The rise of global trade both in terms of exports and imports has created an increased requirement for translation services. The ongoing business across borders means that the requirement for translation services is not a one off, there is a continued need, which leads companies to ask the question: Do we have an internal translation team or do we outsource to a specialist translation agency?

Organisations that have access to high levels of resources are more likely to think about establishing and in-house translation team. However, this approach is highly capital intensive which has the potential to have a harmful effect on the organisation’s overall business performance.  Due to the complex nature of translating documents in a diverse range of subject matters, ensuring the in-house team have the necessary knowledge and experience will be a difficult challenge for any organisation. Dependent on the nature of their business, they may need to consider technical specialists, legal specialists, medical specialists as well as all the language specialists to meet the target market demands. 

This is where a Translation service like Romo Translations come in to their own.  Having many years’ experience utilising the skills of an established network or industry experts, translating from their native tongue, the issues of high set up costs for an in-house translation team can be avoided.  It also provides and flexible working relationship that can be scaled to meet the changing demands of you’re the business. It can also be achieved in a significantly shorter timescale as there are no requirements for buildings, technology installs and recruitment as these are already in place within the agency.

The Elements of Translation

Translating documents of any kind be they simple documents or complex technical manuals requires a number of elements to be addressed to ensure the project is run to time, to budget and above all accurately. The following highlights the elements that need to be considered for successful a translation project:

• Choose your translator wisely

From the outset, it is vital that you choose a translator that possesses the necessary qualifications in the subject matter, the chosen language and the translator qualifications required to undertake the project.

• Project Manage

Ensuring that the project management resources are available will be imperative to the smooth progression of the translation project. Complex documents and highly intricate information will need to be managed at every stage in order to keep to the agreed timescale and budgets.  Romo Translations make sure an experienced project manager is in place freeing your resources to focus on other important areas of your business.

• Collated Information

In the initial stages of the project, it will be important for all aspects of information and style approach to be collated and familiarised.  This will need to include, but not limited to, elements such as:

• Source Documents
• Reference Materials
• Glossary of Terms
• Products Details
• Unique Product Terms / Names
• Target Market / Tone of Voice
• Required Formats
• Currency Details
• Units and Measurements
• Forms
• Agreed Proof-Reader Rules and Terms of Reference

• Ongoing Translations

There will be times that passages of copy will be re-used across future materials. In order to save both time and money a database of existing text should be developed which can then be access when required.  Additional rules and terms of reference for proof readers and be implemented to ensure accuracy and quality is maintained. This database will require close monitoring and management to ensure integrity, therefore the appropriate resource needs to be in place. 

Flexible and Scalable Translation Resource

Organisations who’s expansion strategy include the trade with cross board and global markets, establishing an outsourced translation service aids this strategy by providing flexible and scalable document translations without the expansive and time consuming set up of an internal team. As the business grows, then the translation service expands in line with it, ensuring that all the product and language expertise is available on demand.

If your organisation is looking to expand its reach in to new global markets, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss your strategy and how outsourcing your translation needs can help.  To contact us, please call 0845 262 0153.