Maintaining Corporate Memory

It’s been said that the most terrible lie humans tell themselves is “I don’t need to write that down, I’ll remember it later.” We’ve all experienced that moment later on where we think, “I wish I had written down that crucial piece of information!”

As the strange journey of the post-pandemic labor market continues, we’re seeing a similar dynamic in many companies and agencies. High turnover in general and The Great Resignation, in particular, are causing a kind of corporate memory loss as employees depart and important knowledge leaves with them. This leads to staff losing access to translated materials or even to the process of requesting interpreters and translations. In some cases, we’ve found that we were asked to translate the same document more than once because the first translation we created was lost or no one was aware it had been done.

All this adds up to lost time and unnecessary costs. Plus, it adds an additional layer of frustration on top of those caused by a tight labor market and challenging economic conditions, and makes it more difficult to serve customers. In this article, we’ll examine some relatively simple steps that create clear corporate memory around the process of obtaining and using language services.

Start Simply: Write It Down and Store It in a Central Repository

Begin by making sure that a copy of any document translations you already have is stored in a common digital space that everyone can access, such as a Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive. You may also want to create a repository of physical copies. This set of physical files should also be in a central location which anyone who works with translated materials can easily access.

In addition to translated documents, an online document everyone has access to should include the names and contact information for any language services companies you typically work with.

Establish an ID Label Procedure

Adopt a single ID format for labeling translated documents, and ensure every employee who uses them is familiar with the format and makes use of it. A date should be included in the label format. This will not only prevent duplicate translations of the same document, it will also make it easier to track versions when changes are made.

Create SOPs for Obtaining and Using Language Services

A set of Standard Operating Procedures should also be in the central repository. This will preserve more than the translations themselves, but also the institutional knowledge of how best to use them.

These SOPs should cover at least the following subjects:

  • Requesting translations and/or interpreter services
  • Instructions for handling translations and new versions of them
  • Best practices for working with interpreters

In the case of requesting services, include detailed instructions that include the contact information for the language company or companies your team uses, and what modalities—Video Remote Interpretation (VRI), Over the Phone Interpretation (OPI), onsite interpretation—you typically use, etc.

Ask if Your Translation Agency Will Allow Scheduling Access

Most language companies use scheduling software to keep their customer services on track. Ask if they will allow you access to this software and provide training on how to use it. Using these tools will save time for both teams, and eliminate duplication. For example, if interpreters are already scheduled on certain days, you will be able to see this ahead of time on the schedule.

If you use an internal communications and management suite such as Basecamp or Slack, you may want to consider giving the language agency’s team access to it as another way to make coordination easier.

Raise the Issue in Exit Interviews

Exit interviews are often focused on why a person is leaving a company and what that means for retention efforts, but they can be a great opportunity to learn from an employee that is leaving on good terms. No matter how much is written down, there will always be useful techniques and knowledge that employees have developed on their own. Ask if they can share these, and be sure to ask if they have any last-minute input on how to make your language services process smoother.

Maintaining Corporate Memory

It’s been said that the most terrible lie humans tell themselves is “I don’t need to write that down, I’ll remember it later.” We’ve all experienced that moment later on where we think, “I wish I had written down that crucial piece of information!”

As the strange journey of the post-pandemic labor market continues, we’re seeing a similar dynamic in many companies and agencies. High turnover in general and The Great Resignation, in particular, are causing a kind of corporate memory loss as employees depart and important knowledge leaves with them. This leads to staff losing access to translated materials or even to the process of requesting interpreters and translations. In some cases, we’ve found that we were asked to translate the same document more than once because the first translation we created was lost or no one was aware it had been done.

All this adds up to lost time and unnecessary costs. Plus, it adds an additional layer of frustration on top of those caused by a tight labor market and challenging economic conditions, and makes it more difficult to serve customers. In this article, we’ll examine some relatively simple steps that create clear corporate memory around the process of obtaining and using language services.

Start Simply: Write It Down and Store It in a Central Repository

Begin by making sure that a copy of any document translations you already have is stored in a common digital space that everyone can access, such as a Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive. You may also want to create a repository of physical copies. This set of physical files should also be in a central location which anyone who works with translated materials can easily access.

In addition to translated documents, an online document everyone has access to should include the names and contact information for any language services companies you typically work with.

Establish an ID Label Procedure

Adopt a single ID format for labeling translated documents, and ensure every employee who uses them is familiar with the format and makes use of it. A date should be included in the label format. This will not only prevent duplicate translations of the same document, it will also make it easier to track versions when changes are made.

Create SOPs for Obtaining and Using Language Services

A set of Standard Operating Procedures should also be in the central repository. This will preserve more than the translations themselves, but also the institutional knowledge of how best to use them.

These SOPs should cover at least the following subjects:

  • Requesting translations and/or interpreter services
  • Instructions for handling translations and new versions of them
  • Best practices for working with interpreters

In the case of requesting services, include detailed instructions that include the contact information for the language company or companies your team uses, and what modalities—Video Remote Interpretation (VRI), Over the Phone Interpretation (OPI), onsite interpretation—you typically use, etc.

Ask if Your Translation Agency Will Allow Scheduling Access

Most language companies use scheduling software to keep their customer services on track. Ask if they will allow you access to this software and provide training on how to use it. Using these tools will save time for both teams, and eliminate duplication. For example, if interpreters are already scheduled on certain days, you will be able to see this ahead of time on the schedule.

If you use an internal communications and management suite such as Basecamp or Slack, you may want to consider giving the language agency’s team access to it as another way to make coordination easier.

Raise the Issue in Exit Interviews

Exit interviews are often focused on why a person is leaving a company and what that means for retention efforts, but they can be a great opportunity to learn from an employee that is leaving on good terms. No matter how much is written down, there will always be useful techniques and knowledge that employees have developed on their own. Ask if they can share these, and be sure to ask if they have any last-minute input on how to make your language services process smoother.

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