Tuesday Tips – Three Quick Localization Pointers from Donna Huang

Hey there, everyone! We hope your week is moving along fantastically. Today we’d like to start off a new little blog tradition, the first of many biweekly Tuesday Tips on localization and translation from different members of the CSOFT family.

For our inaugural post, Donna Huang, a senior project manager in CSOFT’s Shanghai office, would like to share some tips from a project management perspective about what translation buyers can do to make the localization process go a little more smoothly.

1. References, references, references!

Donna believes that the more references available, the better suited she and her colleagues will be to complete their tasks efficiently and cleanly. The more reference files, relevant websites or documents that can be provided to your localization vendor, the better, especially when the project focuses on a new product. Background information is vital.

2. Better late than never is true, but early is definitely best.

Of course, resources and information are appreciated at any point during the localization process, but there’s nothing like an organized client-PM relationship in which everything is provided beforehand. Naturally, in today’s fast track of international product development, updates to the scope of a project are par for the course, but updates that alter the scope of the project too much or updates that are sent too late can cause delays and inevitable backtracking. Just remember, as far as changes and updates are concerned, Donna says the earlier the better—for all parties involved.

3. Start localizing your products sooner.

Tight schedules are common. However, to ensure the best quality results, a sufficient amount of time to perform localization is not only ideal, but necessary. Research shows that translation and localization are often tacked on at the eleventh hour in the product development cycle when, ideally, they should be started much earlier. Donna points out that in certain circumstances time is simply not an option, but by taking a more proactive approach to internationalization and localization, you not only create a better working environment for everyone involved, but you end up with a better quality, more localicious product.

Donna Huang hails from Zhejiang, a province along the east coast of China. Donna Huang has been working in CSOFT’s Shanghai office as a Senior Project Manager for over two years now. A graduate of the University of Leeds, Donna studied Business and IT, spending a total of six years in England. Despite crossing borders and continents, Donna enjoys a handful of hobbies regardless of her location, naming shopping and HBO as her primary means of kicking back. In particular, she’s a big fan of Gossip Girl. (Thank you Donna Huang, XOXO!)

If you’re interested in translation, localization, or even if you just like to read the occasional blog, make sure to visit csoftintl.com!