AMWAY CASE STUDY

Amway partners with Rubric to localize multimedia training collateral to successfully upskill staff around the globe.Amway is one of the world’s leading direct selling businesses, operating in more than 100 countries, enabling over three million

entrepreneurs to grow their own businesses. In order to train their Account Managers in various different markets, Amway needed

to translate and localize their web- based and instructor- led training collateral in order to ensure that the company’s SAM (Strategic

Account Management) strategy was communicated in a clear, consistent and professional manner.

Thanks to Rubric’s localization expertise and pro­active project management, Amway was able to provide multimedia training collateral to Account Managers in six international markets.

We worked with Amway to translate and localize a range of training

collateral consisting of e -learning and instructor- led training content

and supporting materials. The project included the translation,

engineering and testing of both instructor -led and web- based

training content including voice-overs and assessments; the

subtitling of video content; and localization of training reinforcement

content. This considerable undertaking entailed the translation of

over 250,000 words (that’s a quarter of a million) into six languages:

Simplified Chinese, Latin Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Thai, and

Russian.

Rubric ensured success through superior project management:

PlanningKey to providing Amway with a superior end result, was

gaining an in- depth understanding of their requirements. We

then adapted the localization process accordingly in order to

meet these needs. Together with the Amway stakeholders,

we determined the most efficient and effective processes,

methodology and technology to use on the project. This involved

identifying potential issues, risks, bottlenecks and conflicts, and

then applying our experience and expertise to mitigate these as

effectively as possible.

Identifying and implementing the most effective methods of communication was key.

This influenced all aspects of the planning stage, and included:

• ●Setting up and facilitating regular channels of communication

and reporting with teams based in the UK, US, China, Thailand,

Korea, Japan, Russia and Mexico

• Selecting translators who were located in the same city as the

Amway team to allow in- person communication

An emphasis on effective communication between all stakeholders thanks to strategic project management meant all content was

localized within deadline as required by each market.

• Translating instructions and guidelines into the native

languages of the various review teams in order to facilitate a

successful review.

SchedulingIn order to ensure that all deadlines were met, we worked

backwards from the predetermined launch date of each market’s

training. Taking the current workload of the Amway team, as well

as national holidays into account, we determined an appropriate

schedule for both the translation and review of the material

for each market. In order to ensure linguistic consistency, the

number of translators needed was minimized while still allowing

for peaks and troughs in workload.

Bearing in mind that last minute changes are part and parcel

of any translation process, we applied our past experience in

dealing with unforeseen issues to effectively plan for changes to

the scope of work, technical challenges, additional hand -offs, and

alterations to the markets’ schedules.

Risk and issue management

Proactive project management is the first step to a streamlined

translation process. By pinpointing potential roadblocks – like

unrealistic launch dates and content that was not translation-

ready – and then monitoring them continually, we were able to

address these issues as and when they arose. A crucial part of

mitigating and addressing these issues was being able to work

together with the Amway team to identify the most appropriate

solution that met their needs.

Stakeholder management

Relationships – and the quality thereof – play a vital role in the

success of any localization or translation endeavor. Amway has

various stakeholders at different levels and from different sub-

organizations (one of which was their World Headquarters in

Michigan). Therefore, it was key that we understood the role each

stakeholder played in the project, their definition of a successful

localization process, and the best way to go about engaging them.

Past experience has taught us that collaboration and buy- in from

all parties is key. As such, we involved all interested parties, and

identified and adopted the most effective lines of communication

with them. For example, the reviewers were heavily involved in

the translator selection process, as well as the compilation of

terminology and over- arching brand management. In order to

achieve this, regular, personal contact was key. Importantly,

in-market stakeholders were more than satisfied with the content

and the overall process.

“I was thoroughly impressed with Rubric’s commitment to quality, speed, and communication. Rubric is a phenomenal partner for Amway, and the value they offer goes way beyond

translation. They were a critical linchpin in the successful early adoption of the SAM training, a vital growth strategy for our company. Rubric’s greatest strengths are communication & project management, global reach, attention to detail, responsiveness to feedback, and commitment to

partnership. Thank you Rubric for making this a great experience!”

– Anne Stawiski

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