White Paper: Planning Your Translation Project: Crafting the perfect RFPs or RFIs to put translation providers on a level playing field (cont.)

Details to include in your RFP/RFI

Many translation agencies rely on freelance, in-country translators for the translation work to ensure the most current linguistic knowledge possible. Depending on the size of the company, related tasks may be performed in-house, offshore or delegated to trusted partners. Your translation agency will likely make use of electronic communication and file-sharing tools to produce your project. If establishing relationships between your in-country staff and the linguists or between your and your partner’s engineers is important to you, ask where their resources are physically located. Otherwise, ask your translation provider to explain their communication and file management processes. You may find that communication is faster and easier with someone across an ocean than across a state line, especially if the agency has a relationship in place with a particular group of people.

Most translation providers have a list of commonly-requested languages, and many languages, such as Asian or Western European languages, are more commonly produced than others. However, if a language is not listed in a particular agency’s repertoire, they can usually recruit and qualify a suitable resource for your project. If you require certain dialects or regional variations, do not hesitate to communicate this within your RFP/RFI. Your agency will do its best to accommodate you.

Finding the right resources
Your potential agency will be invested in finding the right resource for your project. If you require expertise with a certain subject matter or knowledge of a tool or application, this can usually be provided or sourced. Many agencies maintain a large pool of linguists and work with various tools and applications for this very reason. It is generally better to ask for a specific set of criteria rather than leaving this to a general, open question; e.g. “Do you have the capabilities to work with FrameMaker and provide print-ready PDFs?” is generally a better option than “Describe your desktop publishing capabilities,” which may lead to a lot of information that is not relevant to your specific project.

Quality is important and your translation agency will go to great lengths to coordinate complex projects and multiple resources flawlessly. Due to the variety of quality control systems available and their relevance to particular fields, your potential agency may have a system in place already. Ask your potential provider how they maintain control over quality, and request details that are important to you.

Summary

Keeping these facts in mind will not only make your RFP/RFI process easier and more efficient for you, but will also show your translation agency that you are knowledgeable about their industry and invested in helping them help you succeed with your project.

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