The Guide to Translation and Localization: Planning a Successful Localization Project

By Lingo Systems,
Portland, OR, U.S.A.

info [at] lingosys . com
www.lingosys.com

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Chapter 3: Planning a Successful Localization Project

You have received the green light for your product or service to go global and now you must decide how to manage the project. There are several options for localizing your materials. Selecting the correct resource, however, is only the first of many issues that will need to be addressed in order to choose the best solution. The answers to some "big picture" questions that will affect your localization choices are:

1) What is your long-term globalization strategy?

2) How is your company positioned? Is it a market leader or specialty supplier; top-of-the line standard-setter or low cost alternative; custom manufacturer or commodity production; high-quality provider or low-quality solution?

Other basic questions that are important to answer are:

1) Which products and components will you localize?

2) What target markets and languages do you need?

3) What are the legal, regulatory, liability, and commercial requirements in the target market(s)?

4) What is your timeline?

5) What level of quality and consistency will you need?

6) What is the likelihood and extent of on-going future updates?

7) How often will you have new products for localization?

8) Are there engineering and functionality issues?

9) Are the English source formats compatible with the languages targeted for localization?

10) Is voice-over required, and if so, what are the gender requirements and audio specifications?

11) If the final product is an interactive website or application, how much functionality testing will be required?

With so many questions to answer, perhaps the question of paramount importance is, "How are you going to do it?" The Guide to Translation and Localization has this answer and many more.

Kim Villemyer Account Manager Lingo Systems and I go way back. I used to work for Lingo Systems' very first client and I have watched it grow from a tiny start-up to one of the largest language companies in the world. Not only do I have the pleasure of working with the best clients in the business, I also get to work with an extraordinary group of people I have the privilege of calling my friends. Best career move I ever made!

How Much to Localize?

The first question many companies ask is, "How many components should I localize?" The answer can be anything from "only the essentials" to "all content for all product components." The second question often asked is, "How much can I afford to localize?" When trying to answer the money question, however, a better question might be, "What is the financial impact of not doing it?" By choosing not to localize certain products, you ran the risk of missing potential sales, or even worse, offending the target consumers in a new market by not providing information in their language. Depending on the product, you could also find yourself in violation of various legal or regulatory requirements, possibly even preventing distribution of the product in the target market. At Lingo Systems, we strongly recommend that you seek legal counsel regarding the legal implications of not localizing some or all content when expanding into a new market.

Unfortunately, when evaluating the business case for localization, many companies only factor in how much it will cost. Do not make this mistake too! An equally important question is, "How much additional revenue can we reasonably expect to generate?" In our experience, your international sales and marketing staff will most often drive the commercial justification to localize.

Another item to consider when deciding how much to localize is whether economies of scale are available. Once a localization program is established for one language, the file preparation, project management, and back-office administration are already established. Localizing into additional languages can take advantage of these initial investments.

Finally, depending on the nature of your products or services, you may not have much choice in whether to localize or not. For example, if software developers want to increase customer usability, in addition to localizing the software interface, they will need to consider localizing the application itself. This includes help files, "read me" files, installers, legal warranties, user guides, and installation instructions as well. Other examples include developers of training materials who must decide which courses should be taught in which languages and consumer electronics manufacturers who need to evaluate the merits of supplementing user documentation with customer support websites and other online resources.

Fortunately, localization of virtually any component is straightforward with the right planning and the right technology. Several tools and methodologies have been developed that allow you and your localization partner to "recycle" translated content across many different media types. These include translation memory data bases (discussed in Chapter 6) and single source content management systems (discussed in Chapters 15 and 16). By reducing the volume of new text that needs to be localized, and keeping changes to a minimum, costs are reduced, timelines are shortened, and consistency is improved across all components.

Plan Early

There is an old carpenter's saying: "Measure twice, cut once." In other words, plan carefully and early for localization. For example, if your documentation includes 20 screen captures from the software user interface (UI), the UI should be localized before the documentation so that terminology that is frozen and translated in the UI can be propagated to the documentation and/or help files.

When tight timelines require that UI and documentation localization occur simultaneously, aggressive localization schedules may still be possible. Because these projects frequently involve the translation of thousands of words, vendors form teams of linguists to work on both components at the same time. At some point in the schedule, after the UI is frozen, time is allocated to allow the documentation to "catch up" so that references to buttons, menus, and other items in the text of the documentation match the terminology used in the UI. Fortunately, other components such as training materials and Web content can usually wait until the bulk of the product localization is complete. After all, end users can't be trained until you have something on which to train them!

One Language at a Time or All at Once?

Many international companies prefer to roll out new products to all of their markets in a simultaneous or "sim-ship" release. Although such releases are a goal of some multinationals, they are not a commercial priority for everyone.

A simultaneous release poses two main challenges for localization. First, in order for a company to release English and localized products at the same time, localization generally needs to begin while the English is still under development. This means that each last minute change to the UI, online help, or other documentation must also be incorporated by the localization team. As you can imagine, such "stops and starts" make configuration management more complicated and the project more expensive.

