info@argostranslations.com

2. About Argos Translations

Argos Translations is a translation company offering high quality medical and pharmaceutical translation services for all the European languages with an emphasis on Eastern European support. Argos Translations is ISO 9001:2008 certified, has an international staff of 100+ in-house employees, over 1000 freelance translators, and a client list with numerous Fortune 500 companies.

Argos Translations has experience in translation of pharmaceuticals, medical devices & surgical instruments, biotechnology, in vitro diagnostics documents as well as medical software, articles for medical journals, and marketing documentation. The span of this experience covers areas such as translation projects that comply with the MDD (Medical Devices Directive), IVDD (In-Vitro Diagnostics Directive), and IFUs (Instruction for Use). Argos Translations clients include global companies such as Medtronic, Roche, GEMS, Biomet, and Siemens Medical.

The company, now in operation since 1996, has grown in size, experience and the diversity of its services. Argos Translations provides a unique one-stop business-to-business globalization solution for companies requiring translation, localization, desktop publishing, and consulting services.

3. About PMR Consulting

PMR Consulting is part of PMR Ltd founded in 1995. It is a British-American company based in Poland with a staff of 35 people, which provides consulting services in Central and Eastern European countries.

In the pharmaceuticals sector it has recently reviewed life sciences research options for a Scandinavian company, researched Central European Pharma sector companies for clients from Japan, France and Germany, and profiled oncology reagent producers.

PMR’s Managing Director formerly ran a company in Poland that represented a division of a leading US specialist medical-device corporation. His company implemented IT systems in hospitals and for the Ministry of Health. PMR publishes a bi-monthly magazine titled Polish Pharmaceutical News; a report on the OTC healthcare market in Poland, and manages the www.pharmapoland.com web site, as well as www.polishmarket.com and www.ceemarket.com.

LAUNCHING MEDICAL DEVICES IN POLAND

Since Poland joined the EU in May 2004 the level of interest in the market for medical devices has expanded considerably. There are two fundamental questions that any international medical device manufacturer should ask before attempting to enter into the Polish market:

1. Is there a market for their product in Poland, either in the state funded sector, where crumbling buildings and an atmosphere of financial crisis sometimes conceal surprisingly modern operating theatres and equipment, or in the small but growing private sector?
2. What has to be done to gain regulatory approval? The possibility of using existing European Union registrations to gain approvals in Poland is obviously of great interest. The additional good news is that Poland does recognize EU certification for two categories of medical devices.The less good news is that a number of hard to interpret forms (shown at the end of this white paper) may need to be completed (in Polish) and submitted to the relevant authorities in order to take advantage of the mutual recognition provisions. The status of each individual medical device (and whether documentation needs to be filed)should be carefully reviewed case-by-case. Furthermore, the situation with respect to enforcement of EU mutual recognition laws, is far from clear.

Is there a market?

In 2002 there were 739 general hospitals in Poland of which 678 were state-owned and the remaining 61 were either privately owned or controlled by non-governmental entities. Additionally, the Ministry of National Defense operates 24 hospitals and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration operates 29 such institutions. There were only 3 more new hospitals added in comparison to 2001, but this was due to the fact that 16 new private hospitals started operations while 13 old state-owned hospitals folded. This seems to reflect a growing demand for higher quality medical services, as most state-owned hospitals are huge complexes, often with out-of-date and worn-out equipment and located in old, damaged buildings, some built more than a hundred years ago.

As far as the usage of medical devices goes, one recent study showed that 85% of medical devices available in 49 public hospitals in the Malopolskie region (area around Krakow) were in a “bad” or “unsatisfactory” condition, and there was not a single hospital whose overall medical devices were in a condition described as “very good”. Simultaneously 72% of all technical infrastructure was described as at least “worrying”. There is no reason to expect that the state of medical infrastructure of Polish hospitals is much better in the remaining 15 administrative regions across the country.

Other than hospitals there are also nearly 16,000 clinics where patients come to consult a doctor or have minor treatments. These medical units (of which 76% are privately owned) vary in size and most of them are staffed by just a few persons. The medical devices used in private clinics are often quite good while their state-run counterparts often use older equipment dating back to the 1960’s or 1970’s, which is highly damaged and even defective due to overuse and poor servicing. However, higher priced equipment is often only available in the state funded hospitals (being beyond the reach of most private clinics). Private clinics form an unofficial gateway to provide queue busting access to the most expensive medical kits offered sometimes only in the better funded hospitals, located in any given town or region. How does this occur?

Simply put, a patient pays 50-100 zloty (5-10 Euros) to see a specialist in a private clinic. There he is told (if necessary) to show up in a state hospital when that same specialist is there on duty. The client then calls that same doctor/specialist on his mobile phone, who then fixes a second appointment on expensive hospital equipment that is not available in his private clinic.

Poland will have to upgrade its health care system as its population ages. This together with the relatively poor health of many of its inhabitants, creates a reasonable expectation of sustainable and increasing demand for many types of medical devices. In some cases European Union funds that Poland (and other new member states) are now entitled to, may be available to subsidize some of the costs.

Altogether, this means that Poland is likely to be a growing market for medical devices over the next few years because, investments in medical technology are a necessary part of the process of bringing the national health care system up to European standards.

How is a medical device defined in Poland?

Medical devices’ legal regulations are found in “The Medical Devices Act of 20th April 2004”, which contains definitions and laws concerning:

• marketing and implementation,
• clinical assessment,
• conditions of use,
• surveillance over manufacturing, marketing and implementation,
• procedure of reporting medical incidents,
• registering medical devices,
• authorities concerned with controlling medical devices,
• classification of medical devices,
• testing conformity of manufacturer or vendor registered medical devices,
• basic requirements for medical devices.

The above-mentioned Act was prepared shortly before Poland’s accession to the European Union and adapted Polish regulations to the relevant EU directives.

The Act describes medical devices as: all tools, materials, apparatus, equipment and other devices which, solely or jointly, with other equipment or software have been designed by its producers to be used on (or in connection to) human beings during the following processes:

• diagnosing, prevention, monitoring, treating or easing the symptoms of illnesses,
• diagnosing, monitoring, treating or easing the symptoms of injuries and disabilities,
• conducting research, remodeling of human anatomy or physiological processes,
• contraception, where this is not achieved by using pharmaceutical, immunological or metabolic means (unless they are used as supplements).

