Translation Trade Secrets: Is a Translation Agency Worth It?

A professional translation is not merely a word-for-word written translation from one language into another; cultural context, local dialects, and specific terminology influence how any given message may be received. At a translation agency, linguists often work as a team, translating, editing, proofreading, reviewing, and localizing content for a target audience. The following scenario will help illustrate this concept: let’s say your company creates medical equipment for hospitals.

Searching for a Translation Agency

After years of continued growth in the United States, you are ready to begin distributing your products in Europe. In order to develop a better understanding of your equipment, your European contacts request a technical translation of your company manuals. As the technical writing manager at the company, you are given the responsibility of overseeing these translations. You will be faced with two basic options outside of a translation agency:

1. You make some calls or search on the Internet and find a professional translator for each target language to work on document translation. However, by delegating all responsibility to one or two individuals, you are facilitating the perfect environment for chaos. Even if these translators are excellent, without a team of linguists that use localization strategies and quality control methods, you may end up with a mediocre translation.
2. You set up a new infrastructure within the company completely responsible for these translations and all future translations. Whether you hire in-house translators or freelancers, you create a rigorous, streamlined protocol for them to follow, protecting language translation against human error. Now you are faced with the question of whether or not you are prepared to invest valuable human resources into acquiring the necessary translation technology. You will need to research, buy, and implement translation software tools with the understanding that this technology requires further expenses to maintain.

This endeavor will likely require cross-department communication with your company’s IT staff. As is the case with all technology, there is a learning curve that you will have to account for before you can make use of your recent purchase. Remember, however, that you are strapped for time. The longer your company’s contacts in Europe have to wait, the more irritated they will become.

Adding Quality with a Translation Agency

So what is the best solution? A translation agency already has the infrastructure in place to ensure high-quality translations. There, a translation project manager will be in charge of working with a database of experienced translators that have been selected according not only to their proficiency in the required languages, but also their strong background in the particular industry for which they are translating content. A translation agency will already have updated translation technology implemented, saving you time and money. In the case of this study, this means the translation services will come from a team well-versed in the terminology that will produce a flawless medical translation. Remember, translations are products in and of themselves. With time management, quality control and problem solving skills that are added by a translation agency, you will be able to meet your client’s expectations within the desired time frame.