Mastering Multilingual Marketing: Streamlining Your In-Country Validation Process Please note that the audio for this webcast will be streamed.
Presented by Bert Esselink Moderated by Paula Shannon April, 2009
Agenda Housekeeping & Introductions Introducing Translation Validation Validation Models Validation Processes Validation Technologies Translation Quality Tracking Best Practices Live Q&A Company confidential – distribution prohibited without permission
Introductions Bert Esselink Author of “A Practical Guide to Localization” and Strategic Account Solutions, Lionbridge Bert.Esselink@lionbridge.com Esselink has been active in multilingual publishing projects for almost two decades
His book, A Practical Guide to Localization, is used widely throughout the localization industry
Paula Shannon CSO, SVP and General Manager, Lionbridge Paula.Shannon@lionbridge.com Shannon has more than 23 years experience in the translation and localization industry Responsible for sites in 26+ countries, driving new services and sustainable solutions, ensuring the continued delivery of innovation and execution excellence to a broad range of Global 1000 customers
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About Lionbridge
Global Scale
Market Leadership
4,600 employees 26 countries
Leader in $12B services industry • Translation and adaptation of products
• Global network of 25,000 translators
and content for international markets
Hosted Technology
Global Clients
Web-based language technology platform
Recurring relationships with 500+ global clients
• Enhances competitive advantage • Drives efficiency
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• 80% of revenue comes from recurring clients • 12 of the Fortune 20 companies are client
Polling Question Who currently validates translations in your organization?
In-country sales, marketing or product managers In-country distributors or partners Dedicated in-house translation validation team Third-party language validation supplier Third-party translation supplier Third-party subject-matter experts (SME) I review all languages myself Other...
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Introducing Translation Validation
A client review of a translation provided by an external provider to ensure the quality of the final text.
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Introducing Translation Validation
A client review of a translation provided by an external provider to ensure the quality of the final text.
Ensure translations are at agreed quality levels Provide feedback to translators about quality of deliverables expectations Obtain approval from local country representatives who might use the translations (internal clients)
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Introducing Translation Validation
A client review of a translation provided by an external provider to ensure the quality of the final text.
Ensure translations are at agreed quality levels Provide feedback to translators about quality of deliverables expectations Obtain approval from local country representatives who might use the translations (internal clients)
In most cases, in-country representatives from the organization that outsources the translation. For example, a local marketing or product manager.
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Without managing validation‌
Company confidential – distribution prohibited without permission
Without managing validation‌
Company confidential – distribution prohibited without permission
Without managing validation‌
Company confidential – distribution prohibited without permission
Without managing validation‌
Company confidential – distribution prohibited without permission
Common Issues Local market translation validator is expecting local copy, not translated copy.
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Common Issues Local market translation validator is expecting local copy, not translated copy. Validation is a bottleneck in the release schedule, takes far too long.
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Common Issues Local market translation validator is expecting local copy, not translated copy. Validation is a bottleneck in the release schedule, takes far too long. No clear instructions or guidelines exist for the validators.
Company confidential – distribution prohibited without permission
Common Issues Local market translation validator is expecting local copy, not translated copy. Validation is a bottleneck in the release schedule, takes far too long. No clear instructions or guidelines exist for the validators. Local market validator spends way too much time reviewing -or rewriting- translations.
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Common Issues Local market translation validator is expecting local copy, not translated copy. Validation is a bottleneck in the release schedule, takes far too long. No clear instructions or guidelines exist for the validators. Local market validator spends way too much time reviewing -or rewriting- translations. Translators don't like entering preferential changes that alter the meaning of the source text. Company confidential – distribution prohibited without permission
Key Considerations
Do we have validators available for all required languages?
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Key Considerations
Will the incountry resources have the time and skills to perform this validation?
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Do we have validators available for all required languages?
Key Considerations
Do all translations need to be validated or only a subset?
Will the incountry resources have the time and skills to perform this validation?
Company confidential – distribution prohibited without permission
Do we have validators available for all required languages?
Key Considerations
Do all translations need to be validated or only a subset?
Will the incountry resources have the time and skills to perform this validation? Can the validation process be outsourced to a third party? Company confidential – distribution prohibited without permission
Do we have validators available for all required languages?
Key Considerations
Do all translations need to be validated or only a subset?
