Q1. Describe your current role with Studio Gambit.

I’m a manager of the Localization Engineering Group for Studio Gambit. This group is responsible for technical details in the production process, we also provide technical support to other groups at all process stages. Some of the typical tasks include:

– Preparing files for translation, including format conversions,
– Controlling the quality of translated files, improving as appropriate,
– Creating and updating Translation Memories, then ‘training’ MT engines with their content,
– Editing animations and graphics in multimedia localization process,
– Performing maintenance and repair of company hardware installations.

Q2. Describe your typical workday.

My typical workday consists of two types of actions. The first type is neat, clean and proceed according to earlier plans.

The second type is basically managing the chaos intrinsically connected to working for an on-demand agency that handles many projects at the same time. You can think of it like putting out fires and solving sudden-onset problems that could not have been predicted before.

Q3. What do you enjoy most in your job?

My teammates are absolutely brilliant, as is most of the crew here at Studio Gambit. I also take a lot of pride in being a competent problem-solver, especially in my area of specialty – all things technical.

Q4. What do you enjoy the least?

I hate it when clients complain about the quality, which is coincidentally the reason I make sure the clients have nothing to complain about.  

Q5. Describe the client company/process in a few words.

Customer satisfaction is our raison d’être, and we do everything in our power to provide our clients with deliverables of excellent quality, while adhering to strict deadlines. You can say the quality-on-time is our first directive and we keep to it regardless of anything else, in long-term and short-term projects, and even in flash tasks with just a couple of hours from order to delivery.

I like to think we provide our clients with what they desire, according to their specifications and appropriate external standards.

Q6. Tell us something about your relationship with a process.

Every client can pose a new challenge and our reputation for excellence in technology means that we tend to get new clients who have complex issues, often difficult to solve for a run-of-the-mill localization agency. 

Such cases are opportunities to develop and grow with the client, learn new things, and still deliver excellence on time – that’s the first directive, remember?

I can give you one example of a client who wanted us to organize a multi-lingual conference and coordinate simultaneous, conference interpretation for all attendees. It was a new thing for us as we typically deal with translation and localization, but the client trusted us, and we engaged fully with the project.

Q7. What advice would you give to a company looking to localize software?

I’d advise the company to find someone who’ll be able to provide what I call “complex project care”, so someone who specializes in every single step of the localization process. Look for those providers, who seamlessly coordinate between technical and language teams managed by excellent project managers. I don’t have to tell you we are such a provider… 

Q8. If you had 10 EUR to buy a gift for the client (and it was ethical to do so!), what would you buy?

Our offices lie on the beautiful, Polish coast – I’d get the client a little souvenir from Gdansk to convince them to come in for a chat!