Given these challenges, consider an iterative development life cycle where your localization vendor is provided with the "alpha" or "beta" version of the software. Later, when the product is "functionally complete," the vendor can finalize the translations. This approach means a little more work, but everything can be finished for a "sim-ship". Alternatively, if you choose a delayed release - localizing your components as they are needed - you can lay the groundwork with your vendor so that each component is "ready to roll" through the production process on your signal.

The second main challenge involves managing localization team complexity and resource limitations. Depending on the word count, timeline, and number of languages, your localization vendor may need to assemble teams of translators, copy editors, and proofreaders to translate the content. There may also be several teams of desktop publishers to lay out each page; two, three, four, or more QA reviewers to inspect the work as it is done; and multiple localization

engineers processing and preparing the files for each step. Coordinating all of this activity requires one or more project managers. At Lingo Systems, we have delivered large rollouts to 30+ countries that required a team of more than 100 professionals! When qualifying a localization vendor, make sure they have the resources and experience to handle your project.

Getting an Estimate

You have done your homework. You have scoured the latest issues of Multilingual Magazine. You have spoken to your counterparts in the Society for Technical Communication. You may have even checked your local telephone directory, or perhaps conducted a web search. And, after compiling a list of potential vendors you want to hear what they can do for you.

As you begin your discussions, many more questions may be posed than answers delivered. Undoubtedly, you will be asked to clearly articulate your requirements and provide electronic source files for the vendors to analyze. This stage is all about exchanging information. What information does your vendor need? What information do you want back? Depending on the size of your project, you may even consider following a formal RFI (request for information) or RFQ (request for quote) process. Remember, assumptions represent risk for both you and the vendors. So, the more information you provide and the clearer and more concise your instructions, the more accurate the estimate and more realistic the project plan will be in return.

To help differentiate between vendors, many companies ask for a sample translation as part of the bidding process. This can be a useful tool if your materials are highly technical and you want to ensure that the localization provider is qualified to handle the translations with linguists that have the appropriate subject matter expertise. A word of caution: since localization providers want to make a good impression, they will most likely use their best linguist to translate your sample. Unfortunately, it does not necessarily follow that the same linguist will be available (or utilized) if the vendor is awarded the work.

Asking for references can be a fantastic way to evaluate and compare potential vendors. As with sample translations, you will almost assuredly be provided with contacts who will provide positive feedback, so your objective should be to get a feel for the style and strengths of each vendor in order to determine which one will be the best fit for your company. Start by asking for companies whose projects were similar in size, scope, and type to yours. Then, when speaking with the references, ask them to describe their experience working with the vendor: what was helpful, how long did the project(s) take, and how was the customer service? Find out how long the references have worked with the vendor. Reliability and long-term consistency will be important factors in your selection.

Selecting a Vendor

Unless you provide a template with your instructions, you will likely find that each localization provider has a slightly different way of presenting their estimate to you. Some vendors will respond with a great deal of information detailing the specific tasks they propose to perform, the amount of effort that is required, and a business case for why they are the best choice to perform the work. Others may only submit a standard form with minimal detail.

The process that each vendor proposes to follow on your project, the number of linguistic and QA steps employed, the qualification and location of the resources, and the tools that they use vary significantly. These differences can have a huge impact on cost. But how do you choose between competing proposals when one vendor's estimate is 20% higher for what amounts to 50% more effort?

Obtain the best value for your dollar by making an apples-to-apples comparison, but be forewarned: this is easier said than done. Standardizing localization estimates can be difficult and time consuming. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for, and localization is no exception. Take the time to investigate each vendor's services thoroughly. Begin by asking a potential vendor these questions:

1) What subject matter and industry experience do you have?

2) How do you qualify your linguists?

3) Who would manage my project, where would they be located, and what would be the process?

4) If required, would you be willing and do you have any experience staffing a project manager onsite at the client's location?

5) How often would I receive status reports on my project and what information would be in them?

6) Who would be my primary contact during the project?

7) Do you use state of the art localization tools and, if so, which ones?

8) When analyzing my elertronic source files, do you calculate leveraging?

9) How do you charge for repetitions, fuzzy matches, and unique text? Will you create a TM (translation memory database) and will I own it?

10) How many projects like mine have you managed before?

11) Can I speak with your previous clients about their experiences?

12) How many linguistic steps will you perform?

13) What is your QA process?

14) How would you develop and maintain a terminology list specific to my project?

15) Would my in-country team be able to speak directly with your linguists if necessary?

16) How would changes be handled during the course of a project?

17) What is your record for delivering on time?

18) Is your estimate firm or is it subject to change?

A qualified localization vendor should be able to provide an estimate that is comprehensive, accurate, and clearly defined. The table below offers a sample pricing structure covering various services and how they might be billed.

Selecting the right localization partner is a critical component to the overall success of your expansion into new international or multilingual markets. The value of developing a long-term partnership cannot be overemphasized. Such a relationship provides a means for the localization team to learn about your company, constituents, and products, and to understand your requirements and expectations inside and out. Often this results in improved workflows, shorter timelines, and lower costs for you. The better your partner understands you and your product line, the more smoothly the localization process can proceed, and the more effectively project management and communication protocols can be fine-tuned. The long-term relationship between you and your localization provider is, ultimately, the best way to achieve cost-effective, high-quality work for each and every project.

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