How Stanley Black & Decker cut translation costs by 70% and improved efficiencies
As part of their localization strategy to help international end clients get the most out of their tools, the eCommerce team at Stanley Black & Decker wanted to translate their Learning and Development training materials into several languages. To streamline the process, the company started using the Smartcat translation platform, quickly seeing the benefits when translation speed, spending, and quality improved.
Achieved results
50-70%
Reduced translation costs
2-week
Decrease in average translation turnaround time
100%
Quality with Automated Project Management
The Challenge
Operating in more than 40 countries, the localization of learning and development content is a part of Stanley Black & Decker’s corporate mission to ensure that global end users understand how their products fit their needs.
The goals
Produce and distribute more training materials – much faster than before – across different demographics, in order to meet their overall corporate communication goals.
Translate Learning and Development materials, such as online courses, quizzes, PDFs, Word docs, PowerPoint presentations, and P&P books with InDesign as well as localize emails. The aim was to translate into six languages.
Prior to using Smartcat, the eCommerce team at Stanley Black & Decker did not have a unified way of handling translations, including how to collaborate with stakeholders, manage resources, or store linguistic assets.
Problems they faced without a comprehensive translation platform
1
Translation costs were higher than necessary
often due to expensive agency rates or lack of a platform that learns from each translation and can reuse existing content where relevant
2
Processes were fragmented
across several non-translation related software solutions
3
Manual work was excessive
due to a lack of automation and integration with Stanley Black & Decker’s existing tech stack.
4
Invoicing multiple suppliers was complex
Invoicing multiple suppliers was complex
5
There was no quality assurance process.
The Solution
The eCommerce Team responsible for Learning and Development wanted to increase translation turnaround times in a significant way, from weeks to a matter of days. After hearing about Smartcat automation, they decided to try solving their challenges using the platform to cover all of their translation needs.
They believed that the combination of features and functions it offered would help them meet their goals more quickly:
1
AI translation:
combined machine and human language processing for faster speed to market and budget optimization
2
Collaborative Translation Management System (TMS) workflows:
improved efficiency and project transparency for stakeholders
3
Marketplace of 500,000 vetted translators:
better collaboration with professional linguists, with suppliers available round the clock
4
Unified procurement platform:
less time spent on accounting with only one agreement necessary and one invoice to pay suppliers
Smartcat Automated Project Management
Smartcat’s AI and automation technology will source the perfect translator for each project (based on your content and the skills and track record of the translator) and deliver the completed job with guarantees on budget, timeline, and quality.
Projects under Smartcat’s Automated Project Management are monitored 24 hours a day with no downtime, and, like the rest of the platform, are data-protected. Companies have complete transparency throughout the process and are able to collaborate directly with translators in order to generate the highest quality results.
AI translations
This unique offering is a combination of adaptive learning algorithms, which take advantage of translation memories, glossaries, and brand voice/tone to produce the most accurate and high-quality results.
Transparent and flexible project management
With regard to workflows, the centralized nature of Smartcat’s platform means all stakeholders are in sync and experience smooth communication. All the content and translation documentation is stored and accessible in one spot, making it easy for everyone to follow and understand the translation process.
Stanley Black & Decker also enjoys the simple, user-friendly UI, and flexible nature of the Smartcat platform, which has an unlimited seat model. With the ability to create separate project folders by market or business discipline and custom streamlined workflows for each business unit, Stanley Black & Decker can have their own workflow that still takes advantage of company-wide intelligence made possible by Smartcat’s adaptive AI.
Separate projects also lets business units attribute the correct billing information to the specific cost center. For example, the company has operations in Benelux and the Nordics, which have their own cost center, so there’s no longer a need to cross-charge internally.
File and document support
The team at Stanley Black & Decker also regularly use Smartcat’s easy file translation feature. They found they could quickly upload or drag & drop documents of any format, such as Google Docs, Google Sheets, Word, VTT, Excel, InDesign, or PDF, and have it instantly translated, while keeping the document’s formatting intact.
Being able to create multiple projects also lets them attribute the correct billing information to the different cost centers. For example, they operate in Benelux and the Nordics, each having their own billing details, so they no longer need to cross-charge internally.
Website translations for eCommerce
Recently, more members of the eCommerce team in Europe have also started using the platform after seeing the Learning & Development team’s positive results. They have been able to translate web pages, including product descriptions, features, and benefits, into 6 languages.
The results
Stanley Black & Decker were able to reduce translation costs by up to 70%, significantly reduce the turnaround time, and keep quality consistent throughout.
They experienced noticeable results since switching to Smarcat for all of their translation needs including costs, internal resources, and turnaround time. They were able to translate digital learning modules and quizzes into six languages in days rather than weeks.
50-70%
reduced on translation costs
2-week
reduction in turnaround times
100%
quality with Automated Project Management
The company produced more and kept quality high, while saving time and costs overall.