Nicola Dorrington, Localization Operations and Excellence Lead at GetYourGuide, presented Growing With The Flow at XTM Live, an insightful case study on how the adoption of smart localization technology enabled GetYourGuide to scale up and optimize their internal localization structure. We wanted to find out more about the impact deploying (or not deploying) certain technology has on a company’s goals, so we grabbed a coffee with Nicola to discuss this topic more in depth.
Do you think that there’s going to be a significant competitive advantage–or disadvantage—between companies who deploy AI technologies and companies that don’t?
I think so. We want to work with tech providers that look like they’re on the cutting edge, not those that look like they’re catching up. This means that companies that are able to provide solutions early on, even if they’re not perfect, will definitely be thought of more highly than those that don’t. In particular, with the disruption that has happened in the market with AI, companies that proactively provide solutions or integrations will have more success from a buy-side perspective than those that don’t.
Do you think companies should take the AI plunge straight away or wait to see if the hype plateaus?
I think there are two sides to this. Companies that wait a little bit longer might learn more quickly from the companies that just jump straight in. But companies that jump straight in will be doing the learning actively, and that pays dividends over time. So if you have the willingness to try something out and are willing to fail, you will also be able to understand the technology in a whole different way than if you wait two or three years and then try and catch up to what the markets have already done.
So, is there hype? Yes, there is. Is it going to go away anytime soon? No, it isn’t. And so I think the more important question here is which companies are willing to build their own solutions versus which companies are wanting to piggyback off what other companies have done. Companies that choose to wait a year or two will lose market traction over time, and may fall behind in terms of company support and executive buy-in.
How have you gone about its deployment at GetYourGuide? And are you looking to deploy it at department level or company-wide?
We’re definitely looking at deploying AI on a company-wide scale. Different use cases require different AI solutions, but the whole company is talking about it at the same time. But we have realized that implementing AI in one area does not does not mean that it’s going to be necessarily implemented in other areas. We may find a use case in one department that is worth investing in and a use case in another department that just isn’t. We want to be sure that we are trying to create holistic solutions, which requires collaboration between departments, rather than siloed testing. However, we also recognize that it will work for some departments better than for others at this stage.
Thinking of migrating to more powerful and modern localization technology?
Related articles
Looking for more content? Check out these suggestions.
