Global 500 oilfield service company partners with Welocalize to streamline patent translation and international filing.

This case study highlights how a well-known Global 500 oilfield service company collaborated with Welocalize to streamline its complex patent translation and international filing, delivering significant cost savings. Together, we achieved:

• Implementation of all changes seamlessly within 90 days
• More than $150,000 in savings by solving duplicate invoicing
• Elimination of costly missed deadlines

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The Challenge

Our client, a leading global provider of upstream oilfield services with over 60,000 employees across 80+ countries, requires numerous international patents annually.

At the time, the absence of a uniform international patent system meant that patents had to be filed individually in each country, typically in the native language, requiring reliable translation services. The significance of each word in a patent application and the potential for translation errors compounded their challenge.

Lack of Centralization

The company faced significant difficulties due to the decentralized management of multiple patent translation firms across 25 countries, leading to quality issues and increased administrative time. The absence of a unified point of contact for translation resulted in inconsistent and subpar output.

Unpredictable Spending

Furthermore, unpredictable translation costs, amplified by the use of numerous vendors across several countries, frequently exceeded their budget. This cost variability and the recurring need for new translators added to their financial challenges, making budgeting a complex task.

The Solution

Welocalize collaborated with the company to streamline the patent translation process, ensuring cost consistency. Infrastructure was developed to address challenges without interrupting ongoing translations. Our teams streamlined the workflow by implementing a standardized quality control process for all 50+ translation service providers, leveraging state-of-the-art technology and management best practices —this enhanced team communication and automation.

Together, we established a global uniform rate structure for translations to improve spending transparency, providing the client with precise upfront costs. Through effective systems, they also minimized costs by preventing rush orders and missed deadlines.

Despite these significant changes, we ensured seamless integration without unnecessary delays or quality reduction during the transition.

The Results

The implementation of changes was carried out seamlessly within a 90-day timeframe, demonstrating the effectiveness of our streamlined approach. The impact of these changes was tangible and immediate, leading to substantial savings for the client.

Over $150,000 was saved by eliminating duplicate invoicing and other cost inefficiencies. These savings demonstrated the financial value of our integrated approach and the efficiency of the newly implemented systems.

One significant improvement was the elimination of missed deadlines, highlighting the efficiency of the new workflow. With Welocalize’s standardized and automated processes, project timelines were consistently met, further driving cost and operational efficiency.

Finally, the partnership’s success was solidified in the ongoing relationship between the client and Welocalize. The company now entrusts us with over 2,500 translations annually, demonstrating the enduring effectiveness of the solutions and the lasting trust between the two companies.

How can Welocalize streamline your patent translation and foreign filing process? Contact us to learn more about our experience blending human and machine translation to meet tight turnaround times of high-volume priority content.