In today’s globalized marketplace, it is crucial for businesses to have accurate and efficient technical translations to reach diverse audiences. However, translation costs can be a significant investment. To help streamline the translation process and control expenses, consider implementing these five practical tips:
1. Leverage Translation Memory (TM) Systems
A Translation Memory (TM) database stores previously translated text segments and their corresponding source text. When a new document is translated, the TM system searches for matches in the database and suggests pre-translated segments to the translator, increasing efficiency and consistency.
Utilizing TM systems can significantly reduce costs by storing previously translated segments and phrases for future use. This ensures consistency across documents and eliminates the need to translate identical text repeatedly. By leveraging TM technology, translators can work more efficiently, resulting in faster turnaround times and lower overall costs.
Most businesses have repeatedly used content, such as warnings or disclaimers. Identifying and standardizing the content that appears in multiple places is a highly beneficial exercise. Doing so will decrease the time it takes translators to work because they use specialized translation tools that can offer suggestions for previously translated content. Suppose translators do not have to translate from scratch. In that case, the job will not only be completed faster — it will also contain consistent content across all different types of outputs (e.g., website copy, manuals and marketing literature). A Content Management System (CMS) is ideal for managing these reusable chunks of content.
Consistent terminology should be added to a glossary of terms, which translators can use with their specialized translation tools. A glossary of terms is a living tool, and it should be updated when you have new terms to add. Doing so will result in more consistent documentation (which provides a better customer experience) and more accuracy (if different terms are used for the same thing, it can be unclear in the translations).
2. Provide Clear and Concise Source Material
Clarity in source material is critical to reducing translation time and costs. Ensure that your technical documents are well-organized, free of ambiguity, and written straightforwardly. This facilitates smoother translation processes and minimizes the likelihood of misunderstandings or errors, ultimately saving time and money.
Organizing the content logically, eliminating ambiguity, and using straightforward language is essential to ensure clarity and conciseness in the source material. Providing context and clarifications where necessary can also help translators better understand the content, reducing the likelihood of errors and minimizing translation costs.
If text is embedded in graphics, the localization process can take longer (and cost more) because the graphics need to be recreated with localized text. If the translated text fills a different amount of physical page space, the whole graphic may need to be redesigned to account for that. That’s why, whenever it’s possible, it’s in your best interest to separate text from graphics. Doing so will mean your project can be translated more quickly, saving time and lowering costs.
When writing technical content in English, remember that not all end-users are native English speakers. Cultural references and idiomatic phrases are difficult and sometimes impossible to translate. They can cause misunderstandings and potentially even damage your brand. By avoiding these phrases in the first place, your end-users will better understand the content, and the translation process will be more straightforward.
If you need to update previously translated content, you should do everything possible to minimize unnecessary changes to the text. It can be very tempting to change or tweak text here and there, but the more content you change, the more expensive and time-consuming it will be to translate and localize the updates for your different audiences.
3. Collaborate with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
Engaging SMEs during the translation process can enhance accuracy and efficiency. SMEs possess specialized knowledge of technical terminology and industry-specific jargon, enabling them to provide valuable insights and context to translators. By collaborating closely with SMEs, translators can produce more accurate translations on the first attempt, reducing the need for revisions and lowering overall costs.
4. Evaluate Machine Translation (MT) Options
Machine translation tools have advanced significantly in recent years, offering cost-effective solutions for quickly translating large volumes of text. Human reviewers can refine and polish machine-translated content, ensuring accuracy while reducing overall translation expenses.
While machine translation can offer cost-effective solutions for quickly translating large volumes of text, it may not always produce accurate results, particularly for highly technical content. Machine-translated text may lack nuance, context, and cultural sensitivity, which can impact the quality of the final translation. Incorporating human review and editing can help mitigate these drawbacks. It is also important to note, however, that it may not always be possible for human-reviewed machine translations to achieve equivalent quality levels as human translations – similar to how a house being built on a crooked foundation will be harder to level than a house built on a level one, machine translations may read less fluent and natural, and this can sometimes be difficult for human reviewers to adapt without having to re-write the entire text.
5. Consolidate Translation Volumes with a Single Provider
Discuss your anticipated translation volumes with language service providers if your business requires frequent translation services. By committing to a larger volume of work upfront, you may be able to secure discounted rates or preferential pricing arrangements. This can result in substantial cost savings, especially for businesses with ongoing translation needs. Also, consolidating translation needs across departments is a good strategy to ensure your company gets the maximum benefit.
Choosing the right translation provider involves considering factors such as expertise in your industry, quality assurance measures, pricing structure, and turnaround times. It’s essential to research potential providers, request references, and evaluate sample translations to ensure they can meet your specific needs and deliver high-quality results within your budget.
By implementing these strategies, businesses can optimize their technical translation processes, improve efficiency, and lower costs without compromising quality. With the right approach and tools, achieving accurate and cost-effective translations is within reach for any organization in today’s global marketplace.
At Morningside, we take pride in offering highly professional technical translation services to customers around the globe, and we’re here to assist you along the way. It’s never too early to prepare and plan for localization. How a document is written and formatted will directly impact the time and money it takes to translate it. Contact us today to learn more about how to save time and money with localization services.
An Expert Partner
At Morningside, we take pride in offering highly professional technical translation services to customers around the globe, and we’re here to assist you along the way. It’s never too early to prepare and plan for localization. How a document is written and formatted will directly impact the time and money it takes to translate it. Contact us today to learn more about how to save time and money with localization services.
About Morningside
Morningside, a Questel Company, equips leading organizations with accurate, high-quality, professional translation services. We specialize in highly regulated industries, including legal, life sciences, corporate compliance and IP. We help your ideas reach new markets and audiences while allowing you to do more with your budget. Our global network of 8,000+ vetted translators includes subject matter experts (SMEs) in various technical fields and practice areas. Morningside is supported by industry-leading technology and a quality management system certified to the latest ISO 9001, 13485 and 17100 standards. We translate complex materials into 200+ languages for Global 500 companies, international law firms, and regulatory bodies.
As the current Director of Morningside's Strategic Accounts team, Emma is responsible for strategically solidifying and expanding our largest existing customer relationships and improving overall customer satisfaction. Emma lead's the Strategic Account Management team in developing treatment strategies focused on building relationships with decision-makers and users across large organizations and ensuring customer retention and relationship stability. Emma is an expert in the translation industry scoping and identifying project requirements, designing step-by-step custom localization workflows, and providing high-quality customer service.