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Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs) What does Tembua® mean? What does Tembua® mean?
How do you move large documents? How long have you been in business? Where are you located? How do we request a quote? What certifications does Tembua® have? Does your staff sign nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements? Which business segments do you support? Which industries do you support? Where do I go with a billing question? Questions about Translation How do you assure cost savings or best cost for all translation services? Can you provide metrics to show savings? How do you handle rush projects? Why do you develop glossaries for clients? What is an FTP site and how do you use one? How are translators chosen? How many languages does Tembua® translate? How long does it take to translate a document? Do your translators work with technical, legal or medical documents? What are your quality control procedures for documents? How do I send my documents to you for translating? In what formats can you deliver completed translations? Our name, Tembua®, was created out of two Swahili words: tembo, meaning elephant, and tambua, meaning communication or understanding. We believe the name Tembua® embodies the spirit of our company, from our distinctive elephant logo (click to see an explanation) to our core mission: Helping our clients prosper through clear communication across cultures and languages. Return to top How do you move large documents? Tembua®: The Precision Language Solution® maintains a secure FTP site for large file transfers. Each client and, in some cases, each contact within each client company is assigned a secure login and password. The FTP site can be accessed with either FTP software or an ordinary browser. For clients whose firewall will not allow FTP transfers, we maintain accounts on several generic file transfer sites. Return to top Tembua®:The Precision Language Solution® has been in business since 1993. Return to top Where are you located? Our corporate headquarters are located in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area of Minnesota in the United States. We can be reached at: 952-435-8178 or 800-347-9739 Return to top How do we request a quote? You may request a quote in many ways. You can go to the home page of this website, click on the “Request a Quote” link at the top of the page and follow the directions. You can send us an email at info@Tembua.com. You may also call us at 952-435-8178 or 800-347-9739 or fax us at 952-435-3626 for more information. Return to top What is EN 15038? EN 15038 is the international standard for translation services. It specifies the experience level and competencies a linguist must possess to provide work for an EN 15038 company. This standard also requires translator/editor/proofreader teams. Tembua has been awarded certification to EN 15038. Certificate. Return to top Does your staff sign nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements? Yes. We have confidentiality procedures in place. Any person who will handle a document (electronic or hard copy) or participate as an interpreter is required to sign our corporate confidentiality agreement before handling documents. This is standard procedure within our industry. Because some of our earliest work was produced for law firms, at Tembua®: The Precision Language Solution® we have a firm understanding of how to maintain confidentiality and how to enforce it with our linguists. Return to top Which areas do you support within businesses? Within corporations, Tembua® provides services to human resources, corporate/general counsel’s offices, training, corporate communications, marketing and web development divisions. Return to top Which industries do you support? Tembua® provides linguistic services to the aeronautic, technology, energy, healthcare, insurance, legal and retail industries in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Return to top Where do I go with a billing question? Please address all billing questions to billing@tembua.com. Our billing department can also be reached at 952-435-8178. Return to top How do you assure cost savings or best cost for all translation services? At Tembua®, we find that the best cost savings are derived from the translation memories we create specifically for each client. As more work is presented for translation, the texts are analyzed against that memory, and matches against previously translated material are charged at a lower rate. Clients that produce manuals or other repetitive documents experience significant savings as translation memories grow. Return to top Translation How do you handle rush projects? The geographic spread of our virtual teams is used to speed deliveries. Documents may circle the globe from east to west, from translator to editor to proofreader to typesetter, and be ready for clients much faster than if all the resources were in one time zone. In addition, we seek to maintain flexibility within our schedule for the inevitable rush request. When a translation rush is requested, the Project Manager splits the document/s among as many translators as necessary but uses the same editor and proofreader for the entire job. Existing glossaries and translation memories allow us to produce documents very quickly if necessary, but we will not deliver a translation that has not been edited and proofed. Rush projects are monitored more closely and at more frequent intervals than standard projects. Return to top Why do you develop glossaries for clients? Every company and every industry has its own specific preferred vocabulary. If time permits, we produce a glossary of terms in the requested languages at the beginning of the customer relationship. Those terms are circulated among any native speakers within that client so that translation begins with a basically accepted vocabulary. Return to top What are CAT tools? CAT stands for computer-assisted translation tools. When a client provides an