The Act mentions three main groups of medical devices:

• active medical products for implantation – are defined as medical devices that depend on an external source of electricity or energy (not generated by the human body or by force of gravity) and which are permanently implanted into the body during surgery or via medical treatment,
• medical products that are used for in-vitro diagnosis including vacuum containers for samples and lab equipment for in-vitro research,
• multi-purpose medical devices – all other medical devices.

What is required to sell a medical device in Poland?

Polish law describes two different ways of bringing a medical device to market:

• “placing” – describes the first time a medical device is made available (whether for free or sold) for use or distribution, regardless of whether it is new or fully refurbished. This does not apply to medical devices intended for clinical investigations or in-vitro diagnostic medical devices for performance evaluation.
• “putting into service” – means the stage at which a medical device is available to the final user(patient or health care professional) as being ready for use.

The law designates a limited number of bodies that are allowed to register and sell medical devices. It is more important for manufacturers/distributors/sellers to have contracts or agreements confirming their registered status, than to repeatedly present health authorities with certificates demonstrating capability and experience in trading of medical devices. Proper documentation (as far as local law is concerned) is far more important than relevant experience.

Bodies mentioned in the Act are:

• medical device manufacturers,
• authorized representatives of medical device manufacturers,
• medical device importers,
• medical device distributors,
• specialized agencies and companies responsible for bringing medical devices to market.

Only medical devices that are compliant with Polish law i.e. both The Medical Devices Act and any other regulations in force that are relevant to a specific device, are permitted to be sold.

The three major requirements for medical devices are:

1. compliance with the so-called ‘basic requirements’ (mentioned in an ordinance issued by the Minister of Health), especially regarding design, manufacture, packaging and labeling of such products,
2. a ‘declaration of conformity’,
3. a ‘CE’ label (in cases of specific medical devices short transitional periods that may apply).

It is also very important that the CE marking used for medical devices must conform to the rules described in the ordinance published by the Ministry of Health. There are rare exemptions to the above rules that primarily apply in very specific cases regarding single device units.

Prior to launching, medical devices should be tested by a notification body in order to evaluate their conformity with legal requirements. The notification body must be in possession of an ID number issued by the European Commission and be listed in the Official Journal of the European Communities.(note: A list of the Polish notification bodies is provided at the end of this White Paper). All stated local regulations are strictly followed and non-Polish notification bodies are also acceptable.

All medical devices should be accompanied by a (Polish language) user’s manual and description (including all markings, labels, etc.). However, an exemption exists for some medical devices designed to be used by professionals who consent to non-Polish language instructions. Given the Polish population’s limited knowledge of foreign languages, it is strongly recommended to always localize medical devices into the language of the market where they are to be sold. Even for products where risks associated with improper use are much lower, it is highly unusual for professional companies to offer goods without good quality local language documentation. In addition to controlling the risk of legal action in the event of a “health incident”, local translation helps ensure that the device is properly used and maintained.

In Poland medical devices are classified into six groups (four groups of multipurpose medical devices and two groups of specific use medical devices) depending on the potential hazards to human health through their usage. The list of groups and their description can be found in relevant regulations issued by the Ministry of Health.

Where can medical devices be sold?

In Poland medical devices can be sold only in predefined types of retail and wholesale businesses. The Pharmaceutical Code (Act of 6 September 2001) lists the following types of outlets:

• pharmaceutical wholesalers,
• veterinarian pharmaceutical wholesalers,
• pharmaceutical retailers (pharmacies),
• small pharmacies,
• non-pharmacy retailer - some other retailers are allowed to sell pharmaceuticals, e.g. specialized retailers dealing in supplying hospitals and clinics only.

HOW TO REGISTER MEDICAL DEVICES?

Medical devices must be listed in the ‘Register of medical devices and bodies responsible for their launch and usage” prior to marketing the device or its use by patients. This register is run by the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocides.

The first step to get the medical device registered is to fill out an application that is then supplied by the manufacturer directly or, by a company authorized to do business with the manufacturer (e.g. an authorized representative or distributor) that is registered in Poland. A special form should be used for this filing. A fee is payable (equivalent of €80 at the time of writing). Registry staff may require additional documents certifying and confirming statements made in the application. The application form and any attached documents should be prepared in Polish (despite the fact that the application form is bilingual), or translated by an approved Polish legal translator. Given the speed of local bureaucracy it is recommended to double-check the application before submission to avoid being rejected, or suffering lengthy delays after the two-month processing period. Consultants can help the process go smoothly.

The same Office is also responsible for registering: ‘medical incidents’ that are described as defects in a medical device’s functioning, a change of specification, improper marking or user’s manual descriptions that might cause hazards to the patient. In each case the manufacturer or their representative is responsible for carrying out an investigation. Finding your medical device in the ‘medical incidents’ register may result in the product/company being deleted from the ‘Register of medical devices and bodies responsible for their launch and usage’, and in consequence, be effectively barred from doing business in Poland.

Do you have to register your medical device if it already has CE approval?

As Appendix II at the end of this paper presents, companies like Bayer Healthcare, Olympus Diagnostica and Abbott Japan, continue to register their devices even after CE approval (the table shows some of the devices registered in August 2004). It is possible to find government officials who claim that if you have CE marking you do not have to have the local approval. One such official was interviewed for this white paper.

However the actual practice, confirmed by the regulatory affairs specialist of a major international healthcare group, indicated that most hospitals and doctors will not consider buying products without a Polish PL/DR number. Thus even if in theory it may be possible to launch a product in Poland without local approval, commercial success very often requires approval even if government officials may not. Application forms that allow one to take advantage of reciprocal CE recognition can be downloaded from the web site www.bip.urpl.gov.pl shown in Appendix I.

