| Paid Research - Membership Required |
| The Buyer-Supplier Quality Gap |
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| Keywords |
| Translation quality, translation quality standards, translation quality specifications, linguists' subject-matter expertise, specialized translation vendors, translation customer service, translation vendor views, translation supplier views, technical a |
Abstract |
| How do vendors and purchasers of translation services view quality? Where do their ideas about quality align, and where do they diverge? Based on our surveys of both groups, this 19-page report discusses the differences between buyer and supplier perspectives on the topic of translation quality. This report reveals the differences in viewpoints between LSPs and their clients in the areas of vendor humility, customer service, branding importance, linguists' subject matter expertise, and more. It also provides suggestions for closing the quality gap. |
Benefits |
| In General: Quality only matters when it is clearly defined, so understanding the differences between vendor and buyer views is essential. This report sheds light on which areas of quality are most important to purchasers of translation services as well as which categories suppliers think are most important, revealing the gap between the perspectives of both groups. |
| For Buyers: Companies that purchase translation services can use this report to discover the most common areas of misunderstanding between buyer and supplier views of quality to improve communication regarding these matters. Purchasing organizations can gain insight into which quality indicators display the largest potential for confusion in order to produce clearer and more specific requirements for vendors. |
| For Suppliers: Suppliers can use this report to better understand which quality criteria matter most to their customers and to determine which areas are commonly misunderstood by competitors. LSPs can use this information to improve their marketing and sales strategies, identify potential areas of competitive advantage, and improve relationships with existing customers. |
Physical Details |
| Authors: Nataly Kelly and Donald A. DePalma |
| Date: 29 September 2008 |
| ISBN: 978-1-933555-58-4 |
| Pages: 19 |
Table of Contents |
- Topic
- Vox Populi
- Profile of the Buyers Who Responded
- Demographics of Supply-Side Participants
- Measuring the Gap: Buyers and Vendors Agree and Disagree
- Everyone Agrees on One Thing – Technical Accuracy Matters Most
- Buyers and Vendors Disagree on the Importance of Vendor Humility
- Linguistic Accuracy Plays an Important Role in Quality
- Suppliers Miscalculate the Importance of Customer Service
- Buyers Want Linguists with Subject Matter Expertise
- Vendors and Buyers See Eye to Eye on Branding Importance
- Standards Matter Little, but More than Vendors Believe
- Views on Vendor Specialization Differ Only Slightly
- Vendors Underestimate the Importance of Culture for Buyers
- Buyers and Suppliers Mostly Agree on Quality Assurance Roles
- Buyer and Supplier Beliefs about Accountability Differ Greatly
- Conclusions from Our Surveys
- Implications
- Vendors Can Bridge the Quality Gap with Four Steps
- Buyers that Communicate Build Better Relationships with Vendors
- Figures
- Figure 1: Technical Accuracy as Viewed by Buyers and Suppliers
- Figure 2: Vendor Humility as Viewed by Buyers and Suppliers
- Figure 3: Linguistic Accuracy as Viewed by Buyers and Suppliers
- Figure 4: Customer Service as Viewed by Buyers and Suppliers
- Figure 5: Linguists’ Subject Matter Expertise as Viewed by Buyers and Suppliers
- Figure 6: Branding Importance as Viewed by Buyers and Suppliers
- Figure 7: Standards and Specifications Buyer and Vendor Views of
- Figure 8: Vendor Specialization as Viewed by Buyers and Suppliers
- Figure 9: Cultural Relevance as Viewed by Buyers and Suppliers
- Figure 10: Quality Process Participants as Viewed by Buyers and Suppliers
- Figure 11: Individual Accountability as Viewed by Buyers and Suppliers
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