Supporting the translation process correctly

Considering the complex overall process, the transfer of a text into a foreign language is only a small part. In many companies translations generate very visible coordination efforts, a growing need for developing knowledge about processes and systems, as well as all kinds of costs. That the need for multi-lingual documents will not change is attributed to the fact that products or services are sold all over the world. The international consumers must be reached through language as well. But the question whether the effort of creating translations needs to be so extensive is legitimate.

The mass of documents generated daily and their duplication with language versions requires efficient monitoring of tasks/orders, schedules and costs. Furthermore, the following factors must be considered:

• Selection of appropriate resources
• Preparation of translation memories
• Determination of volume and time planning
• Compilation of reference documents and manuals
• Administration of terminology databases
• Updating translation memories

Support through software

Providers of language technology equip their software with modules intended to automate the translation process. The available functions should enable companies, which sell their products in different markets and therefore require the respective document in the language of the target market, to create, control and manage tasks independently. If a company does not want to hand over its translation process to a service provider, it usually identifies the personnel requirements for the translation tasks and the investment needed for such systems and the knowledge that must be acquired in this regard. This knowledge is necessary, for instance, to optimally implement new functionalities in the translation process in case of version changes.

Raising quality through structures

While there is much discussion about lean and accelerated translation management, simple methods that improve translations continue to go unnoticed. Sustainability of translation quality often begins while developing a translation memory. A systematic categorization of the documents or document groups to be translated and their clear delimitation from other documents is important here. Such delimitation can be based on product lines, documentation types, business areas or departments. Such kind of information should accompany every translation component in the form of attributes in the translation memory as early as possible.  This can simplify and speed up the consistent use and maintenance of the memory even years later.  To some extent, this is what will make long term use possible at all.  Settings in the software, e.g. activating the usage counter for translation units, are also important. Furthermore, the level of quality of a translation should be recorded when a company approves its translations by itself for example, and these are then binding.

Along with the wish of optimizing translations and translation processes with technological possibilities, building and continuously developing dedicated translation resources should also be examined. Both factors contribute towards developing and maintaining a degree of quality. Regular translators can access queries that have already been answered in completed translation tasks and step up the completion of their work without losing quality. Moreover, translators who are the final entity before the reader must be made conversant with peculiarities specific to the company or the product. The statements of the editor can then be implemented correctly for the target market. Furthermore, the translator as the manager of quality can ensure that uniqueness and clarity of a source text are guaranteed.

Cost optimization in the process

Along with reuse of organization units through the translation memory, the file formats used play a role in reducing costs. Almost all formats used in companies today can be converted directly to a form editable in translation editor with minimal conversion effort. This avoids copy & paste errors. Also, the file conversion creates organizational interfaces and accelerates the process. An advantage is also achieved in the timeline, since a layout check takes place directly after the translation and re-conversion and syllable division or text truncations can be set right.

Using bilingual versions

Often only minimal updates are carried out in existing documents when adjustments are made to products. If the target markets have remained the same, these already exist in the foreign languages. The entire document is now sent for translation only in editing sections that do not use any content management systems. The technical editing section will naturally want to profit from the existing translation units in this case.

Purely applying the translation memory to the documents is only a limited solution, since the translations inserted from it need not match the current document, or may not match it anymore.

A proven and completely reliable method for document updates is therefore the use of bilingual versions of the document generated during the translation process.  If the structure of the document versions has remained more or less the same, the updated document can be compared with the previous document and pre-translated based on this comparison. Although this may sound simple, it quickly becomes complex, if the bilingual document was stored in the file system in an unstructured manner or naming of the file was left to the fantasy of the person saving the document. The actuality of the content can also be problematic in case of this solution, if terminology changes have taken place in the time between the creation of the first translation and the subsequent translation and are not marked as such in the database.

Reduce organization

Many companies have internal approval processes for the completed translations. The approvals are usually done by the overseas subsidiaries or are done by the end customer. Web-based solutions can help simplify approval processes. This is based on the approach of providing the translations to be approved with the same segmentation logic in which the translation resources can be found. The process has the following advantages:

• Unique assignment of possible changes, since adaptations are inserted directly at the corresponding locations in the bilingual text
• Simple transferability of the entire approved content in the translation memory without the error-prone copy & paste process 
• Reduction of the entire translation and approval workflow, since the target text and the translation memory are linked to each other
• The possibility of a monitored exclusion of specific sections of the text from the transfer to the translation memory, if the changes are required in individual cases but do not correspond to the initial text
• Access to terminology

Image. Online approval process

Bringing together people involved in the translation tasks is a sensible step, even while assigning the task and during task management. Especially those companies seeing no value in acquiring and operating process systems, profit from the advantages offered by an assignment platform for translations.

Assignment platforms can be developed according to the specifics of companies and can integrate processes accompanying translation, such as DTP tasks, approval processes or publication processes.  Such assignment platforms comprise defined templates for the assignment, which can contain constant data such as billing addresses or even selection lists for exclusively required data about the document type for instance. Along with automation, such platforms have the objective of having to record information only once.

Such platforms add value, particularly in case of a decentralized use, especially at all places where information about costs, dates, volumes and language combinations has to be provided rapidly and over long periods of time across countries or departments.

Time optimized processes

The requirement to link work can also arise in environments where there is no time to assign translations or investments are being avoided. This applies in case of time critical text creation and publication processes or when translations are to be created continuously immediately on completion of the source text sections. The former can be required in case of texts that must be written daily in specified close timeframes as the information is updated daily and are to be translated into the foreign languages to harmonize the contents. The latter can be required for content management systems, where the partial contents are completed gradually. The entire documentation can be prepared in this way together with the translations without losing time. Completed data is automatically fetched from its repository locations for the translation. It is then transferred to the translation environment, i.e. translation memory, editor and terminology database, according to defined criteria. Even the return path is regulated accordingly.

Summary

Translation management is an integrative task. If translation processes are to remain sustainable and reduced to the most significant, it is not possible to avoid considering all elements comprehensively. The contemplation begins with the consideration of the environment, in which a source text is created. It continues with the preparation of the publication for the target audience and usually ends only when no text components are required anymore. For all intents and purposes, an automated translation loop has been formed then.

From the company’s perspective it is meaningful to automate the translation process and to accelerate it and finally to concentrate on the translation itself. The actions and determinations listed in the previous sections should however not remain disregarded.

The translation lifecycle continues to be based on the capability of correctly estimating quality, costs and time. And this will probably not change any time soon.