According to current Polish regulations medical devices that comply with legal requirements should be tested to make sure that using them will cause no harmful side effects. Clinical evaluations are carried out by the manufacturer of a medical device or by an authorized representative. The evaluation process should be based on three sources:

• combined data from available medical literature describing the application area in which the device will be used,
• a written study containing a critical analysis of the above mentioned data,
• results of clinical research conducted according to current legal requirements.

Both multipurpose and active medical devices for implantation require clinical research. Data obtained from secondary sources (e.g. medical literature) is not sufficient to perform the clinical evaluation. Such clinical research should be performed in order to:

• check whether the medical device’s specification described by the manufacturer comply with basic requirements of Polish law,
• identify any possible harmful side effects that may occur during normal usage of the medical device.

Quality control procedures

Before starting clinical research works the entity responsible for carrying it out must obtain specific permits issued by a bioethical commission and the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocides. Permits are payable within a range of €220 to €1,100.

SUMMARY

This White Paper shows that, as in other countries, the regulatory issues concerning the sale of medical devices in Poland are complex and have to be taken seriously. For companies with competitive products that meet a medical need, this is a challenge they are familiar with and are capable of grasping. Furthermore, the market in Poland is large enough (together with its potential for sustained growth) to make such challenges worth undertaking.

Sources:

1. Central Statistical Office
2. Ministry of Health of the Republic of Poland
3. OfficeforRegistrationofMedicinalProducts,MedicalDevices and Biocides
4. Act of 5 December 1996 on the profession of a doctor
5. Act of 27 July 2001 on the OfficeforRegistrationofMedicinal Products
6. Medical Devices and Biocides
7. The Medical Devices Act of 20th April 2004

Useful addresses:

Ministry of Health (Ministerstwo Zdrowia)
ul. Miodowa 15, 00-952 Warszawa
tel.: +48 22 634 96 00
fax: +48 22 634 96 00
e-mail: kancelaria@mz.gov.pl
internet: www.mz.gov.pl

Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocides (Urząd Rejestracji Produktów Leczniczych, Wyrobów Medycznych i Produktów Biobójczych)
ul. Ząbkowska 41, 03-736 Warszawa
tel.: +48 22 492 11 00
fax: +48 22 492 11 09
internet: www.bip.urpl.gov.pl

Notification bodies:

Quality Research Bureau of the Polish Electricians Association (SEP)
ul. M. Pożaryskiego 28, 04-703 Warszawa
tel.: +48 22 812 69 38
fax: +48 22 815 65 80
e-mail: bbj@bbj-sep.com.pl
internet: www.bbj-sep.com.pl

Eltest
ul. Ratuszowa 11, 03-450 Warszawa
tel.: +48 22 619 39 66
fax: +48 22 619 39 66
e-mail: sekretariat@eltest.com.pl
internet: www.eltest.com.pl

Institute of the Medical Technology and Devices (ITAM)
ul. Roosevelta 118, 41-800 Zabrze
tel.: +48 32 271 60 13
fax: +48 32 276 56 08
e-mail: itam@itam.zabrze.pl
internet: www.itam.zabrze.pl

Predom OBR
ul. Krakowiaków 53, 02-255 Warszawa
tel.: +48 22 846 54 31
fax: +48 22 846 19 05
e-mail: obr@predom.com.pl
internet: www.predom.com.pl

Polish Centre of Research and Certification(PCBC)
ul Kłobucka 23a, 02-699 Warszawa
tel. +48 22 857 99 16
fax. +48 22 647 11 09
e-mail: pcbc@pcbc.gov.pl
internet: www.pcbc.gov.pl

ARGOS TRANSLATIONS

Argos Translations is a privately held American-British owned translation company offering services for all the European languages with an emphasis on Eastern European support. Having a decade of professional translation, localization and desktop publishing experience, Argos Translations has come to be associated with service excellence, high quality translations and outstanding value. Argos Translations is ISO 9001:2008 certified, has an international staff of 100+ in-house employees, over 1000 freelance translators, and a client list with numerous Fortune 500 companies. All of these aspects combined have helped to distinguish Argos Translations as the expert language provider with an Eastern European locale and a decidedly Western business approach.

Argos Translations services include:

• Document Translations
• Software Localization
• Website/Multimedia Localization
• Desktop Publishing Services
• Voice-over services
• Localization engineering and consulting services

The company, now in operation since 1996, has grown in size to become one of the largest translation companies in Central and Eastern Europe. Argos Translations has also grown in experience, industry positioning and the diversity of its services.

Currently, Argos Translations provides a unique one-stop business-to-business globalization solution for companies requiring translation, localization, DTP, and consulting services in advanced translation technologies.

This document describes the localization process, as well as all the technologies, problems and methodological issues involved with localization. It should be used as a reference guide to the various processes, functions and areas of localization for anyone seeking to expand their knowledge over the subject. It is more of a factual document than that of opinion, and should be used as a study on the topic of localization.

As far as most of the IT industry is concerned, the term “localization” means translation plus “some other things”. In fact, translation is no more than one part of the entire localization jigsaw puzzle, sometimes not even the most important one. So what is localization? Though the definition varies somewhat throughout the industry, we believe that the following explanation describes localization fairly well. We will try to explain it in further detail later on in the document however, the “simplest” definition of localization is: the full adaptation of content for a local market during the translation process. Localization requires the understanding not only of specific local markets, but the understanding of actual content surrounding a given industry and/or culture. Localization and translation are codependent and because of that, they require much focus and strategy.

As such, this document also attempts to familiarize the reader with issues related to the strategy of executing localization projects within IT companies. Furthermore, this text aims to answer the question that many people in IT frequently ask themselves: What resources and technologies do we need to carry out localization projects?

1.1 Who needs localization?

If a producer wishes to sell a product in a given market, he has to provide relevant product information in the language spoken in that country, regardless of whether his product is a complex ERP system worth $100,000 or a hair shampoo priced at PLN 3. Obviously, if a region specific translation is not available, all such products or items will loose consumer interest and encounter market entrance barriers.

This can occur because anyone remotely interested in a purchase, would be immediately discouraged from buying the product if he were unable to read the instructions manual or even figure out what the item is. The best that the producer could hope for in such cases would be that the product marketed in English to an Eastern-European region, would find some English speaking residents of the region or English speaking tourists tempted to purchase it.

