SELECTING YOUR TRANSLATION VENDOR?

Selecting the right translation vendor for your project is an essential determining factor in its success.

When shopping for a translation vendor you will likely be speaking with translation managers and translation project managers - these are the individuals responsible for your overall project, the selection of translators and the effective management of timelines.

MOGI highlights these important questions to think about during your selection process:

• How long has the company been in business and does it have positive references?
• What is the vendor´s translation process or production process?
• How many translators does the company work with and what are the specific testing requirements for a translator to be hired by that company?
• Does the vendor create a glossary of terms specific to the project?
• Can the vendor specify the translation memory tools they use?
• What quality assurance and testing processes does the translation vendor employ?

Be aware of test runs with vendors. You can submit short texts for tests, and likely will, but it is important to keep in mind that any translation vendor can pull themselves together enough to turn around one page of text error free and on schedule. For this reason, it is imperative your vendor is reliable,skilled, priced according to industry standards and easy to work with. They must have demonstrated an understanding for your business and associated terminology.

It is also important to work with a translation vendor that is meticulous in the selection of their translators. A good selection process should include resume screening, testing procedures and previous client reviews and references.

Ideally, your translator should be a native speaker of the target language and fluent in the source language. Translators should also work in conjunction with subject matter specialists, in order to catch special industry terms or jargon, and proofreaders to verify proper sentence structure and grammar quality.

Overall, when deciding which translation company to work with, ask lots of questions and trust your instincts. If you have doubts during the interview process, look for another service provider; this will save you time and money in the long run.