Translations In Foreign Production Site Establishment And Operation

When manufacturers set up factories abroad and require translation services, most language agencies that they contact will immediately confirm their willingness to handle such tasks. Unfortunately, not all players in the translation industry are trustworthy and provide the quality that clients expect. Let us discuss some examples that illustrate why choosing a quality language service provider is critical and what high professional standards of localisation agencies mean for the successful establishment and operation of foreign production plants.

Good localisation service providers have stringent quality assurance policies in place. They typically include the selection of highly qualified in-house staff, strict examinations of external vendors, evaluations and audits, adherence to the TEP process (translation followed by editing and proofreading), etc. Moreover, quality language service providers have a range of key values and standards that they strictly adhere to in their daily routine, some of which we will discuss below to demonstrate why they play such a decisive role for manufacturers that set up factories overseas.

Confidentiality And Non-Disclosure

Quality localisation agencies apply stringent measures to protect intellectual property and confidential information, including product formulas, production/assembly instructions and any other trade secrets. They will therefore request each and every individual who gains insight into any such documents (including project managers, internal/external translators, editors and proofreaders) to sign very strict non-disclosure agreements. Unfortunately, this is not the case at many agencies with lower quality standards, for which it is normal to forward confidential texts from clients to vendors who are not bound to any such NDA’s.

Punctuality

Professional localisation service agencies understand that deadlines are absolutely critical in manufacturing and that late delivery of a translation can cause significant damage. For example, when translations of contracts with local suppliers of raw materials or assembly components are not delivered on time and therefore cannot be concluded, this can result in interruptions of production processes – and financial loss.

Sufficient Human Resources And Specialised Translators

As the text categories that have to be translated in the manufacturing sector are extremely diverse (please find out more here), quality translation service agencies will usually divide them between different expert linguists, e.g. translators who specialise in legal texts, engineering content, PR and advertising documents, etc.

For example, many of the engineering texts that have to be translated when overseas production sites are established, such as usage instructions of proprietary special purpose machinery and user software of such machines are extremely complicated. In order to convey all information correctly and to ensure safe and efficient operation, only engineering expert linguists are qualified to work on them.

Another example would be legal translation: Licenses, import/export documentation, labour contracts with local staff, tax registration dossiers, etc. typically contain very specific terminology that only legal translators can translate accurately (please click here to find out more about legal translation in FDI).

Terminology & Consistency

Though it makes perfect sense for translation agencies to select various translators based on their fields of expertise (as just illustrated), it is also important to ensure that all linguists know client-specific terminology and use terms and phrases consistently – no matter how many linguists work for one end client. While some agencies do not take this issue seriously, quality agencies invest in specific tools with terminology databases and translation memory databases (which is absolutely not the same as machine translation – please click here to find out more). Such tools can be critical, for example when there are changes to assembly lines and translations of all associated usage instructions, training instructions, etc. have to be updated.

Rich Add-On Service Portfolio

Quality localisation agencies understand that translation alone is often not enough, and that several other services are required to provide turnkey solutions. When foreign production sites are set up, there are countless such situations: For example, a company that has to localise staff training software to explain operational procedures at production plants to employees, usually not only requires linguists, but also IT engineers with experience in software translation. Further examples would be DTP, which is often required for translated documents (e.g. the engineering documents as mentioned above) or interpretation services for meetings and/or training sessions with factory staff, local business partners, etc. Clearly, only quality localisation agencies that do not hesitate to make significant investments in human resources and the acquisition of adequate technical infrastructure and equipment can offer such a broad service spectrum.

As you see, there are many reasons why selecting a quality language service agency is critical when enterprises set up foreign production plants. Make sure to put your translations in expert hands to avoid disappointments and damages to your international business operations.

elionetwork has provided outstanding localisation services for more than two decades. We always put quality first, which explains our long-lasting client relationships and our reputation in the industry. If you have any questions about our translation services, contact us now! Our friendly team will be delighted to assist you.