Although it is true that some items could sell even without English manuals or English labels, it is hardly likely that revenues would exceed costs incurred in most cases where the product did not have a localized marketing campaign. Unfortunately decisions as to whether or not to localize a given product tend to be based on the estimated cost of such ventures and the benefits (increased revenues/sales) they would generate, instead of on the assumption that localized products will find a larger target audience.

1.2 What is localization?

As stated previously, when one localizes a product/service, he adapts it to the requirements and standards applicable in another country. However, in order to understand the term “localization” fully, we first need to understand all of the parts of the localization process.

Localization process: Translation of all terms, abbreviations, symbols and units (in short, all language specific components) into the language of a given country (for example, when dealing with software, we translate the user interface, online help, messages that may be displayed, and all documentation).

• Localization of graphics: any graphics appearing in the project material must be adapted to conform to standards in the target culture and language. All words in graphic files must be translated. The same goes for all cultural symbols (flags, clothes, etc.). This typically involves replacing the existing graphics with new ones, e.g. when the “symbols” sent for translation represent people of different skin color from the target region, flags of a given country, characteristic road signs, or even vegetation characteristic for the climate prevailing in a given country, all of these have to be adapted to fit the target culture.
• Audio localization: web sites and all kinds of electronically published materials feature an increasing number of audio elements. Audio localization is a process that requires substantially more work compared to standard translation of an html document. Even a simple voice-over with the voice of a single commentator requires a professional recording studio, a commentator, a sound engineer, a director (for more challenging recordings) and digital sound processing after the recording.
• Cultural adaptation: This is particularly important for Web site localization. The message addressed to visitors to the site must be translated in the spirit of the culture of the target country. The details of the site’s layout and its composition must appeal to representatives of the relevant culture. If a Web site is translated without being localized, what is generated is a site in the language of the target country, which will be perceived as artificial by a great number of visitors.Obviously, the importance of cultural adaptation varies from subject to subject, but it is always of at least some significance and should not be underestimated at any cost. Coincidentally, certain issues are specific to training applications (what is known as e-learning). For example, all case studies must relate to the country’s culture. Jokes and anecdotes contained in the text must also be consistent with the target culture. Questions posed in the material must correspond to the rest of the translated content and be worded in such a way that the degree of difficulty is comparable to that of the questions featured in the original. Understanding all of these elements allows one to understand both the previously stated definition of localization as well as its importance.

1.3 Aspects of the professional localization process

What should the professional localization process be like to ensure the success of localization projects? The following features make up the localization process:

Quality orientation

A native speaker of the target language should check each translation. Following the translation and proofreading, the translated text must be re-read in hard copy to identify errors that are hard to detect without looking at the translation as a whole. It is important to realize that even the best translators and proofreaders can make mistakes.

• Functional testing should be performed thoroughly to identify all shortcomings of the user interface.
• Similarly, there should also be quality control for audio recordings.

Resources allocation

• This includes procedures for information exchange within the localization team and among various teams co-operating on the same project, whether relating to specific terminology, reservations about substantive aspects of the project, or project-related inquiries.
• Reporting on the progress of the localization work.
• Application of specific terminology.
• Ensuring that each projects has all the necessary resources devoted to successfully complete it.

Technology orientation

If tools and technologies adequate to the specific project or subcontract are used, and used by people familiar with them, then everyone involved will sleep easier and be sure that it will be wrapped up on time. Some of the tools that facilitate the automation of some parts of the work relate to:

• HTML validation,
• UI tests (user interface),
• tests for help files in .hlp format,
• tests for help files in .chm format,

Optimization of workflow and project procedure management

• The work should be planned so as to avoid the risk of error propagation. All tasks should be scheduled in such a way as to avoid the risk of being held up by other tasks.
• Objectives will not be achieved unless all resources are allocated rationally.
• The project work should be planned with the aim of distributing the workload equally among the teams involved and making allowances for the contingencies that often arise.

2. Professional localization procedure

What matters in localization is the execution procedure. The right approach to the project is bound to result in the development of a successful product. On the other hand, any attempt to execute the project without careful preparation is likely to have a negative impact on costs, deadlines or product quality, and in a worst-case scenario on all of them. So, strategize, and strategize smart!

Below is a procedure for executing a localization project. Different emphasis should be placed on different stages for different kinds of localization projects. Depending on the specific nature of the projects, some stages will be more complex while other may be less complicated.

1. Analysis and assessment of the project’s size (Sizing)

This is undoubtedly the most important part of the entire process as it affects all the subsequent stages of the localization process. Mis-analysis of specific issues can jeopardize the whole project, substantially raise the costs involved or prolong the project execution process, not to mention the negative impact that it can have on quality.

The size of the project is determined by drawing up a detailed specification of the amount of text to be translated for all the files. Even at this early stage of the project we have to be aware which files contain components for translation. A thorough assessment of the size of the project is crucial for its subsequent execution as it enables us to plan all the stages for all the components such as audio, graphics or text.

2. Project plan

The purpose of a project plan is to:

• allocate tasks and roles to individual teams and team members,
• establish the tools to be used,
• create a project schedule,
• develop escalation procedures (what do we do when faced with additional difficulties),
• develop procedures for information flow and exchange (between translators, software engineers/ programmers, DTP personnel and audio specialists)
• develop a communication model within and between the various teams (and firms) co-operating on the same project,
• set deadlines for completing individual project tasks,
• establish standard forms for submitting inquiries and transparent rules for processing them.

3. Development of support materials

Development of stylistic guidelines and instructions for translators (such documents can be prepared on the basis of existing templates for a given type of project or specifically for the project at hand). Verification procedures (QA): development of adequate procedures for verifying localized material (including instructions for translators) is crucial to the final quality of the project. For example something as obvious as making sure that all hyperlinks in the translated HTML material work properly. If this task is written down as a step in the procedure, we can be sure it won’t be forgotten.

4. Preparation of reference materials

Reference materials are materials available to everyone involved in the localization project, whether translators, proofreaders, engineers or testers. The general principles of preparing such materials are as follows: The more reference materials are prepared the better.

