So you have a perfect website or product that has taken months – or even years – to develop. You’ve launched it in your local market and now your eye is on the international horizon. The steps should be simple right? You hire a few translators and begin to sell around the world, right? Not quite.

Finding the right language service provider (LSP) can prove to be a daunting, difficult task. The process can take time, and there are many factors to consider. When you find yourself looking for the right partner, you’ll want to make sure that they can meet all of your expansion needs. Here are three key things to consider when you’re talking to LSPs:

How do they measure quality?

There are several different accepted methods for checking the quality of a translation. In order to ensure that your translation is indeed translated by linguistic and cultural experts, you’ll want to inquire after the quality assurance methods they utilize and make sure that they are using an industry recognized model.

Additional proof of quality can come in the form of certification. Having a certified Quality Management System in place guarantees quality assurance, which is especially important when it comes to industries such as the life sciences. Many LSPs choose to be ISO certified as it is a commonly implemented standard and is also the most comprehensive of all the guidelines and standards in the translation industry.

CSOFT is both ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 13485:2003 certified, which means we continuously deliver outstanding customer service and also meet the necessary standards to deliver the requirements of our medical device and life sciences clientele. By only employing experienced project managers and translators who are certified professionals with over 7 years of experience and subject matter expertise, we promise exceptional quality beyond just translation.

How will they communicate with your in house team?

When hiring a language service provider to handle a translation project, sadly, the delivery of a message may be lost somewhere in translation. Even if translations are delivered linguistically, they may lack the cultural nuance and message of the original text. This can result in a lot of back and forth between clients and vendors, wasting time and money.

At CSOFT, we have qualified translators and technical writers who can work on-site and side-by-side with your in-house team. This helps to reduce revisions and allows for a better understanding of the two teams which ultimately increases efficiency, while also cutting costs.

Tip: look for a language partner with global offices, which will allow you to have round-the-clock coverage.

Are they able to execute the project technically?

Language service providers need to constantly be evaluating their technology and the technology in the rest of the industry to ensure that they are meeting the needs of their clients.

At CSOFT, we look for the latest and greatest technologies to improve the project lifecycle. We look for tech that will help our clients to cut costs without compromising quality. Technology like Translation Management Systems (TMS) and Content Management Systems (CMS) can help to improve quality and consistency for clients while reducing time-to-market.

Conclusion

There are many factors which should be considered when looking for the right localization provider. While taking the time to look for the right partner may seem like a waste of time, it will ultimately save your business time and money while giving your company or product the best chance for international success.

Rather than jumping into a partnership with the first LSP that you meet, take time to do your research, look for a team with the right quality measures in place, who will go above and beyond to guarantee smooth communication with your internal team, and who will have the technology to ensure the best translation consistency. Make sure you ask questions so that you can make sure you are getting top tier services.

[dqr_code size="120" bgcolor="#fff"]