KMD Built a Scalable External Translation Setup
About KMD
KMD is one of Denmark’s largest software companies, with more than 3,200 employees and operations across Scandinavia and Poland. Each day, more than 1,000 specialists work on IT solutions central to public administration and private enterprise. KMD supplies systems to Danish municipalities, regions, government bodies, and more than 800 companies worldwide. More than DKK 400 billion moves through KMD’s systems every year, representing roughly 20 percent of Danish GDP.
As a company with international teams and expanding Nordic ambitions, KMD produces a substantial volume of documents that need translation. Much of this material supports internal knowledge sharing between colleagues in Denmark, Poland, and external partners in India, with English as the main working language. As KMD enters new markets in Sweden, Norway, and Finland, selected software solutions also require localisation for external users. Tender participation adds another layer of urgency, as procurement documents often need translating at short notice.
The brief
KMD wanted to rethink its entire translation setup. Translation is not part of its core business, and handling it internally had become inefficient. The company wanted a hybrid model: KMD would retain ownership of the translation function, but the actual delivery would be handled by selected strategic partners.
Their needs included:
- a scalable setup able to support all business units
- service levels aligned with strict internal deadlines
- competitive pricing
- multiple quality tiers depending on the purpose of the text
- a secure portal covering quotes, delivery, reporting, and communication
- a designated contact person familiar with KMD’s teams and workflows
The process needed to be clear, trackable, and aligned with KMD’s internal invoicing structure.
Our approach
During the tender process, all invited agencies had to provide detailed responses on pricing, service levels, confidentiality, invoicing structure, reporting, and translation quality.
KMD chose AdHoc Translations because we offered the balance they were looking for. Our proposal met the measurable parameters, such as turnaround times and pricing, while also meeting the less tangible but equally important expectations around quality, flexibility, and dialogue.
We also provided solutions that met KMD’s strict security requirements. This was a key factor in the final decision.
Throughout the tender discussions, our communication was open, constructive, and solution-focused, which helped establish the foundation for long-term collaboration.
Project setup
We created a setup that supports KMD’s internal processes:
- quotes are issued quickly and sent directly to the relevant internal customers for approval
- each translation project is invoiced individually for transparency
- KMD receives clear delivery estimates before accepting a deadline
- once a deadline is agreed, it is consistently met
- terminology is refined continuously to reflect KMD’s internal language
We also helped define a KMD-specific workflow, supported by secure project handling and reporting that gives full oversight of translation activity.
Translation workflow
The system supports:
- secure file exchange
- tracked project statuses
- clear approval flows
- consistent terminology development
- detailed reporting for internal management
Because of the scale and variety of KMD’s content, it takes time to align terminology across teams, solutions, and documentation types. AdHoc Translations committed a dedicated team to this work, ensuring that the linguistic output reflects KMD’s expectations and internal language use.
Quality and efficiency gains
The external setup has enabled KMD to:
- process translations faster and with greater reliability
- support many different business units through one coordinated system
- maintain transparency in costs and workload
- handle tender deadlines with far less pressure
- benefit from ongoing advice on translation technology and workflows
- reduce the internal administrative burden previously caused by fragmented processes
The close relationship between KMD and the project manager at AdHoc Translations has been a central part of the collaboration.
The outcome
Charlotte Pedersen, Language Service Manager at KMD, explains:
“We have worked with AdHoc Translations for more than a year now. It is a pleasure to see that we receive great help in many areas of our daily work. On-time delivery of translation is probably our key priority, but many other tasks are involved in running a translation unit. We get excellent advice on technology, we have defined a KMD-specific project flow, we receive detailed reporting and then we appreciate the open and informal tone. That certainly makes most jobs easier.”