To that end, we can use older versions of documents, help strings or software tests. Obviously, should such materials not be available, where the relevant software is a new product, materials similar in substance can be used (such as similar applications, documents on similar subjects, etc.), All reference materials should be developed with ease of access and browsing in mind. For example, creating 100 reference files will prove useless, as searching through 100 files to clear up a problem identified in the course of the project is too time-consuming.

In this case, relevant documents should be combined into one, with information on source documents/files kept for further reference. For example, HTML files may be pasted into one large file using a tool incorporated in the SDLX software (all versions) or Perl script. Translation Memory translation and terminology databases are the most important reference materials as they are the easiest for translators to access.

Virtually all TM applications feature a translation memory and terminology database integrated with the editing environment for translating. This is the fastest and most convenient way to use this information. We simply block text, and by clicking the relevant key view the search results.

5. TM tool configuration

The proper way to configure a TM tool is as follows:

• Configure the segmentation rules,
• Define words and phrases not to be translated or edited (e.g. proper names).

6. Importing into the TM environment (conversion into the TM application format)

Importing into the TM environment means converting the file we want to translate into the TM application format.

7. Pre-translation (Optional)

Pre-translation is performed if we have a translation memory containing the previous version of a document, for example, or help files or software. Pre-translation brings down the cost of translation, because text that is pre-translated only has to be proofed as part of the project.

8. Translation

The translation is executed using the Translation Memory editing environment, in accordance with stylistic guidelines and using all available reference materials for the project. The functionalities of TM tools increase translator output by providing shortcuts and other labor saving features. Use of TM tools also cuts the costs of both translation and proofreading.

9. Proofreading

Proofreading also needs to be carried out in the Translation Memory editing environment. During the proofreading process, the format of the target document should be previewed as far as possible (some TM applications have a built-in preview function, while in others files have to be exported to be viewed in the target format).

The proofreader can also view the translated text on paper to see the formatting and layout of the target document on an on-going basis. This is useful when translating documents with complex formatting or HTML pages, for example:

When proofreading we use the following functions that are available to support the proofreading process:

• Terminology check (this function uses the project’s terminology base to check that the text has been translated consistently with the stored terminology),
• Spell check (this function checks spelling and usually operates in a similar way to spell checks in popular word processors).
• Formatting correctness check (this function checks that the formatting of the source text has been correctly transferred to the translation; it operates at segment level).

10. Exporting to the target format

This is usually a simple conversion from the working format of the TM application to the target format. In the Trados application and when working with .rtf files, this means simply removing markers inserted for segmentation purposes. In the case of documents saved in a more complex format, this operation may not be error-free, for example when working with FrameMaker files in the Trados application.

11. Functional testing

At the functional testing stage, the end-translated product is checked. The importance and length of this stage of the localization process is determined primarily by the type of the project: software localization projects require compilation and testing, or testing alone in the case of binary files (.exe and .dll). for Website localization projects, we check that all links function properly, all scripts on the site run correctly following localization, and all elements containing language-specific components have been localized.

12. DTP

For professional publications prepared using electronic design software, such as Adobe FrameMaker or QuarkPress, the appearance of the document as a whole is of crucial importance. Attention should be paid to details as fonts, the entire layout (respective location and captions), illustrations, headers and footers. The electronic layout of the text contains all these aspects and many more. There are certain specific issues typical for each file format.

13. Updating translation memory and terminology database

After all changes have been made in the course of functional testing, the translation memory and terminology databases have to be updated. This will ensure that the same mistakes are avoided in similar translations in the future. We can also be sure that the reference materials that can be created from the project will be error-free.

3. Localization support technology

This chapter describes the tools that support the localization process. These tools can be used for any localization or translation project, from a simple translation of a document to the localization of complex software.

Translation Memory tools

These types of tools support translation and proofreading (with the use of TM databases). To learn more about how to use translation memory databases, please consult the definitions at the end of the document.

Translation tools can be used to:

• translate files in virtually any format,
• do a word count of text to be translated in one or more files,
• create and edit the content of Translation Memory – TM
• create and edit the content of Terminology Databases – TDB There is a large number of translation applications available on the market. These include:
  • Trados,
  • SDLX,
  • Déja vu,
  • Transit,
  • WordFast,
  • TransSuite 2000,
  • MetaTexis.

Software localization tools

These are applications for translating files containing software components such as the user interface or application messages. Such applications include:

• SDLinsight,
• Catalyst,
• Passolo.

These types of applications are also equipped with functions for validating (checking the correctness of) translated components. In many cases, these functions are sufficient for checking that the translated software does not contain errors such as messages that do not fit in dialog boxes.

Tools for testing

These applications are used to carry out tests on the user interface, RTF or HTML help texts, and also contain tools for Web site testing. They are useful at the functional testing stage. The starting point for functional testing is usually the consultation of error reports generated by these applications. In most cases, all detected problems can be repaired by means of the editor in the application. Use of these applications does not render manual verification of the localized application redundant. Such applications include:

• SDL Tool Proof,
• SDL Help QA,
• SDL HTMLQA.

Graphic editors

This type of software is used for editing graphic files. The simplest example of graphics localization could be replacing the English caption with a Polish one in the format of the file that contains layers. Localization of complex graphics tends to be extremely time consuming and requires not only excellent knowledge of graphic editors but also artistic talent. Such applications currently available on the market include:

• Adobe Illustrator,
• Adobe Photoshop,
• Corel Draw,
• Paint Shop Pro.

4. Sample project

Below is an example of a typical localization project, which includes the localization of a program as well as the translation of the documentation and help strings. The basic steps are as follows:

• File types are obtained and specific related issues are examined,
• Selection of project tools,
• Project plan identifying the procedures and defining the roles of each member of the project team,
• Translation and proofreading,
• Export to the target format and functionality tests.

