An agile business is a business that can respond quickly and effectively to opportunities and threats found in its internal and external environments (be they commercial, legal, technological, social, moral or political). For many businesses, the coronavirus pandemic has been a major challenge. For agile businesses, however, the outbreak can be an opportunity. For some industries, there is little opportunity for agility, but for the language service industry, agility might well be the only answer to the current health crisis.
Agile Language Service Providers
According to Nimdzi, 80% of all interpreting assignments in the US are face-to-face, which means only 20% are remote. This ratio rings true for most countries, except for Canada, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia, where remote interpreting has become the norm. In the United States, given the social isolation measures, language service providers are seeing most, if not all, face-to-face assignments being cancelled. This is not only a huge blow to their business, but it also does not bode well for hospitals, courts, and other government institutions that are having a hard time ensuring language access for LEPs (Limited English Proficiency).
Luckily, the language industry is flexible enough to adapt quickly to the current circumstances. To remain economically viable and to ensure language access, switching from face-to-face interpreting to remote interpreting is the only option for LSPs, and technology providers like Interpreter Intelligence have the necessary infrastructure and support to help LSPs make that transition. As tech gets better and better, remote interpreting is the way forward, so LSPs need to take advantage of this global crisis to make sure their business comes out leaner and more competitive than ever before. As they say: adapt or die.
Agile Interpreter Intelligence Support
As our customers’ priorities change, so do ours. Over the past few weeks, our efforts have been mainly focused on making sure our customers have been able to smoothly transition to remote interpreting. From technical support to manuals to webinars, we are doing everything we can to accommodate our customers during this global crisis. We are fortunate to have a close-knit development team that has been involved from the very start, allowing us to shift our product focus quickly, and easily. Agile language service providers cannot be successful without an agile technology provider supporting them.
Switch to Remote with Interpreter Intelligence
If you are a language service provider and are interested in our remote interpreting services, get in touch with our team to learn more. Don’t let COVID-19 disrupt your business, but let it transform your business for the better.
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