Columnist

Translating Technical Documents: What to Look For in a Translation Agency

As more and more businesses expand their customer reach and push for a place in the global space, the need to translate web copy, technical documents and other support materials into different languages becomes unprecedented. In fact, a recent study found that 80% of manufacturing companies were translating content into 10 languages or more, with many stating that they planned to add between two to five languages over the following year.*

For engineering and manufacturing firms, there are a number of challenges to be faced when it comes to adapting their global content. These potential difficulties include an increasing volume of content which needs to be published in numerous languages across several channels and including a glossary of terms unknown to many, as well as the challenges of striking up a new relationship with a supplier.

But don’t be put off by these challenges; there is a world of benefits to making your content multilingual, including essential compliance with the laws and regulations you must follow, direct targeting of a brand new market, and improved relationships with international staff and suppliers who can now understand and communicate important technical documents in their native language. What’s more, by choosing the right translation agency, the process will be a breeze.

So, what is the best route to getting what you want out of your translation services provider and ensuring best practice across all channels? Capita Translation and Interpreting investigate exactly what manufacturing and engineering buyers want (and what your global business needs) from a language services provider.

Subject matter expertise

By signing up a translation agency already familiar with the specifics of your industry, you’ll save yourself a whole lot of bother. If they can talk the talk and understand your terminology and the general style you require for your content, the process becomes much simpler (for both parties). Luckily, there are agencies out there with specific expertise in engineering and manufacturing that are skilled at accurately preserving your intended meaning.

Skilled linguists

Of course, your translator will need to know the language inside out, as well as have in depth knowledge of cultural nuances to ensure there are no language faux pas (see Ford’s ad campaign, where the slogan ‘Every car has a high quality body’ was translated to ‘Every car has a high quality corpse’ in Belgium). But, they will also need to display accuracy at all times, as well as the ability to follow your set style and guidelines.

A good relationship

Pivotal to the process is a successful working relationship between you and your provider. Do they offer flexibility? Are they available outside of normal working hours? What about local time zone support? Asking these questions before you sign them up is certainly a good idea, and it’s worth investigating their depth of knowledge of your company. With time, you will get a better understanding of how well and how often they communicate with you as well as how well they perform.

Cost

For many manufacturing and engineering businesses looking to go global, the cost of translation services isn’t a top concern. Priorities for decision-makers are level of expertise in the field, linguistic quality, how flexible the provider is, and how successful their relationship shows to be. Price as a criterion will obviously factor in somewhere so it’s a good idea to shop around, but bear in mind that while the price can be negotiated, improving a working relationship half-way through can be tricky.

Repeat business

Another point to bear in mind when choosing a new translation provider is to look for firms which aim for repeat business. Admittedly, this makes things a little simpler for the language agency as they can use the same linguists from similar projects who have already picked up the industry lingo, but it also makes things much easier for you. Typically, a company will turn to just a handful of language service providers, often five or less though it’s not unusual to depend on just one or two or even to rely on primary provider. These relationships can last a long time too, typically between two and eight years, though some firms have reported using the same translation agency for 20 years!*

Established firms, like Capita Translation and Interpreting, will utilise their innovative translation software to identify the terminology and branded information relevant to your business to deliver optimal results. It also means you have a tried, tested and approved supplier to turn to for your next project.

*Common Sense Advisory. How Manufacturing Companies Buy Translation, What LSPs Need to Know

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Patrick .