electronic source document for translation, our translators work within SDLX/Trados, the industry-leader in CAT tools, to produce an electronic target document. Return to top What is an FTP site, and how do you use one? FTP stands for file transfer protocol. An FTP site stores files in the cloud and, if set up properly, transmits them securely. It is an especially effective way to transfer very large files. Each user is given a unique login and password that creates a directory only the user and Tembua® staff can access. Clients can access the site to upload source documents for translation, then download the target files when translation is finished. Our FTP site can be accessed using FTP software such as FileZilla, or through Internet Explorer. In addition, we maintain accounts with several large file transfer sites such as Box.net. Return to top How are translators chosen? To add linguists to our active roster, we carefully evaluate applicants against the requirements of EN 15038. To make the cut, each top-notch translator and editor must have:
And, of course, Tembua® requires that our team members be excellent writers. Being fluent in a language is not the same thing as writing well in it. Translators and editors must do both. Return to top How many languages does Tembua® translate? Tembua® translates into and out of 110 languages –- and counting. Of course, the vast majority of our work is done in the major business languages of the world. Return to top How long does it take to translate a document? The time it takes to translate a document depends on the language chosen, the length and condition (readability) of the document, the complexity of the subject matter, and the amount of changes made to the document during the translation process. Please send us your document and we'll return both a binding quote and a timeline. Return to top Do your translators work with technical, legal or medical documents? Tembua® has translation teams that are trained in legal, insurance, medical and/or technical terminology. Some linguists specialize further in one or more of these areas. Return to top What are your quality control procedures for documents? Whether using Trados or a client’s proprietary translation software or simply the components of MS Office, Tembua®: The Precision Language Solution® never alters its quality procedures. Certification to ISO 9001:2008 and EN 15038:2006 gives clients confidence in our QC procedures. Return to top How do I send my documents to you for translating? Documents can be sent to us in the following ways: Via e-mail: info@Tembua.com Via our FTP and custom browser-accessible data transfer site available for large or sensitive documents. Unsure? Call us at 952-435-8178. Return to top In what formats can you deliver completed translations? Completed translations are delivered in the format requested by the client. Tembua®: The Precision Language Solution® can provide the completed documents in MS Word or PDF format. Tembua® also uses Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Creative Suite 3 including InDesign, and Quark Express 7 and 8 as well as many others in order to support virtually any file type supplied to us. Files can also be compressed for delivery. Return to top What credentials or certifications are required from your translators and technical staff? Several dozen countries issue certifications through professional organizations or their judiciary. The United States has 30+ certifying organizations. Because we want to use the very best talent available, we do not require a certification from a specific geographic location. Instead, we evaluate each applicant using certifications as only one measure of suitability. Return to top How do you handle English idioms or American analogies? We have linguists who specialize in the conversion between American English and British English. English documents that are written on one side of the Atlantic but translated on the other side require special care. Of course, a professional linguist is trained to recognize idioms for what they are and to seek explanations as necessary. Return to top Interpretation For how many languages can you provide interpreting services? Tembua® provides interpreting services for 100 languages. Return to top What is telephonic interpreting? One person dials a number; an operator coordinates a conference call between the caller, an interpreter for the language needed and the client with limited skills in that language. Telephonic interpreting is used when it is impractical or unwise to use an interpreter in person. Return to top Is it better to have an on-site interpreter or use telephonic interpreting? Tembua®: The Precision Language Solution® helps companies connect with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) clients, satisfy medical compliance issues and extend into global markets. Nonverbal communication makes up a large portion of language; to ensure complete comprehension, on-site interpreters are used when possible. Telephonic interpreting is used when it is impractical or unwise to use an interpreter in person. Return to top How do you charge for interpreting services? Clients are billed by the hour, with a two-hour minimum for all languages. Telephonic interpretation is on a per-minute basis and invoiced monthly. There are no setup fees or minimum charges. Return to top What are your hours for telephonic interpreting? Our telephone interpretation service offers immediate, on-demand access to interpreters over the telephone in more than 150 languages, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. Return to top How long a lead time do you need for interpreting services? On-site interpreters are available throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. Please allow as much time as possible so that we can match the best possible interpreter to your assignment. Clients are billed by the hour, with at least a two-hour minimum for all languages. Return to top |
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