ASSERTIO Language Services - Blog , UncategorizedASSERTIO Language Services - Blog , Uncategorizedhttps://www.assertio-language-services.com/blogs/UncategorizedSat, 02 May 2026 03:22:39 +0200http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[Why loyalty and other old-fashioned values are still needed in the language industry]]>https://www.assertio-language-services.com/blogs/post/Why-loyalty-and-other-old-fashioned-values-are-still-needed-in-the-language-industryThe world moves faster than ever and in their pursuit of short term profits, some companies might be missing the bigger picture and forgetting that tr ]]>
The world moves faster than ever and in their pursuit of short term profits, some companies might be missing the bigger picture and forgetting that true partnerships with translation vendors should be based on trust, fairness and loyalty. Overlooking these timeless values might lead these companies to make wrong strategic decisions for the long term. 


Companies operating across language borders need to buy translations and software localization services. These language services may be seen as just another expense, with some procurement executives increasingly buying such services and only considering the cost. From their point of view, translations are just another commodity with any translator or translation company being fit to do the job of rendering the meaning from the source language into the target language. To this mind-set, vendors that provide the lowest price should win the tender. 

But the reality is that specialized translation and localization services cannot be treated as a simple commodity. What’s more, going for price alone can be a dangerous strategy which can backfire and make many people unhappy: from the marketing and sales people in the target countries who will need to rewrite all the translations instead of using their time more profitably, to the unhappy end user who won’t understand the local operation manual. 

One of the difficulties of translations is that every industry has its own specialized set of terms. Understanding these terms and using them appropriately takes time. Any well-educated translator will learn the meaning of specialized terms and will use them correctly in the translated texts, but this as said takes time. When a new translator enters into a new realm, s/he needs time to learn the industry specific terms and the customer preferences. These can only be acquired by research and from the feedback provided by both the proof reader and the customer. 

Thus, in order to build a team of specialized translators who understand the jargon and the preferences of the client, who are able to write to the required high level right from the start, the first word that comes to my mind is loyalty.

  • The client must be loyal to the translation vendor, and should understand that quality needs time and long term commitment.
  • The translation company should be loyal to the translators who are passionate about their work and strive to produce high quality texts.
 And though I too am at times confronted with another reality whereby our language services are bought as any standard commodity, I think those old-fashioned values such as loyalty, fairness and love for a job well done are still key for translation projects to run smoothly in the long run. And would we not all agree that companies managed with these good old values in mind also help make the world a better place to live in?

]]>Thu, 23 Feb 2017 06:22:29 +0100<![CDATA[Suggestions for translation buyers]]>https://www.assertio-language-services.com/blogs/post/Suggestions-for-translation-buyersA translation buyer must be aware that correcting a poor translation is difficult and the results are never fully satisfactory. If the translation con ]]>
A translation buyer must be aware that correcting a poor translation is difficult and the results are never fully satisfactory. If the translation contains errors that are not discovered until shortly before publication, a project may miss its deadline. Worse still, if the errors are significant and go undetected, the company or brand’s image may suffer.In this post I am going to suggest a few ideas that I think may be of use when selecting a reliable translation provider.  

The translation sector is very large and comprises many independent translators, small, local, more or less specialised agencies and large agencies with hundreds of employees in several countries. Opening a translation agency is a simple matter while judging quality is not, especially when the client does not know the target language. In this diverse group are excellent independent translators, and others who are not quite so good; the same applies to agencies, whatever their size. 

Translation requirements can vary a great deal: an individual may need a short document translating into just one language while a great multinational with offices around the world may need documentation on products and services that are sold internationally translating into dozens of languages. For these, and other reasons there is no single valid criteria for selecting a translation agency and each translation buyer must find the best supplier to meet his needs for communicating in other languages. 

If I put on my buyer’s hat, while retaining my experience as a translation service provider, I would apply the following criteria for selecting a reliable translation agency. They are listed in from lesser to greater importance. I believe that the human factor and trust are the most important factors in making the decision:
  1. Size: the size of translation agency is no guarantee of quality and, after a certain billing level, size does not provide any competitive advantages. On the other hand, as a client do you prefer to be a mouse’s head or a lion’s tail?
  2. Centralisation: generally, centralising translations in a single translation agency is advantageous. For example, there’s one point of contact, preparing files is simpler, queries are concentrated, a single translation tool is used, there is a single quality control process.
  3. Flexibility: each client must find the translation strategy the best meets his needs. For example, some clients prefer to outsource their translations but revise them in-house. Is the supplier flexible and capable of adapting to your needs?
  4. Services provided: can the translation supplier provide all the services you need? For example, can he handle special formats, localise software, overdub videos, translate on-line courses…
  5. Technological capacity: computer assisted translation improves terminological consistency, shortens delivery times and reduces costs. Do you know which tools the translation company uses and what advantages they might offer?
  6. Specialisation in the sector: does the company have experience in your sector and can they give references of other clients from that sector?
  7. Processes included: what quality control processes are in place to guarantee the results? Which ones are included in the cost of the translation?
  8. Staff continuity: a good translator needs time to become familiar with a client’s terminology and assimilate it naturally. What kind of translators does the agency use and what kind of relationship do they have?
  9. Transparency: Do you know who actually does your translations? Are the cost savings from translation technologies passed on to you?
  10. Trust: This, in my opinion, is the most important factor of all and it means that the translation buyer feels he is in good hands and knows he will punctually receive excellent translations at the right price. 
I have deliberately not spoken about price. Although it is obviously important and, everything else being equal, a decisive factor, a buyer must know which processes are included in the translation rate (the lowest price is not always the most cost-effective) and know which key staff will be involved in the job.
]]>Thu, 14 May 2015 19:54:29 +0200<![CDATA[Translation word rate: are we talking about the same thing?]]>https://www.assertio-language-services.com/blogs/post/Translation-word-rate-are-we-talking-about-the-same-thing  In the translation industry, translation jobs are generally charged per word. While theoretically this is a fair way of paying the translation e ]]>

