Looking back on the annual report season – an intense and inspiring time
Both for us and for our clients, this annual report season was a period of fast-paced work, tight deadlines and opportunities for close cooperation.
For our financial clients, the annual report season is all about working at a fast pace, meeting tight deadlines and constantly updating texts. The annual report describes the business year that has come to a close and is also intended to strengthen a company’s brand and credibility, all while making a professional impression – both in the original language and in the translation – and that’s where Novoterm comes in. How was it this year and what should we bear in mind for next year?
Producing an annual report is often a hectic and challenging process for listed and unlisted companies alike. It’s perhaps the most intensive period of the year and often lasts for several months. IR teams and finance departments, boards and auditors, communicators and designers all work simultaneously on content that needs to be constantly adjusted and reviewed, often right up until publication. Translation should be an integrated part of this, with the translation agency and client working in a collaborative process. In our experience this is crucial in order to achieve a high-quality translation despite the fast pace of work over a protracted production period, and to deliver on time.
Close to 600,000 words in 17 annual reports
This year’s financial translation period was both exceptionally exciting and challenging, and involved multiple new annual report production projects. We worked on 17 annual reports (the majority for large listed companies) translating a total of almost 600,000 words. We also squeezed in numerous quarterly reports and multiple AGM documents. A common theme running through all these projects is fast change – in schedules, arrangements and content – arising suddenly or late in the process. This requires a high degree of flexibility, attention to detail, effective communication and working in close consultation – but it also makes this type of project inspiring and exciting.
Quality is always our top priority, and to guarantee it we follow a well-established and detailed process which we have refined over a period of 30 years. It begins before the translation phase starts and continues for a brief post-translation period.
Tips and advice for you as our client
As a first step we usually recommend a kick-off meeting well before the project is due to start. This gives us a chance to talk through the arrangements and schedule, and to share our experience with you. Ahead of time, we also recommend that you as our client consider and share information and insights that may be useful for us to know to enable us to produce a translation that truly reflects your particular company and operations. Examples of this type of information are:
- Reference materials in the form of past translations that you are happy with
- Glossaries
- Tone-of-voice instructions
- Company-specific communication guidelines
The most common advice we give is to get in touch with us if you need to ask or discuss anything – we’re happy to share the knowledge we have gained over the years.
Quality and speed – in a demanding environment
What distinguishes this type of translation project is not just its scope, but also the complexity and intensely fast pace. Our specialised financial translators ensure that the terminology is correct and consistent, the message is clear and has the right tone, and the content is adapted to its audience – always delivering excellent quality and on time.
Summarising this past season, what stands out once again is the value of close cooperation combined with clear communication, flexibility, a structured work process and a positive attitude – all of which make it possible to work fast and deliver high linguistic precision. We look forward to continuing to develop our partnerships with our clients in future financial production projects. Soon it will be time to start planning for next year’s annual report.