With 2016 coming to an end, and in light of new legislation placing greater importance on quality medical translations (Medical Device Regulations, In-Vitro Diagnostic Regulations and CE Marking), I’ve started thinking about lessons from my past experience working in the world of biotech. Before joining the life sciences division, I worked with a nutraceutical startup out of Harlem Biospace where I met numerous vendors with advice, products and services for the life sciences industry. Now that I’ve seen how both ends of the client-vendor relationship operate, I’ve been able to codify three crucial lessons for establishing and maintaining healthy partnerships: Quote Early, Precisely and Often.
- Quote Early – Whether you’re working on regulatory submissions, product development or even publishing in academia, tight deadlines often demand the use of service partnerships to complete your project expertly and efficiently. You can avoid unnecessary stress and rush fees by approaching a medical translation service provider early-on in the process. This will allow them to gauge the full project scope and have more time to explore cost-saving options for rolling out your international initiatives.
- Quote Precisely – It’s best to provide your translation partner with editable source files and a glossary of preferred terminology at the start of your working relationship. These files will allow them to give you the most accurate quote possible.
- Quote Often – Back when I worked at a biotech startup, I saw that the status of a given project could change on a daily basis. This taught me that clear communication is essential to ensure that your project deliverables match your expectations. To accomplish this, you need to maintain an open dialogue with your translation partner as you develop your timelines and always make sure to clarify any specific requirements or concerns. (For example, clients looking to expand their educational materials typically have a different set of needs and timelines than clients preparing reports from international clinical trials.)
About the Author:
Jack Fischer is a Business Development Manager at Morningside’s Life Sciences division. After researching Tuberculosis genetics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and working with numerous biotechnology startups in New York, Jack moved to Morningside in order to apply his expertise to developing and implementing translation solutions for the life sciences industry. Jack has a dual B.A from Skidmore College in Integrative Biology & Business.