4.1 The project in brief

The localization project we obtained was as follows:

• the program was created using the Delphi IDE,
• the online help is in .chm format (compiled html files),
• the PDF documentation was created in Adobe FrameMaker. Note: many times in software localization projects the user interface has the lowest word count for translation. Contrastingly, the UI localization is the most demanding task from a technical point of view, as testing the localized interface is usually a labor-intensive process. All documentation in addition to being translated will require DTP, while online help, in addition to being translated, will also have to be functionality tested.

4.2 Evaluation of project size and adaptation of tools to be used

Suitable tools must be used to evaluate the size of the project and its subparts:

• For software we have the following options:
  • if the source code of the application is available we can decide whether to translate the software in a TM application or using a localization tool (note: not all TM applications can be used to translate source code files; consult the program manual to check),
  • if the source code is not available and compiled files (.exe, .dll, …) have to be localized, an application must be used that can handle these types of files and will be able to extract translatable text. Applications of this type include SDL Insight, Passolo and Catalyst. Each of these tools includes a word count functionality, which, after all files have been analyzed, generates the word count of translatable text in the software. In our project, the total word count of translatable text is 5,400.
• Online help in .chm format We have a total of 2,128 HTML files that make up the application’s online help. If we are using a tool with a built-in functionality for merging all the HTML files in the project into one, we can now import all the files into the TM tool.After importing them into the TM application, the project word count functionality will give a word count of translatable text. Let’s assume that we are using the SDLX application: all the small HTML files are merged into one large file, after which the file is imported into the SDLX Edit Tool. The log file provides a word count for all 2,128 HTML files. We also know the number of internal repetitions, i.e. words and phrases that are repeated in all the documents. Thus we know the actual translation word count.
• Documentation in the FrameMaker format:
  First the .fm files must be saved in .mif format so that they can be imported into the TM application. Then they must be converted to a file format that the application’s editor module can handle. Most tools of this type provide a batch import functionality for files of the same type and save the results into a log file, so that even if large numbers of documents are to be translated, we immediately know the actual translation word count and the number of internal repetitions.

Problems that can arise when evaluating the size of the project:

• If we do not have an application that can fuse all the HTML files into one or more larger files, then we have a serious problem. Translating 2,128 files one by one is feasible, but it is certainly not the optimum solution. The answer is to create an application ourselves. This can be a PERL script, for example, or a simple executable that can be created using any software development environment or even the visual basic editor (or, more accurately, VBA – Visual Basic for Applications) integrated with the Microsoft Office suite or a DLL library with the applicable procedures.
• Problems can also arise with specific file types if our localization tool does not handle a particular file type within the project. In this case all settings for files of this type must be defined.

4.3 Project plan

The project plan must include:

• the time frame for each stage of the project (translation, proofreading, testing),
• specification of reference materials to be used during the project,
• all necessary documents needed for the project, such as instructions for translators, proofreaders and engineers, emphasizing issues to which particular attention must be paid,
• procedures to be followed with regard to project terminology,
• contingency procedures in case of problems,
• a communication arrangement for project related information,
• standard forms for submitting project related inquiries,
• assignment of roles for each member of the localization team for the specific project at hand.

Which of these documents will be required and helpful in a specific project depends, of course, on its size and complexity. For large, complex projects it is worth preparing all the documents listed above in as simple a format as possible, so that they are clear and helpful when the project is underway. Then the time devoted to the preparation of these documents will be time well spent.

If the company does not have an experienced team and is not in a position to analyze the project or prepare a project plan, it can use the consulting services of a localization agency. Localization agencies often provide these services to IT companies free of charge.

It is certainly advisable to use them if the project in hand is large and technically complex (both often go together). Investing into localization expertise will certainly be profitable: lower costs of the translation and avoiding the risk of failing to keep a project deadline. The following reference materials will be used in our sample project:

• the Microsoft glossary, containing terminology used in Microsoft applications and operating systems,
• a TM database aligned from translations of a portal with a functionality very similar to the application we are translating,
• databases of terminology related to asset management and planning,
• during the project we will also be using online dictionaries available on the Internet covering related subject areas.

4.4 Execution of project

It is important that the project be carried out in accordance with the plan prepared in advance and on the basis of the instructions developed for the project. During the project the need may, of course, arise to review some of these items, such as the time frame for a particular task.

Translation of the user interface:

If an application is developed in Borland Delphi, the optimum solution is to use either a localization tool or a TM tool capable of handling this file format. After translation, the text is proofread in the same environment.

Translation of help strings:

If the SDLX application is used, for example:

• the HTML Utilities option is used to merge all the files into six large HTML files, containing approximately 400 source files each,
• these files are imported into the SDLX application (converted from HTML into .ITD, i.e. a file format in which the translations can be carried out using the SDL Edit module)

Functionality tests:

Once the application is compiled, the appearance of all the windows in the application must be checked. It is best to begin this stage of the project by using a tool that can automatically detect UI faults, such as strings that are too long or elements that overlap. Next, the entire application is manually tested by testers with instructions that point to issues specific to a particular application. The results of their work are forwarded in standard report format to the technical teams that rectify any problems.

Translation of documentation:

Documentation can be translated with the use of any Translation Memory application; FrameMaker format is sufficiently popular and is supported by all Computer Aided Translation tools. Proofreading, using the same reference materials, is also done in the TM application. The final step of verification of the translation is a review of the whole translation (preferably in hard copy) to spot errors or defects.

DTP:

The last stage of the project is the final formatting of the documentation. In our example, the FrameMaker application must be used for DTP, as the original documents were developed in this format. Attention must be paid to all details, such as:

• using fonts that correspond to those used in the source document,
• inserting localized image files,
• maintaining page layout so that the appearance of the document is the same as the original.

Summary of the sample project:

The sample project described above covers the issues and problems that can be encountered during localization. It is important to point out here that when handling a particular file format for the first time, specific technical problems connected with translating these files are to be expected.

5. Conclusions

The information and examples provided in this document leave no doubt that localization is a complex process that calls for the use of state-of-the-art technologies and a team of experienced and devoted specialists. Localization teams cannot be set up ad hoc, for example for a particular project only, as that will lead to low quality outcomes. The volume of reference materials that members of localization teams must review is truly huge, resulting often in a very time consuming process. As such, quality localization services are certainly not cheap, but well worth the money spent.

