Translation Company’s Localization Challenges

1. Localization is the full adaptation of content for a local marketduring the translation process
This document describes the localization process, as well as all the technologies, problems and methodological issues involved with localization. It should be used as a reference guide to the various processes, functions and areas of localization for anyone seeking to expand their knowledge over the subject. It is more of a factual document than that of opinion, and should be used as a study on the topic of localization. As far as most of the IT industry is concerned, the term “localization” means translation plus “some other things”. In fact, translation is no more than one part of the entire localization jigsaw puzzle, sometimes not even the most important one. So what is localization? Though the definition varies somewhat throughout the industry, we believe that the following explanation describes localization fairly well. We will try to explain it in further detail later on in the document however, the “simplest” definition of localization is: the full adaptation of content for a local market during the translation process. Localization requires the understanding not only of specific local markets, but the understanding of actual content surrounding a given industry and/or culture. Localization and translation are codependent and because of that, they require much focus and strategy. As such, this document also attempts to familiarize the reader with issues related to the strategy of executing localization projects within IT companies. Furthermore, this text aims to answer the question that many people in IT frequently ask themselves: What resources and technologies do we need to carry out localization projects?

1.1 Who needs localization?
If a producer wishes to sell a product in a given market, he has to provide relevant product information in the language spoken in that country, regardless of whether his product is a complex ERP system worth $100,000 or a hair shampoo priced at PLN 3. Obviously, if a region specific translation is not available, all such products or items will loose consumer interest and encounter market entrance barriers. This can occur because anyone remotely interested in a purchase, would be immediately discouraged from buying the product if he were unable to read the instructions manual or even figure out what the item is. The best that the producer could hope for in such cases would be that the product marketed in English to an Eastern-European region, would find some English speaking residents of the region or English speaking tourists tempted to purchase it. Although it is true that some items could sell even without English manuals or English labels, it is hardly likely that revenues would exceed costs incurred in most cases where the product did not have a localized marketing campaign. Unfortunately decisions as to whether or not to localize a given product tend to be based on the estimated cost of such ventures and the benefits (increased revenues/sales) they would generate, instead of on the assumption that localized products will find a larger target audience.

1.2 What is localization?As stated previously, when one localizes a product/service, he adapts it to the requirements and standards applicable in another country. However, in order to understand the term “localization” fully, we first need to understand all of the parts of the localization process. Localization process: Translation of all terms, abbreviations, symbols and units (in short, all language specific components) into the language of a given country (for example, when dealing with software, we translate the user interface, online help, messages that may be displayed, and all documentation).

Localization of graphics: any graphics appearing in the project material must be adapted to conform to standards in the target culture and language. All words in graphic files must be translated. The same goes for all cultural symbols (flags, clothes, etc.). This typically involves replacing the existing graphics with new ones, e.g. when the “symbols” sent for translation represent people of different skin color from the target region, flags of a given country, characteristic road signs, or even vegetation characteristic for the climate prevailing in a given country, all of these have to be adapted to fit the target culture.
Audio localization: web sites and all kinds of electronically published materials feature an increasing number of audio elements. Audio localization is a process that requires substantially more work compared to standard translation of an html document. Even a simple voice-over with the voice of a single commentator requires a professional recording studio, a commentator, a sound engineer, a director (for more challenging recordings) and digital sound processing after the recording.
Cultural adaptation: This is particularly important for Web site localization. The message addressed to visitors to the site must be translated in the spirit of the culture of the target country. The details of the site’s layout and its composition must appeal to representatives of the relevant culture. If a Web site is translated without being localized, what is generated is a site in the language of the target country, which will be perceived as artificial by a great number of visitors. Obviously, the importance of cultural adaptation varies from subject to subject, but it is always of at least some significance and should not be underestimated at any cost. Coincidentally, certain issues are specific to training applications (what is known as e-learning). For example, all case studies must relate to the country’s culture. Jokes and anecdotes contained in the text must also be consistent with the target culture. Questions posed in the material must correspond to the rest of the translated content and be worded in such a way that the degree of difficulty is comparable to that of the questions featured in the original. Understanding all of these elements allows one to understand both the previously stated definition of localization as well as its importance.

1.3 Aspects of the professional localization processWhat should the professional localization process be like to ensure the success of localization projects? The following features make up the localization process:

Quality orientation
A native speaker of the target language should check each translation. Following the translation and proofreading, the translated text must be re-read in hard copy to identify errors that are hard to detect without looking at the translation as a whole. It is important to realize that even the best translators and proofreaders can make mistakes.

Functional testing should be performed thoroughly to identify all shortcomings of the user interface.
Similarly, there should also be quality control for audio recordings.
Resources allocation
This includes procedures for information exchange within the localization team and among various teams co-operating on the same project, whether relating to specific terminology, reservations about substantive aspects of the project, or project-related inquiries.
Reporting on the progress of the localization work.
Application of specific terminology.
Ensuring that each projects has all the necessary resources devoted to successfully complete it.
Technology orientation
If tools and technologies adequate to the specific project or subcontract are used, and used by people familiar with them, then everyone involved will sleep easier and be sure that it will be wrapped up on time. Some of the tools that facilitate the automation of some parts of the work relate to:

HTML validation,
UI tests (user interface),
tests for help files in .hlp format,
tests for help files in .chm format,
Optimization of workflow and project procedure management
The work should be planned so as to avoid the risk of error propagation. All tasks should be scheduled in such a way as to avoid the risk of being held up by other tasks.
Objectives will not be achieved unless all resources are allocated rationally.
The project work should be planned with the aim of distributing the workload equally among the teams involved and making allowances for the contingencies that often arise.

