BUSINESS

Translation is translation, right? It’s addressed the same basic need since prehistoric tribes encountered one another and had to solve one of life’s most elemental problems: communication.

But the reality is more complicated than one might think. In a globalized world that’s in the midst of rapid technological transformation, the nature of multilingual communication is changing. And with businesses of all sizes seeking cost-saving and productivity-boosting solutions, it’s clear that “translation as usual” isn’t going to cut it in the modern world.

That’s why RWS is transforming translation by adopting and integrating translation technologies into their solutions. These enable continuous localization processes and agile translation management techniques, as well as taking advantage of content connectors, Al-powered neural machine translation, and hybrid CAT tools. It’s an approach that can deliver significant advantages and process efficiencies.

RWS describes its Transforming Translation approach as one that opens new pathways to more effectively deliver content to your audience.

“For those that want to go further faster, changing the way that translation and localization is conducted is a good place to start. Incorporating technologies and reengineering processes can free up time for translators and project managers to focus on tasks where human intelligence and creativity are most valuable,” RWS states.

In their view, adopting an agile approach and taking advantage of the right blend of technology and human skills provides opportunities that help companies drive global growth.

It’s no secret that effective translation and localization is vital to opening new markets. Reaching people in their own language, with an awareness of their unique cultural sensibilities, builds trust and goodwill, making individuals far more amenable to changing their habits and sampling new products and services.

“Given the importance of a digital content strategy, translation can’t be an afterthought,” is the mantra according to RWS, which proposes that translation processes need to be aligned with and support a well-considered content strategy in order to get the best return.

They also apply a critical eye to all elements of the suite of technologies being used in localization. Take computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools. For a long time they’ve been a translator’s best friend for boosting efficiency and output. But like most technologies, they’re changing.

“Just as a spreadsheet doesn’t really perform anymore as a data analytics platform, some traditional CAT tools, translation management systems, and machine translation engines are now showing their age,” they point out. “They’re still adequate for a variety of applications, and some remain powerful productivity enhancers, but many weren’t designed for today’s – or tomorrow’s – realities.”

Likewise, processes are starting to creak and buckle under the demands of an increasingly fast-paced world, where time to market is a key factor in success. For RWS, agile translation on means a continuously flowing process of tasks and content updates. Rather than manage by sequential handoffs from one completed job to another, managing by incremental handoffs can improve both efficiency and output.

When translating greater volumes and varieties of content, more efficient ways to manage the process are needed. The same budget or resource base now needs to translate more content across a wider range of formats and digital touchpoints in a shorter period of time to keep up with ever-expanding localization goals.

This is possible through the careful and precise use of technology. Utilizing a fusion of linguistic Al, content repositories, business systems, and hybrid CAT tools, the translation process can be transformed into a unified system as elegant as it is efficient.

According to RWS: “Today’s new translation technologies are so much more agile, automated, and intuitive that the experience — and the benefits they deliver — are transformative. And because most of these new technologies are built on platforms designed for ongoing evolution, and are being developed rapidly, now is a good time to join the augmented translation revolution and take advantage of the transformative results they can deliver for your business.”

But how does all this work?

In short, agile translation management means that the technology can manage large content volumes while adapting to the bite-sized content and iterative translation needs that most digital-first businesses demand. Likewise, the content connectors and application-programming interfaces (APIs) can be designed to integrate directly into business workflows.

“There should be standard APIs to support custom integrations,” RWS states. “And ideally, users should have access to a platform with a large range of out-of-the-box content connectors to simplify integration with the most common business systems.”

Linguistic AI remains a hot topic within the industry, but the potential the technology holds is maximized when it’s deployed in an “agile” environment – when AI typically fits more easily into overall localization ecosystems, and efficiency gains can be realized more effectively.

Because all forms of linguistic AI are essentially core language technologies, an agile TMS is highly likely to feature a deep level of integration with machine translation (MT) platforms and other linguistic AI functions. Ideally, a localization team should have linguistic AI built into their agile TMS, even if it’s also available as a standalone function or service.

The same goes for hybrid CAT tools. Such tools need to be adaptable to quickly changing circumstances, and the hybrid approach means that users have the capabilities they need whether they’re online or offline, in the office or at home, using their work computer or on the go with mobile devices. Once again, agility is the name of the game, and all systems should work together to achieve that agility.

When an LSP uses the latest in translation technology, the impact can be seen in a wide array of solutions they can typically offer. They are able to work with a wider range of content formats — think multimedia and apps, not just traditional documentation — and offer a greater variety of localization techniques, from traditional translation to transcreation to international SEO.

As you expand your use of translation technologies and adapt to new solutions, they grow with you and can offer content- and translation-specific consulting to help optimize your digital setup and process.
To learn more, click here.