White Paper: An Introduction to Translation and Localization for the Busy Executive (cont.)

Five recommendations for getting started:

In closing, here are five recommendations that will help companies that are new to localization get started:

1. Become a smart buyer. Having read this you’ve perhaps got a good start going. The Localization Industry Standards Association (www.lisa.org) has produced a localization primer that you can obtain here: www.acclaro.com/localization-white-papers. In the US, there is also the Localization Institute (www.localizationinstitute.com) which is a great source of vendor-neutral information and training. There is also a trade publication, Multilingual Computing (www.multilingual.com), which is a good source of timely information on localization issues.
2. Assess your global readiness. Are your products ready to be localized? Determining this up front and resolving any problems before you begin the localization process will save you some stress and much money downstream.
3. Be leery of handing off the localization of your product(s) to distributors. This always looks great at first since it appears to reduce your upfront costs. However, great salesmen and channel partners do not necessarily make good localizers. There are many stories of contract nightmares, switching fees, quality/consistency issues and missed deadlines with this approach.
4. Compare your quotes. Make sure you’re comparing apples-to-apples when selecting a vendor and know exactly what is included (e.g., testing, number of reviews/revisions, etc.).
5. Look for a partner. Like remodeling your house, know that you’re going to run into some surprises. Pick someone you can trust to help you weigh the issues and recommend solutions. You should feel confident that your project contacts can think on their feet and are empowered to act and keep your project on track.

Summary

Putting this information to use can make a difference to both the quality of your final product — but also to your team morale and budget. Preparing a solid localization plan with your provider sets the foundation for the effectiveness of the project. And, following your plan, including maintaining flexibility and a learning attitude will go a long way to helping your project not only succeed but flourish in its new language market.

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