Localisation Standards – A Competitive Advantage ? Damian Scattergood.

Localisation Standards – A Competitive Advantage ?

Damian Scattergood

STAR Technology Solutions

“Only adopt a Standard to gain competitive advantage

for your business”

Damian Scattergood 2003


Standards Today

• Producers:• Implemented ad hoc: Html 4.x, 5.x, XLIFF 1.0, 1.x. TMX.

• Large Tool Vendors:• Say they do, but implement partially what they want.

• Smaller Vendors:• Implement partially to gain business from others.

• So everyone is as good/bad. No sustainable advantage.


If standards were cars

• Great ROI

• Great acceleration 0-60 rates, will get you there faster.

• Fuel Consumption is great, much cheaper.

• Focused on specific functional ‘Value’.

• So the industry fails to gain any real benefits.

• We all focus on short term value.


Competitive Advantage

• Michael Porter on Competitive Advantage

• The fundamental basis of above average profitability in the long run is sustainable competitive advantage.

• Two basic types a firm can possess: • Low cost.

• Differentiation.

• Three Generic Strategies to achieve competitive advantage.


Generic Strategies for Competitive Advantage

1. Cost Leadership

3a. Cost Focus

2. Differentiation

3b. Differentiation Focus

Lower Cost Differentiation

Broad Target

Narrow Target

© Micheal Porter

Ryanair

GE

City Jet

Aer Lingus


Key to Competitive Advantage

• Must be sustainable.

• Must deliver long term measurable results.

• Must match a specific strategy.

• Lets look at an example…


Why STAR Choose XML

• Competitive Strategy:• To be most efficient vendor,

• Delivering Volume translations.

• Delivering excellent Quality

• Translation Process at heart of system.


Inside STAR

• XML : core of system.

• File Filters create XML Store.

• XML Delivers…• Generic file store

• Easy Access

• Secure format

• Translation Process is same for all (Transit XV)

XML Store

File Filters


How STAR Maintains Standard

• New File Types.

• Create new filter to adapt.

XML Store

File FiltersNew Format

• Process Delivers:

• Background store the same.

• Work process the same.

• So quality remains high.

• Efficiency as easy to process (scalability)

• Volume a factor only of capacity.


STAR Competitive Advantage

• Differentiated Focus• Volume

• Efficiency

• Complexity Handling (File Filters)

• Specialised Staff FocusXML Store

File Filters

• Technology costs

• Not the cheapest

• Which matches strategy as Porter says.


How do you choose a Standard?

TMXXML XLIFF HTML

TransitTradosCatalys

tPassolo SDLX

VendorVendor Vendor Vendor Vendor

Which to choose in a complex world?

StandardTools

Vendors

TMXMartif XLIFF HTML


How to choose your Standard

• Decide your Competitive Strategy…




• Which shortlists the STANDARD…

TMXXML XLIFF HTMLX• XLIFF is technically excellent, but does not match my

competitive strategy.


A Better Car Sales Approach

• What is the overall competitive strategy?

• Do you want to be the fastest producer is the world? (Cheapest, Quality)

• What are you trying to achieve?

• Focused on specific Business “Requirement”





• Which shortlists the tools…

TransitTradosCatalys

tPassolo SDLXXX





• Which shortlists the tools…

• Which shortlists the vendors/translators…

VendorVendor Vendor Vendor VendorXX X


Your final choice…

TMXXML XLIFF HTMLXVendorVendor Vendor Vendor VendorXX XTransitTrados

Catalyst

Passolo SDLXXXFrom the shortlist

Select the most cost effective solution


The cost of a standard

PM ENG

Content Producer

ENG QA

Vendor

Trans

Translator

How do my competitors organize themselves in this space?

FTP FTP

Improvements:Desired Goal

ScalabilityConsistency

Cost Improvements

Impacts:New toolTraining

Process changesCost impact


Summary

• Adopt the standard that is right for you…

• To gain competitive advantage for your business.• Decide your competitive strategy.

• Choose the matching Standard, Tools and Vendors that fit your strategy.


Contact:

Star Technology Solutions Ltd.,

Docklands Innovation Park,

128-130 East Wall Road,

Dublin 3

Phone: +353-1-8365614

http://www.star-ts.com

[email protected]

Localisation Standards – A Competitive Advantage ? Damian Scattergood.

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