An executive perspective

As the American CEO of one of the fastest growing localization companies in Eastern Europe, and having lived in the region for more than 13 years, you might expect a unique perspective.

However, my observations will probably seem quite standard and actually apply to translation/localization companies all over the world. The arguments I present here are typical of discussions related to off shoring and basing production operations in low cost versus high cost countries.

This article aims to address the state of the translation industry in Eastern Europe, so from here on in by high cost countries I mean those in Western Europe and the by low cost countries I mean those in Eastern Europe.

One disclaimer before I get rolling: There is a big market out there. Even if I suggest that some companies need to change if they are to survive, every well run company, no matter where they are based, can not just survive, but thrive.

OLD EUROPE IS CHANGING

Before we look at “New Europe” we need to see what’s been going on in the so called “Old Europe”. I often hear complaints from Western European companies like, “Prices are coming down…”, “Our clients are squeezing us all the time…”, or “Turnaround times are dropping…it’s tougher than it used to be…”.

Most good Western European translation companies are comfortable businesses. They are excellent translation companies providing very high quality services into a growing market. They have had a good 10-15 years of relatively high margins in high cost countries doing predominantly French, Italian, German, Spanish, as well as a handful of other languages.

I think a change that is occurring though is that the market has become more competitive, there are more companies out there and many West translation companies are not geared toward more aggressive sales and marketing. Added to this, due to the phenomena of offshoring translation work, prices are coming down and it’s harder to offer competitive pricing in high cost countries. Here, the issue of sales becomes important.

It must be rocket science

Sales is relatively simple in theory, but doing it is hard work. It’s not (and never was) just about putting an advertisement in a trade magazine or setting up a stand at an industry event and waiting for things to happen. It’s grunt work, it’s cold calling people systematically by the thousand, it’s doing niche market trade shows (well and thoroughly), it’s making lots of personal visits and tracking everything meticulously. It’s educating the market about why localization matters and not just selling to the converted.

There has been a tendency in the translation industry for companies to rely too heavily on fat cats (big, rich localizers). Many companies get one or two such clients, lock them in by deeply understanding their business and documentation processes and over time come to expect that they can live happily ever after off of such stable high price clients.

Well folks, times have changed. The “New Europe” has arrived (and not only the New Europe, but the New China, the New and Improved Argentina, and developing countries everywhere). A more mature market with more competition is developing. The big localizers are the most mature purchasers of translation services, and often have global sales and need to localize into developing countries’ languages. They are among the first to move their business to low cost countries (it’s already happening) when they realize they can get the same quality as in more developed countries.

Often the sales/marketing angle among translation/localization companies is about how hard our job is, how very complicated and difficult it is. As much as everyone in our industry wants to make what we do look like rocket science, unfortunately it’s not. Sure it’s hard, but every business is hard these days. We need (like everyone else) to have the right processes in place and to ADD VALUE. This is where the real problem lies with Old Europe.

Being a good translator used to be enough!

Every business needs to ask itself whether or not it is adding value through its processes. A business shouldn’t exist if it doesn’t add value. The value added in a translation business is first and foremost a proven business process to handle the complex task of multilingual translation or software localization. This translates into a need for excellent project management, top quality resource recruitment, and the technical skills of localization engineers and DTP experts who can work under pressure and excel at troubleshooting problems that occur in the process.

The differentiator here is operational efficiency. The translation company that provides the well organized, efficient processes and the experienced resources at the lowest possible cost will prevail. The main problem that many Western European translation companies have to face now is the ability to offer their clients cost savings. The business process of providing high quality high quality translation/localization services is quite simple (there are a lot more complicated business processes out there). This is not to say that it’s easy.

And yes, there are many, many companies out there that have bad processes in BOTH high cost and low cost countries. The bad news for high cost service providers is that an increasing number of companies do this well or very well in low cost countries and this number will grow. This is where the problem really lies for Western European translation/localization service providers and an important question arises from this difficulty.

What do I do when my clients keep asking for cost savings?

Well here are some obvious choices for Western European translation companies:

• Reduce costs. Cut what I pay my vendors, hire cheaper employees and lower my infrastructure costs, but all this really does is lower quality. This is a recipe for disaster.
• Scream at my clients about the importance of quality, how much money it costs to guarantee it and the risk they are putting their businesses in when outsourcing their work to cheaper countries. This might work for a while, but sooner or later clients will wise up to the fact that cheaper does not necessarily mean lower quality.
• Shut down my Western European office and set up a new office in Eastern Europe. Why hire cheap labor in London when you can hire the top flight labor in Moscow? This is clearly the best of the 3 options. It’s logical, it isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible either. It will take a lot of work, which nobody really wants, and the truth for most translation owners is very simply, “I don’t want to spend half my life in Moscow.”

What can Western European companies do?

In my opinion the only production facilities in Western Europe that can survive are the ones that process very high volumes of work. But even the larger players will have their production facilities in China and other low cost countries. Nobody needs to see the so-called back office and the major players can keep sales offices in all the strategic locations.

I believe there will always be room for smaller “boutiques” that specialize in niche sectors. Smaller projects in niche sectors can be less price sensitive and these local companies should thrive by offering high quality local customer service. This is exactly what I would do if I were running a translation company in Western Europe. I’d make sure I am not doing everything, I’d become highly specialized in a certain field, and focus all my sales and marketing energy on that.

In addition I would try to service the smaller and medium size companies in my local market that are just starting to think about going global. Stick with local markets, where no one can talk to your neighbors as well as you can.

Doesn’t quality matter at all?

This may sound like I am arguing that all that matters is price, but that is not what I think. Quality is a default element that every company needs to provide in order to succeed. I am not even thinking about companies that do not offer a high quality translation service, on time and on budget. They are doomed. I am talking about a more troubling phenomena where really good companies, with excellent processes are having trouble competing due to their location and their cost structure.

SO WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT EASTERN EUROPE?