 

In the translation industry, translation jobs are generally charged per word. While theoretically this is a fair way of paying the translation effort, rate per word in itself can be very misleading.


When a potential customer requests our rate per word, there are a few factors that have an impact on the rate, mainly source language, target language, urgency, translation volume, formatting, and degree of specialization. But besides these factors which are quite clear to everyone, there are some other aspects that are not fully transparent to the client and can be misleading, like comparing pears with apples.


Word rate snags:


Are words counted from source language or from target language?

Today almost all estimates are made with the words from the source text but surprisingly there are still shops that bill by the number of words of the translated text. The difference in number of words between the original text and the translated text can be quite relevant depending on the source and target languages.


Repetitions, fuzzy matches, new words

Another concept that can be confusing is the number of billable words. Word counts between the different CAT tools (translation memories) may vary slightly but the customer should know whether the word rate includes discounts for repetitions and fuzzy matches as well as the matrix applied to the wordcount.


Processes included in the word rate

What are the processes included in the word rate? Each process or each additional step has a cost. The customer should understand clearly what word rate means: just translation or translation + reviewing by a second translator?


Human Resources

Ultimately, the most important factor in the word rate is the cost of the translator who does the translation. Experienced translators can work fast while providing good quality.There are also translation productivity tools that help to lower translation word rates. However, there are some limits in the productivity per hour and an experienced translator with a good knowledge of the subject matter won’t accept working below a certain word rate.


Processes alone do not guarantee quality

Even if established processes are followed, if the people that perform them do not have the necessary skills, the results can be far from optimal. For example, some translation business models are based on finding the cheapest translator for each project (i.e. using reverse auctions) and translators are fully interchangeable. I don’t believe these translation models can ensure long term quality even though established processes are followed.


Final thoughts

Translators need time to understand a customer´s terminology and products. Although paying a high word rate does not guarantee the quality of the translation, paying a fair word rate does help keep skilfull translators. And customers need to be aware that when word rates fall below a certain level, it is more than likely that one of the catches explained above is occurring.



]]>Sat, 21 Mar 2015 21:57:07 +0100<![CDATA[The added value of a translation agency]]>https://www.assertio-language-services.com/blogs/post/The-added-value-of-a-translation-agencyWhen thinking about translation services one could think the following: a translation agency acts as a middleman between the translator, who actually ]]>
When thinking about translation services one could think the following: a translation agency acts as a middleman between the translator, who actually does the work, and the client, who pays for the service. In the age of internet and direct communication, middlemen might seem unnecessary because they only increase costs and do not add real value. Since translators can be found easily on internet, it always makes sense for the client to work directly with freelance translators.

Though the previous paragraph might be true in certain types of translation, for example in literary translations where the creation of the target text is a craft that requires using the service of a translator who recreates the content in the target language, it is not the case in many commercial projects where using the services of a competent translation agency provides real value, both to clients and translators.

                                                                        

This is so in complex translation projects into several languages, where new versions of the product appear regularly and deadlines and time to market are vital and where the added value provided by a translation agency can be easily understood.

                                                                        

A competent translation agency does much more than assign work to a translator and send the translation back to the client. The list below shows some of the functions performed by the translation agency in complex translation projects into one or more languages which add real value for the client:


  • A single point of contact for the client
  • Selection and training of translators
  • Common tools for all project members
  • Terminology Management
  • Query Management
  • Defined work processes and quality control
  • DTP and final layout
  • File and translation memory management

At the same time, a competent translation agency also gives value to its translators, ultimately its greatest asset. These are some of the added values that a competent translation agency provides to the translators:


  • Finding customers
  • Guaranteed payment
  • Continuous training
  • Preparation of the source materials for Translation
  • Technical support
  • Teamwork

Using the services of a competent translation agency provides value to both customers and translators. And choosing the right translation agency is key for companies who are selling and communicating the features of their products and services across the world.



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