Why Translation Management? Going Beyond Language Conversion and Building a Holistic Approach—Strategy Assessment

Why Translation Management? Going Beyond Language Conversion and Building a Holistic Approach—Risk Analysis explains how translation deals with more than mere language conversion. Translation projects entail greater intricacies than most people think. The lack of effective management may result in having to perform the same task over and over or rendering a word inconsistently. Enterprises may have to pay a heavy price because of this.
Fortunately, recognizing these problems marks the first crucial step towards finding a solution. Next, we have to figure out what to do. How can project managers enhance the efficiency and quality of localization/multiple language translation via management? Focusing on concrete improvement strategies, this article will delve deeper in the topic.

Improvement Strategies: Wise Use of Tools and Establishment of Management Practices

Strategies for enhancing the management efficiency of translation projects can largely be divided into the application of tools and cultivation of practices. First of all, let's focus on the use of tools. How can we leverage modern translation technologies to support management and overcome challenges?

1. Leveraging translation tools for support

There are many computer-assisted translation tools (CAT tools) and translation management systems (TMS) available on the market, e.g., Trados, Phrase, memoQ, Smartcat, and XTM Cloud. The core advantages of these technologies are:

1. 1. Establishing and making effective use of translation memories (TMs): TMs automatically save completed translation segments. In the future, when the same or similar content appears, the system will prompt or automatically apply a past translation. This can significantly reduce the work involved, enhancing efficiency and preserving consistency in updated versions.
   2. Establishing and managing glossaries/term bases (TBs): TBs aim to standardize specialized terms, brand vocabulary, and essential jargon. The system will automatically prompt the user when terms stored in TBs show up to ensure everyone involved follows the same set of translations—consistency is crucial for a credible brand image.
   3. Improving management and coordination processes: Many platforms offer project management functions that facilitate task assignment, progress tracking, version management, as well as online coordination and communication between multiple parties. Furthermore, these tools can process various file formats, like json, php, and indd. In contrast with the past, users do not need to convert them to Word, Excel, or PowerPoint for translation. This helps streamline file preparation, as well as prevents human errors in the process.

If a team is charged with a massive translation workload on a day-to-day basis, or the project involves multiple batches over a long period of time or cooperation between multiple people, adopting translation technologies can deliver outstanding results in terms of efficiency, quality, consistency, and cost control.

2. Establishing basic management practices

The choice of tools, or the decision to use a tool, will depend on job requirements, budget, and user's proficiency in wielding such. Even without professional tools, cultivating good management practices can also substantially bolster project effectiveness. Take the following examples:

1. Splitting and planning processes: Split a project into multiple stages (e.g., requirements verification => file preparation => translation => review => typesetting => final check), designate the person responsible for each stage and set the completion date and time, and use simple forms or project management software for progress tracking.
2. Implementing version control: Establish clear file naming rules (e.g., file name + language + version number + date), leverage cloud infrastructure or shared folders for classification and hierarchical management of different versions, and make sure team members retrieve the latest files for work.
3. Establishing shared glossaries: Using even the simplest Excel file or Google Sheets spreadsheet is better than having no management tool at all. It is important to maintain a record for important terms, brand vocabulary, recurring phrases, and standardized translations. After all, requiring all project staff to follow the list will substantially lighten the burden of checking, consolidating, and revising.
4. Regular reassessment and communication: Determine fixed periods for communication (e.g., project kick-off meeting, interim progress monitoring) to establish smooth feedback channels. This can assist the team in discovering and fixing issues early. Every project will hence become an opportunity for learning and improvement.

These tasks act as the cornerstone of translation project management. Regardless of the availability of resources or the scale of the project, establishing proper practices will serve as a good starting point to overcome translation project challenges in a systematic manner and deliver results that meet expectations.

Seeking Professional Support with a Holistic Approach

Translation project management revolves around a holistic mindset and process optimization. Effective management can reduce repetitive work while boosting consistency in quality and communication efficiency. The translations produced will come across as more professional and better meet the job requirements.
Whether you are a freelancer or a project manager in an enterprise, you can attempt to apply the above management concepts, or think about introducing proper translation technologies.
Nevertheless, in the face of large, complex, and multilingual translation projects, or the lack of internal resources and expertise, enlisting the help of a language service provider (LSP) is probably the most viable strategy.

Why Language Service Providers?

A LSP normally boasts the following assets, which can systematically address the difficulties you face in translation management:

1. Expert project management teams: LSPs employ many experienced project managers (PMs) who specialize in various localization/multilingual translation processes. They are able to devise the most suitable proposal for clients, coordinate resources, control scheduling, and mitigate risks.
2. Advanced translation technology applications: Professional LSPs are experts in CAT tools and TMS platforms, and therefore, can effectively establish, manage, and apply TMs and TBs on behalf of clients. This serves to preserve long-term consistency and efficiency, thereby maximizing the value of language assets.
3. Stringent quality control processes: Apart from translation, LSPs' processes often encompass independent review, proofreading, editing, and even testing. The multi-layered checks will guarantee that translation quality meets clients' expectations.
4. Seasoned translators and experts: LSPs engage a global network of translators. They recruit diverse talents, selecting the most suitable candidate for a job through a comprehensive system based on the specific language or expertise required (e.g., law, medical, technological, sales).
5. Proper file and version management: LSPs are capable of handling manifold file formats and rounds of version updates, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the final deliverables.

In a nutshell, LSPs can not only provide translation services, but also a set of solutions covering processes, technologies, talents, and quality control. If you wish to focus on your core businesses without worrying about the rest, opting for cooperation with an LSP is a wise move. Entrust complex translation management tasks to a specialist in this field, and let the professional teams in LSPs produce steady and high-quality translations to help promote your business hassle-free.
You may consult with us for more detailed translation management suggestions before crafting a comprehensive management strategy. Adopting a holistic approach that emphasizes translation management will not only solve your problems at hand, but also constitute a stepping stone to hone your brand communication and global competitiveness.
Linguitronics has been active in the language industry for over 30 years. As a veteran in translation project management, we have obtained the ISO 17100 Translation services certification. Please don't hesitate to contact us for consultation.

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