Many of these arguments apply just as well for China and Argentina as they do for any country here in Eastern Europe. So what are the main advantages of having your production facility in Eastern Europe, apart from price? Here are three important factors:

1. People. Eastern Europe is a hotbed of young talent. These countries boast a highly qualified and well educated workforce that is both ambitious and fluent in foreign languages. We are in Europe and are used to dealing with European cultures. It is much easier to do business and create productive work environments when you don’t have to tackle the issue of major cultural differences.
2. Location. With the advent of low cost airlines ($100 roundtrip to most major European cities), Eastern Europe is 1-2 hours away from a vast number of very attractive markets. The compactness of Europe (in comparison to the US) makes the client acquisition process much more efficient. We operate out of the same time zone as most of Europe and we can be there tomorrow (if not today). With the right organization in place a company can have a low cost production facility teamed with a Western European sales force. It’s compelling, isn’t it?
3. Technology. Many people don’t realize how technically advanced Eastern European countries are. Many Eastern European companies are more technically advanced than their Western European counterparts. Eastern European countries leapfrogged with regards to technology, from having nothing to having the most modern IT infrastructure available. A big part of this is also psychological. The massive changes that have taken place in these countries may have some negative consequences from a sociological point of view, but the fact that people are generally willing to accept change is key when implementing new technology.

What are the challenges?

If I have made it sound like operating out of Eastern Europe is just plain wonderful, with only benefits, and no drawbacks. Here are some of the poison pills you’ll have to swallow with your cake:

• No local clients. This is one of the main disadvantages to operating out of Eastern Europe. The local market for translation and localization services is just plain terrible. There is no culture of being ready to pay for high quality translation. Translation is looked upon as a secretarial task that anyone can do and the key is to choose the cheapest. I have been to many meetings with the Eastern European management of Global 100 companies and have felt about as important to their business as a garbage man (ooops, politically correct, “waste disposal specialist”). This means that we have to sell abroad to make a living.
• Some turnover of staff is inevitable. It is just part of the game and you have to deal with it. The truth is there has been and will continue to be a large “brain drain” exodus of skilled workers to the West. We’ve lost some good people, but fortunately thanks to the job market we have had relatively little problem with staffing.
• Try competing against Euro 0.03 per source word. Think price competition is stiff in Western Europe. Check out what it’s like here in Eastern Europe. You can’t get quality for that price, but it is a market reality which means more money and effort to educate the local market if that is what you go after any local business.
• Bureaucracy is a nightmare. People all over the world complain about bureaucracy, but I can’t imagine it gets much worse than Eastern Europe (maybe China, but I can’t even imagine that). There are so many crazy rules to run a company according to regulations. I can’t speak for all Eastern European countries, but I can speak for Poland and say that the commercial code was written for manufacturing facilities, not office work. Can you imagine that we have to pay to have people train us on office safety and if we don’t we can be fined or closed down. We are a translation company, not a factory and this is only one small example.

How about some cold hard facts?

Ok, I understand that what this article clearly needs is a table or something really juicy and of enormous value. How much do things really cost in Eastern Europe? The table below provides an estimate of the costs for a translation company in Eastern Europe.

Please take this as no more than a very rough indicator; costs change from country to country, e.g., Slovene is far more expensive than Bulgarian. It is useful as a point of reference though.

Most serious Eastern European service providers would probably agree with these figures. If we look at these figures in Western European terms, Euro 0.05-0.06 for infrastructure and fixed costs is quite a bargain. It is important to be aware that some costs are the same in Western and Eastern Europe.

You can’t get legal Trados or SDLX licenses any cheaper in Poland or the Czech Republic than in Western Europe. Every computer has to have an operating system and other basic software as well. Also linguistic costs tend to be the same for everyone. We may be able to negotiate a bit better being based in Eastern Europe, but the figure to focus on here is the cost of infrastructure per word.

A BOLD PREDICTION

The next big player will come from Eastern Europe and it will be Moravia in the Czech Republic. They are currently ranked 15th according to Common Sense Advisory’s ranking of the top 20 translation companies in the world.

I’d be willing to bet that Moravia moves into the top 5 within the next 5 years (providing they don’t get bought out) and then who knows… Look out Lionbridge and SDL! I like their strategy and I like their approach to sales.

Why would I be promoting a competitor? Well first of all I think it’s good for Argos Translations to draw attention to other successful organizations from our region of the world. Also, as I have already mentioned there is plenty of market out there for all of us to share. I don’t see anyone cornering the market in the translation industry, I just have a feeling that a much larger share of it will be located in Eastern Europe five years from now.

About the Author

Kevin Fountoukidis is the CEO of the Argos Translations Company Ltd. based in Krakow, Poland.

Mittel- und osteuropäische Sprachen

Deutsch in mittel- und osteuropäische Sprachen:

Westeuropäische Sprachen

Deutsch in westeuropäische Sprachen:

Asiatische Sprachen

Deutsch in asiatische Sprachen:

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• Localization engineer plays a key engineering role in day-to-day translation/localization projects

Responsibilities:

• Create and improve localization workflows in close cooperation with the clients
• Maintain localization kits provided by the clients: prepare data for quotes, maintain translatable content during the translation process, prepare delivery kits
• Build, compile and test localized products
• Automate the workflow processes, drive, implement and document best localization practices
• Help third party vendors and other engineers with any localization-related issues

Requirements:

• Work experience in a similar position, not necessarily in a translation agency structure
• Hands-on experience with various tools: SDL Trados, SDLX, Wordfast, MemoQ, Swordfish, Heartsome, LocStudio/Helium, RC-WinTrans, Passolo
• Experience with server systems (SDL Trados TM/MultiTerm Server/TMS, Idiom WorldServer, GlobalSight, Across) will be an additional asset
• Programming skills will be an additional asset
• Experience with working on non-English platforms
• Ability to train others and share knowledge

Interested job applicants are welcome to send their CV and cover letter in English to:

it.jobs@argostranslations.com

Please include the code: LOC in the e-mail subject line.

Please include the following statement: “I hereby authorize you to process my personal data included in my job application for the needs of this and future recruitment processes at ARGOS COMPANY Ltd. Sp. z o.o., ul. Mogilska 100, 31-546 Kraków, Poland (in accordance with the Personnel Protection Act of 29.08.1997 no. 133 position 883).”