3 reasons to assign multilingual translation projects to a language service partner

Many of Scriptis’ clients first come to us for English <> French translation for Canada. Our in-house team provides a wide range of English <> French language services for clients in automotive and manufacturing, health and life sciences, finance, insurance, retail, and information technology.

When our clients expand to markets outside of North America, Scriptis continues to meet their multilingual translation needs. We routinely handle document and multimedia translation into 20 languages or more.

Our clients find that they save time and money by sourcing all their translation needs with Scriptis, instead of working with multiple single-language vendors. The Scriptis team becomes a substitute for an in-house language department, providing professional vendor and project management functions to deliver consistent quality across all languages. Here’s how we provide great multilingual translation services:

Vendor management:

Our vendor management department recruits and monitors our language partners around the world. We conduct all project-related communication with vendors on behalf of our clients. Even the simplest translation project generates flurries of emails; sometimes a complex multilingual, multimedia project launches a blizzard. Our people and systems are positioned to handle this efficiently and systematically.

When evaluating potential multilingual translation partners, we look for the following:

We only work with companies located in the country or region where the target language and regional dialect is spoken. For example, we would not ask a Spanish vendor in Latin America to provide Spanish translation for Europe.
An outside vendor must have an ISO 9001 or 17100 certification. To keep our own ISO 17100 certification, we must ensure that our providers follow the same strict screening and hiring procedures as we do. We require our partners to provide proof of their translators’ skills and professionalism, and to demonstrate to us that they are consistently evaluated on their performance and quality.
The ISO certification defines “full translation services” as follows: translation by one professional translator followed by review by a second, independent professional translator. We confirm that our vendors are following this workflow through our translation management software.

Project management

Scriptis prides itself on its excellent project management team. At Scriptis, each client is assigned to a dedicated project manager. Our project managers are located in Canada or the United States. This makes Scriptis unique for its size. Some multi-language vendors outsource project management to Eastern Europe or the Middle East, making communication more difficult. Our project managers are bilingual, in English and French or English and Spanish. In addition, they possess:

Technical know-how. Scriptis project managers use professional translation software and QA tools. They are also familiar with tools and platforms for creating subtitles, voiceovers, e-learning, websites, and mobile apps. Project managers at Scriptis are just as comfortable with a transcription and subtitling project as with translation and DTP for a marketing brochure.
Excellent communication skills. When a project manager launches a job with multiple languages, they become the locus for all information. If one translator makes a query, the project manager discusses the question with the client, then proactively provides clarification to the entire translation team. If one translator discovers a mistake in the source content, the project manager alerts the client and makes sure the mistake is corrected across all languages.
The ability to predict where troubles might arise. Project managers must be able to assess how the source text will interact with the publication platform and predict where things might go wrong. For example, if the source is a user interface for a machine or a tool, the project manager needs to know whether adjustments must be made for text expansion or for different sentence structures. This skill comes from experience, and all our project managers are seasoned professionals.

Multimedia Localization Engineering

Complex digital content like mobile apps and e-learning modules present additional challenges. We use the term “localization” to describe the process of adapting both language and function for multilingual and international users. When a client needs these services, our localization engineers work with the project manager and the client’s development team to establish an efficient means for translating the text while preserving essential functionality.

Click here for an overview of localization engineering services.

When localization engineering comes into play, assigning a multilingual project to a single language partner becomes practically a necessity. Instead of working with a host of providers, the client’s development team can establish a single process for all the languages. Every complex project teaches new lessons to apply to future collaborations.

In conclusion

As your dedicated project manager becomes more familiar with your organization’s content and processes, they will need to consult with you less and less. Scriptis uses client-specific translation memories, term bases, and style guides. There is a reason why our largest clients have come to Scriptis for our expert translation again and again: the convenience and savings of sourcing all their language needs through a single team.

Contact Scriptis for more information about multilingual translation services