Our solution for seemingly impossible translation deadlines – SPCs in the spotlight

Chemicals is one of the main fields in which Eurideas specialises. We translate and edit chemical documents daily, including safety data sheets (SDS), Exposure Scenarios, official certificates and summaries of product characteristics, aka SPCs (see here for a previous blog post about general aspects of translating SPCs).

Sometimes we translate SPCs from scratch. In other cases, we update previous translations. We can manage all such tasks in the .xml format of the SPC Editor! We’ve devised a highly efficient method for situations in which our clients have a tight schedule for submitting the language versions of long SPCs or need to update an SPC based on the Commission’s feedback. It might sound daunting – especially if the text needs to be translated into several languages – but Eurideas is up for the challenge!

Let’s take a look at how we can translate SPCs into as many as 25 languages in 5 days!

Generally, we ask our partners to send us the final translatable document. There are cases however, when it’s better to receive the draft version first! If, for instance, a document containing several thousand words needs to be translated into all the official languages of the EU, plus Norwegian and Icelandic (i.e. a total of 25 languages), the translation process takes several days. But what if we have only 5 days for the task?

If the translations are required to be submitted within 5 days of the Commission’s approval of the English version of the SPC, a flexible and creative working method is called for. Translating in two stages can be advantageous here: our translators can take their time working on the draft version; then once the final version has been approved by the EC, they can update the translations within a few days. The bulk of the work takes place in the first stage. Both the translators and our quality assurance team have enough time at their disposal. Of course, planning is key here – we need to know in advance when we can start updating the translations of the first draft and make sure that our team of linguists is available. Thanks to a tailor-made translation process and going the extra mile, a seemingly impossible deadline can be met.

Of course, we may need to translate the final version within 5 working days, with no time to translate the draft first and then update it after it has been approved by the Commission. That is also feasible if the SPC is not too long and we know about the job in advance. However, that method of translating the SPC puts all participants in the translation process under some stress, which might be a potential source of errors (which naturally we all want to avoid).

It’s important to note that we can save time and be more cost-effective if we’ve already built a translation memory for our partner that we can use for the new translation or update. It’s therefore worth thinking long-term and assigning all translation and updating work to the translation agency that can handle your projects most efficiently.

A solution that works well for SPCs can work for other types of documents too. Similar customised workflows can be developed for other projects. No matter how long the text or how short the deadline, it’s always worth asking us if we can get the job done.