A new look at an old question from a former project manager: Why use a translation agency?

"It seems incredible that this big project was done on time. I asked them a lot and they did a great job. Not only was it done, but they managed to make me feel like it could really be done, which got me to calm in a sea of ​​rising pressure from my top management. I understand the convenience of using professional services like yours. It's really true that when you deliver a good job at best you can let go of some of your concern. "

This offer is a seller's dream: it is a real offer from a relieved and satisfied customer. You may also have been delighted by the brilliant words of praise and radiant thanks from a translator applicant in your organization. For the sake of full disclosure, I must admit that the client who wrote these words is not a professional within the translation company london firm.

Still, his organization assigned him the task of verifying the labeling and packaging of a new product in a wide variety of languages ​​for use in an even wider range of local settings. The materials presented to our project management staff were a variety of master documents and derivative documents, and the client's task was to verify and certify the language and content of the text prior to printing.

This client did not have the familiarity or comfort level of foreign languages ​​to organize the project or even to identify the languages ​​in question. His aim was simply to carry out the task and move on to his area of ​​expertise, which clearly did not involve the determination that "Dutch" and "Holland" were a language and a country, respectively, rather than a few languages.

If you do not want to spend your life in the salt mines

This type of client and this type of situation is not an uncommon or unpleasant part of our translation business. As a project manager and as an extension as a company, I am proud and satisfied with our willingness and ability to save these clients from what can be a translation nightmare: uninvited, inappropriate and often confusing to the project recipient. . assignment. The non-volunteer, often uninitiated, is grateful to find a willing and skilled provider to provide a turnkey solution.

Of course, I also work with many client-side translators and ultimately deal with clients at various points across the broad medium spectrum. These professional clients bring years of experience and accumulated wisdom to the translation process. The "agency question" can and does arise: If your organization has invested resources in training and creating a translation department / department or even a single, informed contact point in your organization, why invest? extra costs to secure a translation service provider's services?

After all, having accomplished the remarkable task of planning globalization and preparing your product and materials with internationalization in mind, knowing your topic and the market is basically a matter of reading resumes, determining the area of ​​specialization and level of experience. , and then move on to the translation step. ¿Right?

It depends. While there are certainly instances and scenarios where these assumptions may be true, these assumptions may warrant an investigation, and I strongly recommend that such an investigation include the following factors.

You already have a job, right?

If internationalization / translation is your full-time subject or one of many responsibilities, your participation in the translation process may range from a charged responsibility to an informed participant; in any case, it represents the resource of your organization. Getting the job done requires your commitment to your business, your product and the wider consumer community. A large number of meaningful, productive and low cost activities occur under his supervision. Whether you are a committed project manager, department manager, or global access advocate, engaging in a process that is difficult often involves minimal acceptance of your company and is the key to effective and profitable globalization.

I am familiar with the specific tasks you face as a team leader or project manager in internationalization. My knowledge base and suggestions come from my experience in a translation and translation company since 1987. My position as project manager for translation / translation is undeniable full time. Trips around the block have been many and I have probably already faced all the obstacles you could face.