2. Professional localization procedureWhat matters in localization is the execution procedure. The right approach to the project is bound to result in the development of a successful product. On the other hand, any attempt to execute the project without careful preparation is likely to have a negative impact on costs, deadlines or product quality, and in a worst-case scenario on all of them. So, strategize, and strategize smart! Below is a procedure for executing a localization project. Different emphasis should be placed on different stages for different kinds of localization projects. Depending on the specific nature of the projects, some stages will be more complex while other may be less complicated.

1. Analysis and assessment of the project’s size (Sizing)This is undoubtedly the most important part of the entire process as it affects all the subsequent stages of the localization process. Mis-analysis of specific issues can jeopardize the whole project, substantially raise the costs involved or prolong the project execution process, not to mention the negative impact that it can have on quality. The size of the project is determined by drawing up a detailed specification of the amount of text to be translated for all the files. Even at this early stage of the project we have to be aware which files contain components for translation. A thorough assessment of the size of the project is crucial for its subsequent execution as it enables us to plan all the stages for all the components such as audio, graphics or text.

2. Project plan
The purpose of a project plan is to:

allocate tasks and roles to individual teams and team members,
establish the tools to be used,
create a project schedule,
develop escalation procedures (what do we do when faced with additional difficulties),
develop procedures for information flow and exchange (between translators, software engineers/ programmers, DTP personnel and audio specialists)
develop a communication model within and between the various teams (and firms) co-operating on the same project,
set deadlines for completing individual project tasks,
establish standard forms for submitting inquiries and transparent rules for processing them.

3. Development of support materialsDevelopment of stylistic guidelines and instructions for translators (such documents can be prepared on the basis of existing templates for a given type of project or specifically for the project at hand). Verification procedures (QA): development of adequate procedures for verifying localized material (including instructions for translators) is crucial to the final quality of the project. For example something as obvious as making sure that all hyperlinks in the translated HTML material work properly. If this task is written down as a step in the procedure, we can be sure it won’t be forgotten.

4. Preparation of reference materialsReference materials are materials available to everyone involved in the localization project, whether translators, proofreaders, engineers or testers. The general principles of preparing such materials are as follows: The more reference materials are prepared the better. To that end, we can use older versions of documents, help strings or software tests. Obviously, should such materials not be available, where the relevant software is a new product, materials similar in substance can be used (such as similar applications, documents on similar subjects, etc.), All reference materials should be developed with ease of access and browsing in mind. For example, creating 100 reference files will prove useless, as searching through 100 files to clear up a problem identified in the course of the project is too time-consuming. In this case, relevant documents should be combined into one, with information on source documents/files kept for further reference. For example, HTML files may be pasted into one large file using a tool incorporated in the SDLX software (all versions) or Perl script. Translation Memory translation and terminology databases are the most important reference materials as they are the easiest for translators to access. Virtually all TM applications feature a translation memory and terminology database integrated with the editing environment for translating. This is the fastest and most convenient way to use this information. We simply block text, and by clicking the relevant key view the search results.

5. TM tool configurationThe proper way to configure a TM tool is as follows:

Configure the segmentation rules,
Define words and phrases not to be translated or edited (e.g. proper names).

6. Importing into the TM environment (conversion into the TM application format)Importing into the TM environment means converting the file we want to translate into the TM application format.

7. Pre-translation (Optional)
Pre-translation is performed if we have a translation memory containing the previous version of a document, for example, or help files or software. Pre-translation brings down the cost of translation, because text that is pre-translated only has to be proofed as part of the project.

8. TranslationThe translation is executed using the Translation Memory editing environment, in accordance with stylistic guidelines and using all available reference materials for the project. The functionalities of TM tools increase translator output by providing shortcuts and other labor saving features. Use of TM tools also cuts the costs of both translation and proofreading.

9. Proofreading
Proofreading also needs to be carried out in the Translation Memory editing environment. During the proofreading process, the format of the target document should be previewed as far as possible (some TM applications have a built-in preview function, while in others files have to be exported to be viewed in the target format).The proofreader can also view the translated text on paper to see the formatting and layout of the target document on an on-going basis. This is useful when translating documents with complex formatting or HTML pages, for example:

When proofreading we use the following functions that are available to support the proofreading process:

Terminology check (this function uses the project’s terminology base to check that the text has been translated consistently with the stored terminology),
Spell check (this function checks spelling and usually operates in a similar way to spell checks in popular word processors).
Formatting correctness check (this function checks that the formatting of the source text has been correctly transferred to the translation; it operates at segment level).

10. Exporting to the target formatThis is usually a simple conversion from the working format of the TM application to the target format. In the Trados application and when working with .rtf files, this means simply removing markers inserted for segmentation purposes. In the case of documents saved in a more complex format, this operation may not be error-free, for example when working with FrameMaker files in the Trados application.

11. Functional testingAt the functional testing stage, the end-translated product is checked. The importance and length of this stage of the localization process is determined primarily by the type of the project: software localization projects require compilation and testing, or testing alone in the case of binary files (.exe and .dll). for Website localization projects, we check that all links function properly, all scripts on the site run correctly following localization, and all elements containing language-specific components have been localized.

12. DTPFor professional publications prepared using electronic design software, such as Adobe FrameMaker or QuarkPress, the appearance of the document as a whole is of crucial importance. Attention should be paid to details as fonts, the entire layout (respective location and captions), illustrations, headers and footers. The electronic layout of the text contains all these aspects and many more. There are certain specific issues typical for each file format.

13. Updating translation memory and terminology databaseAfter all changes have been made in the course of functional testing, the translation memory and terminology databases have to be updated. This will ensure that the same mistakes are avoided in similar translations in the future. We can also be sure that the reference materials that can be created from the project will be error-free.