TOP

Why do I need internal reviewers? How can I make my internal reviews successful? 1 of 2

Oct 19
Posted by Sean Oliver in Translation

“Translation” ; “Cross-Cultural” ; “Cross-Cultural Training” ; “Global Diversity” ; “Diversity” ; “Intercultural” ; “Intercultural Competence” ; “Localization” ; “Global” ; “Global Ethics”; “Globalization” ; “Global Business” ; “International Business” ; “Contextualization” ; “Cultural Adaptation” ; “Cultural Audit” ; “Global Delivery”; “Internationalization” ; “Inclusion” ; “Intercultural Training” ; “Global Cultures” ; “Global Business Skills”; “Global Workforce”; “American Culture” ; "Machine Translation" 

Many new translation buyers don’t initially consider having their own internal, in-country employees review finished translations.  When the question is raised, they often seem perplexed… if they’re paying for translation services, then shouldn’t the end product be 100% quality assured?  If it’s generally a bad idea to have internal personnel (who are not trained translators) do the translation, then why would it be beneficial for internal staff to review the translation?

Internal reviews are an industry-wide best practice, and there are several reasons why this is the case.  First, then there is no way for the translator to intuitively know the company and country-specific terms that may be used , especially if a glossary of terms, previously translated content, a branding guide, or an existing translation memory isn’t provided to the translation vendor,. Internal reviewers can help fill in these gaps. Third, internal employees are in a better position to review translations for consistency with the organization’s branding, and last, laws and policies may differ from country to country, having in-country reviewers look at content can help mitigate the risk to the organization of disseminating information locally which may be incorrect, inappropriate, or possibly even illegal (i.e., asking for racial and ethnic information on a form being translated for EU audiences).

Even organizations that fully understand why internal reviews are a best practice, they are still faced with the challenge of identifying those internal reviewers from any number of native speakers in-country.  We’ve identified the following characteristics of highly successful internal reviewers:

  (more…)

Read More
Tags: , , , ,
Comments (0)
TOP

Translation Memories: to Share or Not to Share…

Oct 13
Posted by Maria Fagrelius in Translation

“Translation” ; “Cross-Cultural” ; “Cross-Cultural Training” ; “Global Diversity” ; “Diversity” ; “Intercultural” ; “Intercultural Competence” ; “Localization” ; “Global” ; “Global Ethics”; “Globalization” ; “Global Business” ; “International Business” ; “Contextualization” ; “Cultural Adaptation” ; “Cultural Audit” ; “Global Delivery”; “Internationalization” ; “Inclusion” ; “Intercultural Training” ; “Global Cultures” ; “Global Business Skills”; “Global Workforce”; “American Culture” ; "Machine Translation"Last week, a client asked us to translate some content using the same terminology as previously used by our client’s other translation vendor. I asked our contact if the other vendor had a Translation Memory (TM) to share, so we could easily provide consistency on the upcoming project. The client didn’t know the answer to this, and connected me directly with the other vendor, nothing unusual here since this vendor is not a competitor. We connected with the translation vendor via phone, and the conversation seemed normal until he asked me if LCW would share this client’s TM with them, in the reverse scenario.  Fair question indeed, and with a very easy answer: If this client would ask for their TMs, YES, we would share with them without hesitation.  

After this phone conversation, a few questions have been flying around my head that probably have very easy answers: What is the norm in the translation industry? Do freelancers and LSPs normally share their clients’ TMs with other vendors, if the situation presents itself as above?  Of course, I am not talking about sharing other client’s content; I don’t want to enter the privacy debate here, only content which belongs to that specific client and which consequently has been paid for by the client.

(more…)

Read More
Tags: , , , ,
Comments (5)
TOP

Open Communication: Benefit of Connecting Clients with Translation Teams

Sep 10
Posted by Maria Fagrelius in Translation

“Translation” ; “Cross-Cultural” ; “Cross-Cultural Training” ; “Global Diversity” ; “Diversity” ; “Intercultural” ; “Intercultural Competence” ; “Localization” ; “Global” ; “Global Ethics”; “Globalization” ; “Global Business” ; “International Business” ; “Contextualization” ; “Cultural Adaptation” ; “Cultural Audit” ; “Global Delivery”; “Internationalization” ; “Inclusion” ; “Intercultural Training” ; “Global Cultures” ; “Global Business Skills”; “Global Workforce”The benefits of open lines of communication between virtual teams is a hot topic in many industries, including the translation industry. Every day, translators and proofreaders are in direct contact with each other when working on LCW translation and localization projects. We find that open communication between the linguists generally improves quality and the speed of delivery. Teams communicating directly means resolving disagreements and getting clarification on the spot, shaving time off of the project life cycle, as well as helping with time zones issues since most of the teams are located within their native language countries.  In addition, our translation teams have been working together for several years now, have created real connections, and are very familiar with each other’s styles and preferences; outside of any style guides or special instructions provided by the client.

Why don’t we apply this open communication model to the relationship between translators and clients? Most of our clients have internal reviewers who review the translation under company style guidelines, to assure the final product reflects the reviewer’s internal knowledge of the company, and general tone of the rest of the company’s content… But sometimes our project managers will notice a disconnect between the client’s internal reviewers and the translation team, even if both parties are the best at what they do, and even in cases where the translation team has worked on the same client materials for years (even a decade). 

(more…)

Read More
Tags: , , , ,
Comments (0)