The ATC’s Partner Interviews introduce you to the people behind the brands – because business is about building trust with the people you work with.
This month, we introduce you to Sohrab Gebraeil, Sales Manager at ATC Technology Partner Lingsom and Finnish language service company Polaris Kielipalvelut.
Who are you?
My name is Sohrab Gebraeil, I am an Iranian Canadian living in Helsinki, Finland.
I love the adventure of meeting new people. I enjoy experiencing cultures not just by traveling but also through living in different places. And as a result, I have learned to speak 8 languages + Geek (the language of IT guys).
What do you do?
I am Sales Manager at Lingsom, a digital management system for LSPs.
With Lingsom, your clients or staff can register any language service order (interpretation, translation, or sign language) in one central hub. Lingsom’s algorithms will match each order criteria with your vendor’s availability and capabilities instantaneously. Then depending on coordinator’s choice, the order can be manually, semiautomatically, or totally automatically coordinated from query and confirmation all the way to reporting actual time, travel compensation and thereafter to payrolls and invoicing. Also, for video interpretations you can use Lingsom’s imbedded and GDPR secure video service and not deal with hassle of creating meetings in other platforms and sending links to participants.
What emerging key trends do you see?
- Small and medium size enterprises who used to work in niche markets are being offered different types of jobs like interpreting (remote and on-site), localization and subtitling.
- Different actors in the industry are realizing the importance of Centralization of all their language service needs and expect it from their service providers.
- As globalization, technology and AI are the focus points of each industry gathering the more human connection and customized quality work are becoming trendy.
- Diversity of Lingsom in handling different categories of interpretations and translation services on one platform, opens the possibility of expanding your services and reaching new markets with no extra cost. Its automation of the boring administrative workload saves resources and creates time, which could be spent on quality control and strengthening relationships with clients and vendors.
What about challenges?
- Digitalization is yesterday’s trend and today’s necessity, as public sector is requiring GDPR secure platforms from LSPs as a contract precondition.
- The lack of available specialized management and coordination solutions for small and medium size interpretation companies (spoken and sign language). It puts them in a great disadvantage in the market in comparison with large interpretation companies.
- Committing to or developing a not-suitable solution for managing the whole supply chain, can waste lots of time, financially drain the enterprise and leave it with a semi-automated solution needing a lot of manual work.
- Professional vendors have not experienced a significant pay raise even though market size has grown during the past decade. Therefor the new multilingual graduates are being absorbed in industries other than language services. Subsequent to having a smaller pool of new talent, recruitment of vendors will become a tough task.
- Lingsom is a product of Finnish IT ingenuity and will suffice to satisfy LSPs and their clients security and digitalization expectations. While Lingsom’s automation is tailored to meet all needs of its users, it has a low implementation and usage cost. Lingsom elevates the effectivity and reduces the admin and accounting costs, leaving you with more time and fund to attract the right talent and focus on marketing, building stronger bounds with both customers and vendors, networking, etc.
Where does the ROI come from?
- Automation of administrative works both in coordination and accounting will raise the effectivity in both departments up to 50% saving in coordination and financial management costs.
- Lingsom is a web-based solution (no installation needed), allowing hybrid and remote working. It provides you with the access to the system from anywhere at any time. Also, it gives you the possibility of lowering the overhead costs.
- Multifunctionality of Lingsom in coordinating different language service categories like interpretation, translation or sign language will provide technological possibility of entering new markets and maximizing revenue.
- Using a modern, GDPR secure and digital solution will result in higher satisfaction for clients and improve staff well-being.
What’s your 2023 highlight?
We have started 2023 on a good foot as we just signed a contract with the interpretation and translation department of Finnish indigenous council, and we are very hyped to start working with them.
We have been exploring the possibility of cooperating with city of Gothenburg in 2023 and soon we will find out how it will proceed.
We are looking forward to ATC partners events both online and in person. Can’t wait to meet you all.
My wife and I are both turning 40. 🥳🎈🎊
Get in touch?
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