annual report

For many companies, the financial period is a calendar year, which means that it ended just at the turn of the year. At the end of the financial period, companies must remember to provide their auditor with, for example, receipts, possible loans, investments or changes in the activities of the company as well as to carry out an inventory.

The new financial period also brings certain things to remember. At the beginning of the year, an annual report on the previous year will be drawn up and a meeting of the Board of Directors and an annual general meeting will be arranged. It is a good idea for companies operating internationally to prepare the annual report in all of the languages used in the company to allow owners and investors to get acquainted with the figures and events of the previous year. If the company has foreign owners, it would also be advisable to arrange annual general meetings in such a way that everyone attending them understands what is being said. In such cases, professional interpreting is justified.

Delingua is happy to help when you need to have the annual report translated or interpreting arranged for the annual general meeting. From us, you can order a translation of your annual report and interpreting for the annual general meeting. We have compiled a few tips below to keep in mind when the annual report and the annual general meeting are topical.

Tips for having an annual report translated

When ordering a translation of the annual report, it is worthwhile to get in touch early enough. Annual report projects are ordered and scheduled well in advance, and professional translation agencies will be busy in the first months of a new year. Be sure to be on time, allocate enough time for the translation and involve the translation partner already in the planning phase of the annual report.

Reference material makes translation easier, and annual reports are no exception. You can provide your translation partner with previous annual reports or other material in the target language, for example. This gives the translator an indication of the company’s terms, specialised terminology and style of the translation.

Also, decide in advance on the file format of the annual report. If possible, translations should be made directly in the original file format. The translation partner should also be informed of any exceptions, for example regarding the figures.

The annual report is often a highly confidential file and should not necessarily be delivered for translation by email. The file can be delivered over a secure connection through the translation agency’s ordering portal, for example. If the company does not have a written agreement with the translation agency, it is advisable to sign a possible non-disclosure agreement well in advance of the start of the translation project.

You will find more practical tips in our annual report guide (in Finnish).

Tips for interpreting for the annual general meeting

If international participants are attending the annual general meeting, they should be provided with professional interpreting. Conference interpreting, which practically means simultaneous interpreting, is the most suitable method of interpreting for an annual general meeting. In simultaneous interpreting, the interpreter interprets at the same time as the speaker speaks. The speech to be interpreted is transmitted to the interpreters’ headphones with the aid of interpreting equipment and interpreting is then transmitted by microphone to the listeners’ headphones. Interpreting can be arranged on site, as a hybrid model or entirely remotely. Interpreting can be arranged whether all of the participants or only some of them are physically present at the meeting or whether the meeting is held remotely.

When planning interpreting arrangements, the following factors, among others, must be taken into account: which languages the meeting will be interpreted into, what the main language of the meeting will be, and where and when the meeting will take place. It is also a good idea to provide the interpreters with advance material that will facilitate successful interpreting. Advance material may include the schedule as well as the documents and presentations of the meeting. Any other material in the target language also helps the interpreter to maintain terminological consistency.

Interpreting for foreign-language participants makes them feel that they have genuinely been taken into account in the arrangements of the meeting. We have prepared guides on interpreting for an event (in Finnish) and on remote interpreting. The guides will provide you with comprehensive information on what to take into account when arranging on-site and remote interpreting.

Delingua helps you at the end of the financial period

Now is a good time to order a translation of the annual report and arrange (remote) interpreting for the annual general meeting; we are happy to help. Contact us via email in matters concerning translation and interpreting; we promise to get back to you as soon as possible!

Our translators Anja Lintukorpi and Antti Nyrhinen offer their top tips on annual report translations, and also tell us what makes an annual report good from the translator’s perspective.

A good annual report in the eyes of a translator

With vast experience of translating annual reports, our translators Anja Lintukorpi and Antti Nyrhinen are veterans in the industry. Over the years, they have translated all sorts of texts, but in the first months of every new year their calendars are filled with translation projects concerning the annual reports of listed companies and associations. 

Both Anja and Antti find annual report translations enjoyable, and not really that different from other demanding translation tasks in similar subjects. “With annual reports, however, there is always a certain amount of stress and some pressure because these translations are so public,” explains Anja, adding: “Many companies are very particular about how everything should be expressed. Also, there are often last-minute changes to the report and its translation.”

“Stylistically, I enjoy translating annual reports because they normally contain four different text types, all of which suit my strengths as a translator,” says Antti. By text types, Antti is referring to financial statements that demand accuracy, more casual stories about a company’s operations in the reporting year, reports on the company’s strategic direction and content about corporate social responsibility.

A good annual report is defined by language

The linguistic quality of an annual report has a direct impact on the translation process. It is not only easiest but also quickest to translate a text that is well-written in the first place. A translator processes the text several times and will notice any inconsistencies and failures in logic. “When translating, you read the text in depth and see the vague or unclear bits that may have gone unnoticed,” says Anja.

For Anja, a good annual report is written with care and consideration, using clear and precise language. Also, the text has been fine tuned and revised before going to translation. Antti adds that it is easiest to translate an annual report which is written concisely and precisely, using phrases, expressions and terminology coherent with earlier publications.

Read our tips

Reference material helps with the style and terminology of the annual report

When translating annual reports, translators go through any press and stock exchange releases the company has issued over the past year as well as the annual reports from previous years. Previous annual reports usually give an indication as to the style and expressions the customer wishes to use. So, it is worthwhile mentioning if the style used in earlier reports and other reference material is not what you want in your publication this time.

Even though translators are wizards in finding information, your help in supplying them with reference material is extremely valuable. Provide the translation agency with any possible background material that benefits the successful translation of your annual report. For instance, a glossary of the company’s specialised terminology can be very useful. It is also worthwhile telling the translation agency if there are any terms the company does not wish to use. For example, the company may have decided to use only one term for several words meaning the same thing.  “A good example of this is customer vs. client,” says Anja.

Scheduling is everything

January and February are the busiest months of the year for putting together and translating annual reports. “Schedules are often quite tight, especially with many customers sending a lot of material to be translated around the same time,” says Antti. In order for the translation agency to book the necessary resources and find a translator to suit your needs, make sure you get in touch early enough.

Also, allocate enough time for the translation. A well-designed and systematic process will make not only your job but also the translator’s job easier. “It is essential to draw up a schedule for the work. The earlier we get the texts in for translation, the better,” says Antti.

Translator’s tips

Fine tune the text before sending it for translation – write clearly and crisply
Provide the translation agency with reference material – possible tips for background material, terminology/jargon, style guides
Start early and book enough time for the translation

Delingua translates dozens of annual reports every year. Contact us now and book a translator for your annual report!

Financial period ends – how can we help you?

What kind of annual report is good (to translate)?