Case Study: RS Components achieves faster global multilingual launches, 25% higher productivity and 27% cost savings with RWS

Improved Consistency for Global Branding

Electrocomponents plc, parent of RS Components, is a leading global distributor of electronic, electrical and industrial supplies. When a new strategy required large, consistent product ranges to be available in local languages (initially French, German and Italian) RS faced the challenge of translating over a million words in a three‑month window — a task that existing fragmented, manual processes and local suppliers could not scale for time or cost.

RS centralized authoring to XML and deployed SDL intelligent Machine Translation with SDL Translation Management System (integrated with their Stibo Step catalogue), using automated MT plus post‑editing and translation memory. The automated, continuous workflow delivered a 25% productivity gain, 27% cost savings and a 35% faster time‑to‑market, enabling simultaneous multi‑market catalogue launches and expansion to additional languages.

RS Components

Rob Fifield

Head of Media Production