Five Tips For Choosing A Suitable Language Service Provider

Many companies choose to outsource content translation to a provider of localization and translation services. There are many aspects to consider when localization is involved, and it should be done in the most professional way to avoid any complications.

Follow these five tips to choose the best available language service provider for your business.

1) Choose someone with experience in your industry.

In addition to understanding the local language, your provider needs to have experience in your industry. If your company offers software solutions, you need to find a translation company which specializes in the software localization field and not just any translation company.

2) Ensure that the company has both linguistic and technical expertise.

Perhaps you are looking for a company to reinterpret your website from English to 20 languages. You need to feel confident that the translator understands both the source and target languages, but you also need to feel confident that the company possesses the latest technical knowledge for website design and the knowledge to use translation and glossary management systems. Make sure that your language service provider not only possesses knowledge of language but also understands the technical aspects of the services that you need.

3) Know the company's quality control framework.

The best language service providers put their projects through multiple layers of translation. For instance, some companies start by working with you to develop a glossary related to your specific project or industry. In the top companies, this glossary is available to multiple translators and is dynamic, which means that different translators can update the glossary as they learn more about your project. After the initial translation of the project, at least one additional certified translator should edit the project to ensure that no errors have been made. Also, automatic tests to verify adherence to approved glossary should be executed.

4) Check for credentials.

It's important to check that the company you are about to choose has all the right credentials and certificates. The credentials will reflect the company's work process and their ability to ensure a stable quality control system. The company's certifications also hold great importance. A company that has an ISO standard for quality management systems will no doubt offer a professional service and better results. For example, if you are in the medical field, look for specific ISO 13485:2003 "quality management systems for medical devices" certification.

5) Check what others are saying.

Before you finalize the details, ask to see some references and testimonials from clients and colleagues, and even pay a visit to the company's offices to ease your mind and to make sure they are not an online fiction entity. You can also check at professional translation websites such as "proz.com", and see what they have to say about the company as vendors. This could help in verifying the integrity of the company.

To sum it up, you must evaluate the language service provider before you start the translation and localization process, to make sure you get the most professional service. Take the above suggestions into account to assure the success of your project.