Will the incountry resources have the time and skills to perform this validation? Can the validation process be outsourced to a third party? Company confidential – distribution prohibited without permission
Do we have validators available for all required languages? Who tells validators what to focus on when reviewing translations?
Key Considerations How to avoid delays caused by validation, i.e. who manages the validation process? Will the incountry resources have the time and skills to perform this validation? Can the validation process be outsourced to a third party? Company confidential – distribution prohibited without permission
Do all translations need to be validated or only a subset? Do we have validators available for all required languages? Who tells validators what to focus on when reviewing translations?
Key Considerations How to avoid delays caused by validation, i.e. who manages the validation process? Will the incountry resources have the time and skills to perform this validation? Can the validation process be outsourced to a third party? Company confidential – distribution prohibited without permission
Do all translations need to be validated or only a subset? How to track comments and measure quality?
Do we have validators available for all required languages? Who tells validators what to focus on when reviewing translations?
Key Considerations
Do all translations need to be validated or only a subset?
How to avoid delays caused by validation, i.e. who manages the validation process? Will the incountry resources have the time and skills to perform this validation?
How to track comments and measure quality? How to avoid complete rewrites of translations that violate global branding guidelines?
Can the validation process be outsourced to a third party? Company confidential – distribution prohibited without permission
Do we have validators available for all required languages? Who tells validators what to focus on when reviewing translations?
Validation Models – The Options
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Validation Models – The Options
• What is validated – language only or also readiness for target audience? • What are the volumes, i.e. what is the validation workload? • How critical is time? Company confidential – distribution prohibited without permission
Validation Models – The Options
• What is validated – language only or also readiness for target audience? • What are the volumes, i.e. what is the validation workload? • How critical is time?
•In-country sales, marketing, product managers • Third-party validation supplier Company confidential – distribution prohibited without permission
Translation Process Client and/or Advertising Agency Handoff Source File
Translation Project Management Office
In-Country Translators
Client In-Country Reviewers
Translation & Editing
Validate Translations
A
Validate Translations
B
Analysis, Quoting
Prepare for Translation
Quality Control
Conversion & Layout
Printing / Publishing
Project Closure
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Incorporate Changes
When to Validate?
• Sample-based spot checks • Useful to provide direction to translators
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When to Validate?
• Sample-based spot checks • Useful to provide direction to translators
• Translation / language quality focus • Link to Translation Memory (TM) • Potential to use TMS or GMS
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When to Validate?
• Sample-based spot checks • Useful to provide direction to translators
• Translation / language quality focus • Link to Translation Memory (TM) • Potential to use TMS or GMS • Final product / layout focus • No link to TM or multiple DTP cycles
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How to Validate? Validation & Commenting Validator reviews and edits/updates translations Translator reviews and approves changes and approves (optional step)
Translate
Validate & Comment
Advantages: speed (two steps in one) Disadvantages: translator doesn't see changes, more difficult to update translation memory
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Enter Changes
How to Validate? Validation & Commenting Validator reviews and edits/updates translations
Translate
Translator reviews and approves changes and approves (optional step)
Validate & Comment
Advantages: speed (two steps in one) Enter Changes
Disadvantages: translator doesn't see changes, more difficult to update translation memory Validation & Editing
Validator reviews translations and provides comments Translator enters changes and resubmits Advantages: translator learns from changes, easier to update translation memory Disadvantages: commenting takes long, entering changes even longer Company confidential – distribution prohibited without permission
Translate
Validate & Change Approve Changes
Validation Technologies
•Paper •Paper •Paper
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Validation Technologies
•Paper •Paper •Paper
• Microsoft Word: Track changes • Adobe Acrobat: Annotated PDF
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Validation Technologies
•Paper •Paper •Paper
• Microsoft Word: Track changes • Adobe Acrobat: Annotated PDF
• Globalization/Translation Management System (GMS/TMS): online review (e.g. Freeway) • Online XML Editor or CMS • Wiki
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Microsoft Word
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Adobe PDF
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Translation Validation – Freeway
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Translation Validation – Online XML Editor
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Wiki
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Poll Question Which technology do you use for translation validation? Word with track changes PDF with notes GMS or TMS CMS Online XML editor Wiki Other...
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Translation Validation Options Validator
Layout?
