The pace of the language industry has changed. Due to a whole host of factors, not least AI, expectations relating to turnaround time have seen a dramatic increase – and ASAP has become the new normal.
In this interview, Heike Leinhäuser, managing director and co-owner of Leinhäuser Language Services GmbH, explains how her team have turned this pressure into their competitive advantage, how they achieve top quality even when working to tight deadlines, and why returning to a slower pace is no longer an option.
Heike, on a scale of one (slow) to ten (very fast), what kind of speed is expected for top-level translations and adaptations today?
A good 9 – for most of our clients and regardless of service.
This is what our clients expect and we as service providers need to be able to deliver. So we’ve fine-tuned our operations to be able to meet these new demands.
I’ll use an example to explain.
Let’s say we receive a request for an adaptation of a press release. These texts are usually around 200 words long. Once we’ve received the final text, we’ll confirm the order within twenty minutes, and deliver the adapted text within two to three hours – way faster than the standard turnaround time of 24 hours.
If we guarantee delivery at 3 p.m., then we’ll deliver by 3 p.m. – at the latest.
Rock-solid reliability is part of our quality promise.
When did expectations related to turnaround times begin to change?
It’s really been over the last five years that we’ve witnessed client expectations change so significantly, so we were heading in this direction even before ChatGPT entered on the scene.
We’ve adapted well to this “new normal,” and our clients know they can count on us for speed and quality.
The pandemic was also a turning point because during that time, communications were more vital than ever, and given the nature of the situation, time was constantly of the essence.
Of course, with LLMs, expectations from marketing departments have also increased. Though there are also text types that require a rapid “human” response, for example, when it comes to handling confidential texts such as financial reports.
For these text types, we have very specific processes in place and we’ve built up an impressive team of specialists to be able to meet the new demands of quality at speed.
For quality and speed, you need professionals with linguistic expertise and subject specific knowledge. Only trained specialists can deliver real quality to tight deadlines.
Heike Leinhäuser, Managing Director of Leinhäuser Language Services GmbH
Which text types usually come with the tightest deadlines?
All of them. Communications take place so rapidly these days.
Nobody wants to wait for content anymore. As early as 2021, we were offering our additional Priority Lane service, which consists in preferential access to our fast-track translation, adaptation, and copywriting services.
“Priority lane” has long since become the new normal. Many of our clients also call it the “fast lane.” Fast is standard.
What are the risks for your clients if their texts are not ready on time
I wouldn’t necessarily speak of risks here.
The deciding factor, really, is the text’s ultimate purpose. A press release that comes out even a few hours late has already missed the boat.
Delayed financial reports can have legal consequences. And when it comes to e-commerce, if your texts aren’t localized in time for product launches, your product won’t sell – it’s as simple as that.
So we’re talking a matter of hours in such cases. We understand this and we’re prepared for it. Our business model is all about our clients seeing us as an extension of their own teams.
We don’t just deliver texts, we deliver service: We understand what our clients need and deliver accordingly. Our strength is in reacting quickly and ensuring that no details get left out. We’re just like an internal team member, occasionally also working directly in clients’ in-house channels.
Heike Leinhäuser, Managing Director of Leinhäuser Language Services GmbH
How do you ensure quality under such circumstances?
Through expertise and established processes.
We have around forty linguists from ten different countries in house alone. And our linguists aren’t a separate team, they’re also account managers, so they oversee processes end to end.
Additionally, we have an extensive external network of freelancers as well as an internal language engineering team.
It’s our carefully thought out systems that make all the difference. Our channels are short and direct.
Every client works with a dedicated team whom they can contact via a personal email or phone number. And, as I said, our account managers are linguists themselves: If need be, they can also deliver high-quality texts to tight deadlines.
Of course, we always have a second person review any text we deliver. This is to ensure technical and linguistic accuracy as well as adherence to consistent terminology.
Our clients have dedicated teams, so it’s easy for them to update one another. Small changes can be made in minutes and this responsiveness is indispensable for our clients.
Heike Leinhäuser, Managing Director of Leinhäuser Language Services GmbH
To what extent does AI help you to maintain this pace?
We see generative AI as another member of our team. It’s fast, efficient, and consistent.
It can be especially useful for short texts.
But our real added value begins where AI reaches its limits.
We understand nuance and context, can anticipate potential pitfalls, and can proactively initiate steps to avoid them.
And what do you need from your clients in this regard?
We need a solid briefing right from the off to set clear expectations, then we can review best practices and shape our processes to achieve results. This enables us to create a bespoke database for each of our clients.
We’ll request specifics such as the purpose and intended tonality of your texts and then we’ll take care of the rest:
On-time delivery, confidential workflows, and migration solutions without media disruptions.
We’re like an add-on to our clients’ existing processes and systems. Thanks to our language engineering team, we can easily adapt to technical requirements, minimizing the need for too much “back and forth.” This ensures quality and saves time.
Heike Leinhäuser, Managing Director of Leinhäuser Language Services GmbH
How does subject specific knowledge influence the pace?
Without subject specific knowledge, speed and quality in corporate communications just aren’t possible, which is why our account managers are both language and subject matter experts.
The result is well-informed, targeted, persuasive copy that can be used straightaway.
What role does native fluency play in terms of pace?
It cannot be overstated.
Only in your mother tongue can you write and adapt at your best, so our professionals only ever adapt copy in their native language.
Are there limits to speed?
I think it’s more a matter of what’s feasible.
And yes, there are limits.
But as professionals, we know where they lie. Between guaranteeing quality, delivering to tight turnaround times, and applying subject specific knowledge, we’re inevitably confronted with the limits of what’s feasible now and then.
And that’s when we look at where we can tweak things, work out compromises, and present workable alternative solutions.
What measures are you taking at Leinhäuser to become even better at responding to the new normal?
The technical landscape is evolving but so are we. Something that’s really making a difference is our increased availability outside of traditional office hours.
Our customers are always grateful for our flexibility. We can adjust to changing requirements and can support as and when needed.
Our extended availability gives us the flexibility that ultimately drives economic success today. We are there for our clients when they need us.
Heike Leinhäuser, Managing Director of Leinhäuser Language Services GmbH
Do you sometimes wish you could slow down a bit?
No!
At Leinhäuser, speed is not an issue – our systems are designed to deliver high quality, fast. And knowing how much our clients appreciate us gets us through the peak delivery periods, after which things invariably calm down again.
And we know: As a team, we can do it!
Redaktionsteam Leinhäuser
Sprachen sind unsere Leidenschaft. Deswegen nehmen wir regelmäßig auch aktuelle Entwicklungen und neue Tools unter die Lupe, die sich auf die Welt der Kommunikation auswirken. In verschiedenen Blogbeiträgen teilen unsere internen Expertinnen und Experten ihr Wissen und ihre Erkenntnisse zu spezifischen Bereichen unseres Portfolios und beleuchten wichtige Zukunftstrends für unsere Branche. Von kreativem Schreiben über Nachhaltigkeitsberichte bis hin zur Programmierung – jedes Mitglied unseres Teams zeichnet sich durch ein einzigartiges Profil aus und trägt so einem vielfältigen Gesamtbild bei.
