 7 Min. Read |
 Jessica Rivera |
 December 27, 2022 |
Global expansion is one of the most impactful and effective ways to grow a business. As a result, many companies rely more and more on translation and localization of content to expand. To do both requires planning and consistency, which can be difficult for a business to handle on their own.
The translation lifecycle of a company is directly related to the localization maturity curve. Each of the five phases of the localization maturity curve has a strategic process in place to move a company to the next level, until full localization is reached.
The entire translation life cycle requires a lot of communication and collaboration with others for successful results. As a company becomes more mature and requires higher levels of international dependency, the more support is needed from a language services vendor such as MotionPoint increases.
Here are the phases of localization:
The Manual phase applies to companies that are most likely just beginning their international expansion journey and do not have translated content on their website. During this phase, international maturity and international requirements are low, and translation processes are unpredictable and ad hoc - most translations are manual and are chosen for specific use cases. There's no centralized approach to handling translations, which can leave businesses vulnerable to lose market share to better organized competitors.
The Automated phase occurs during a low level of international maturity and international requirements. Some translation automation tools may be leveraged to perform translation projects. This can include machine translation solutions such as Google Translate. Perhaps business is manually translating ads and blog content, which are beginning to gain some traction in the marketplace. This is the phase where a business may want to start translating to scale and increase visibility among the target audience.
As your international maturity grows, so do your international requirements. You may find your business needs to translate content into more languages and think about integrating localization rather than simply translating. The Agile phase refers to the agile methodology of working in sprints. Each translation and localization project can be considered a "sprint" and encompasses more than plugging text into a machine translation program. All elements of a company brand and website needs to be localized in (possibly) different languages and requires a process of doing so effectively over and over. In this phase, translation technology is well-defined. A business can use standard tools and have defined roles to ensure that localization is appropriately prioritized. Most importantly, metrics can be created to rate future performance.
The Agile phase is where the vendor support curve is the steepest. At this point, it's recommended to hire a translation and localization company like MotionPoint to ensure translation and localization projects are handled efficiently and effectively.
The Centralized phase occurs when translated languages are well-established and the bulk of the translation and localization adjustments are taken care of by a dependable, centralized entity, such as MotionPoint. Since most or all of a company's translation and localization content is in place, translation memory software will automatically take care of updating preexisting words and phrases. Continuous translation will ensure website content is accurately updated in a timely manner as the company continues to grow.
In the Expert phase, a business is considered to be at peak international maturity and international requirements or dependencies. Depending on the size and nature of a business' website, it may make more financial sense to build a translation and localization team in-house. However, there are drawbacks to building an in-house team. In-house teams can result in numerous hidden costs related to employing a full staff or additional resources to handle translations, and it can drain the time of existing staff as responsibilities related to translation are added to their workload. An in-house translation team also leaves projects open to time creep and incurs the opportunity cost of latency in go-to-market indefinitely.
As businesses progress through the phases of the localization maturity curve, it's essential to consider the total cost of ownership (TCO) associated with their translation and localization efforts. TCO includes all direct and indirect costs incurred throughout the lifecycle of a translation project, from the initial setup to ongoing maintenance and updates. Understanding these costs can help businesses make informed decisions and optimize their localization strategies. The maturity stage your company is in significantly influences these costs.
At the Manual phase, the direct costs are relatively low because the volume of translation work is minimal. However, indirect costs can be high due to the lack of streamlined processes:
In the Automated phase, the investment in automation tools begins to impact TCO:
As companies move into the Agile phase, the complexity and volume of their translation needs increase, affecting both direct and indirect costs:
In the Centralized phase, companies experience a shift in cost dynamics due to centralized management and automation:
At the Expert phase, TCO considerations become crucial as companies weigh the benefits of in-house teams versus continued reliance on LSPs like MotionPoint:
MotionPoint helps businesses optimize their TCO by providing comprehensive translation and localization services tailored to their needs at each phase of the localization maturity curve. By leveraging MotionPoint's expertise, businesses can:
In summary, the phase of the localization maturity curve you are in directly dictates the different cost factors of your translation and localization efforts. MotionPoint's end-to-end services provide a clear path to minimizing costs and maximizing value throughout the translation lifecycle.
No matter what phase you’re in on the localization maturity curve, considering the total cost of ownership is vital. With the right strategies and partners, businesses can navigate the complexities of global expansion efficiently and cost-effectively. MotionPoint offers tailored services to help you achieve your international goals while optimizing your investment in translation and localization.