Advantages
Disadvantages
No
Everyone knows Word; full freedom to edit
Not ideal for tagged formats (xml, html) or InDesign exports
No (maybe preview)
Online change and error tracking; connected to TM; embedded in workflow
New tool to learn for validators; no offline validation
Annotated PDF or Markup on Printout
Yes
Everyone can use PDF; layout visible
No editing (only commenting), not connected to TM
Online XML Editor, Wiki or CMS
Yes
Online change tracking, included in workflow, full freedom to edit
New tool to learn for validators; no offline validation; no direct connection to TM
Track changes in Microsoft Word Online validation tool in GMS/TMS
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Translation Quality Tracking
Perception of Quality
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Translation Quality Tracking
Perception of Quality
What to Measure?
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Translation Quality Tracking
Perception of Quality
What to Measure?
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Key Performance Indicators
Perception of Quality
Quality
Quality
Translated Copy English Copy Campaign
• Linguistic
Quality
Quality
Localized Copy • Creative • Cultural • Commercial
Locally Created Campaign Copy
Translation versus Localization In marketing translations, it's all about briding the gap from translated to localized copy. Close collaboration between translator and validator should reduce review time. Company confidential – distribution prohibited without permission
Poll Question Do you track the quality of translations in one way or another? No, not at all No, just anecdotal Occassionally Yes, we use a tracking sheet Yes, we have an advanced online tracking system
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What to measure? Number of passes or no-passes Sentences?
Documents?
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Deliverables?
Projects?
What to measure? Number of passes or no-passes Sentences?
Documents?
Deliverables?
Projects?
Number of errors Language quality • Grammar/spelling, punctuation, style/tone/literal translation
Translation quality • Mistranslation, inconsistency, omission/addition, compliance to instructions
Subject knowledge • Terminology, understanding, numerical
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What to measure? Number of passes or no-passes Sentences?
Documents?
Deliverables?
Projects?
Number of errors Language quality • Grammar/spelling, punctuation, style/tone/literal translation
Translation quality • Mistranslation, inconsistency, omission/addition, compliance to instructions
Subject knowledge • Terminology, understanding, numerical
Error weighting should differ per content type
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What to measure? Number of passes or no-passes Sentences?
Documents?
Deliverables?
Projects?
Number of errors Language quality • Grammar/spelling, punctuation, style/tone/literal translation
Translation quality • Mistranslation, inconsistency, omission/addition, compliance to instructions
Subject knowledge • Terminology, understanding, numerical
Error weighting should differ per content type Consider repeated mistakes as one
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What to measure? Number of passes or no-passes Sentences?
Documents?
Deliverables?
Projects?
Number of errors Language quality • Grammar/spelling, punctuation, style/tone/literal translation
Translation quality • Mistranslation, inconsistency, omission/addition, compliance to instructions
Subject knowledge • Terminology, understanding, numerical
Error weighting should differ per content type Consider repeated mistakes as one Exclude source-related "errors" Company confidential – distribution prohibited without permission
Key Performance Indicators First, decide what to measure. Next, define Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Examples: Of all projects, 2% of projects with rework is accepted. Of n segments reviewed, only 5% can be changed. Of n words translated, only 10 translation errors are accepted. Of all deliverables, only 4% can be a no-pass.
Tracking KPIs is ideally (semi-)automated Start tracking macro information, then focus on details
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Validation Best Practices Why? Consider well why you are validating – what are the objectives?
Write instructions for the validators so they understand the task.
What? Think about what to validate – everything or just spot checks? Decide what quality metrics and KPIs you want to measure.
Who? Choose who will validate – internal or external, translator or SME? Decide who will manage the validators and the validation planning.
When? Decide at what point in the process you will validate. Manage & monitor the timing carefully to avoid delays in publication.
How? Choose the most suitable translation validation process and tool. Ensure the process and tool is simple and easy-to-use. Company confidential – distribution prohibited without permission
Knowledge Center
www.lionbridge.com Download White Papers • Building Stronger Brands Around the World: A Guide to Effective Global Marketing • Strengthening Global Brands: Key Steps for Meaningful Communications around the World • Building a Global Web Strategy: Best Practices for Developing your International Online Brand
View Webinars • Web Globalization Trends to Watch • The Art and Science of Global Navigation • The Best Global Web Sites (and Why)
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Questions?
Bert Esselink Author of “A Practical Guide to Localization” and Strategic Account Solutions, Lionbridge Bert.Esselink@lionbridge.com
Lionbridge www.lionbridge.com
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