Boston-based Fund Company Automates Monthly Fact Sheets Produced in 12 Languages
Summary:
The marketing department at a major Boston-based mutual fund company launched a catalog of fact sheets for 50 funds. These fact sheets have class-specific variations in 12 languages and are refreshed monthly.
The Opportunity:
This mutual fund company needed a solution for producing over 15,000 pages annually with 100% accuracy in data handling and translation. This activity would require a truly intelligent and high-capacity system. Data and language sharing must be automatic and the system must support integrations with internally-provided data services and outsourced translation services.
The Solution:
The Synthesis document automation platform was the ideal solution for this firm. The component-based software design allows them to produce a large volume of multi-language factsheets very quickly and accurately.
- XML data is automatically received and staged so that it populates accurately throughout all documents.
- English-language materials are reviewed first by small team of marketing users. As the English versions are approved, the system automatically sends component-level translation requests to a third party translation firm (MerrillBrink). Only revised or new language is sent for translation, drastically reducing both translation costs and turnaround times.
- The translation interchange is automatically managed through a series of XML-based transactions between Synthesis and MerrillBrink.
- Supporting translation review, a marked up version of English and translated material is displayed term-by-term so that native speakers can see in-line edits.
- A simple collateral matrix is used to manage which materials should be translated into which languages.
- Marketing users also have the ability to rearrange document layouts based on available data and page-fitting aesthetics.
Results:
Over 200 English documents are production-ready within 10 business days after month-end. Most of the additional 500 translated documents are production-ready within 5-7 business days thereafter. The entire process is managed by a small team of marketing users. This team has been able to meet all expectations and deliver their materials on schedule since the system was launched.
