Case Study: Kärcher achieves 50% translation cost savings and consistent 43‑language documentation with RWS (SDL Trados Studio & MultiTerm)

Keeping It Clean: Kärcher Speaks in 43 Languages With a Single Voice

Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. KG is a family‑owned global leader in cleaning technology (headquartered in Winnenden, Germany) with around 11,000 employees and operations in 60 countries. As product lines and languages multiplied, a decentralized approach to technical documentation produced inconsistent content, duplicated translations and rising costs—Kärcher needed a centrally managed, scalable way to produce accurate, legally compliant manuals and service documents in some 43 languages.

Kärcher consolidated its editorial team at headquarters and implemented SDL Trados Studio with SDL MultiTerm, Kaleidoscope goAnalyze and related training to centralize translation and terminology management. Using translation memory and a shared terminology database plus automation, the company cut translation costs by about 50% in the first year (with continued savings), greatly improved consistency, and reduced staffing to one person managing translations for 43 languages and roughly 300 requests per year.

Karcher

Jochen Wahl

Head of Technical Documentation