QUALITY TRANSLATION RESULTS:

A PROCESS, NOT AN OUTCOME

You are at a disadvantage when reviewing the results of a translation project from a language service provider (LSP). How can you know — really know — that the brochure or annual report was accurately translated into Chinese or Spanish? Does it really read as if it were originally written in the target languages with all of the nuance and meaning of the original?

The truth is: you cannot know.

You have to trust the LSP to be professional and qualified to do the job.

At DML Translations Agency  we build that trust by following a process that is clear, careful, and managed precisely by established professionals.

Stage 1. The first step of our process is to fully understand (1) your needs; (2) the scope of your project (specifications, timetable and budget) and (3) the subject matter. This may sound like a no-brainer, but this requires an experienced project manager at an LSP that takes the time to talk with you, and get to know you, the task, and your objectives clearly.

Stage 2. The qualifications of translators and technical support staff are, of course, critical to the success of any project. Your LSP needs to select the right people with the right background for your specific project. (As this is an especially important topic, our next article will deal with this issue in greater detail.) Suffice to say, we select our Translators based on very rigorous and strict standards.

Stage 3. Once the translation is complete, follow-up is essential to your ultimate success. We use in-country reviewers and specially-selected proofreaders that fit your project’s specifications. We also use specialized language software for consistency and accuracy of specialized terminology specific to your industry.

So how can you be sure of the quality of your translation project if you cannot read it? Find out how much you can trust your LSP by asking yourself: “How much time does my LSP spend talking to me to get to know my project?”, “What does my current LSP have to say on the issue of translator and support staff qualifications?” and “How much experience does the project manager in charge of my project have in handling translation projects?”.

If you cannot get satisfactory answers to these questions, it may be time to look into what process other LSPs follow to deliver the quality you want for your translation projects.

by: Helen Di, President
DML Translations Agency