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 How to Set Requirements for Translations |
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Quality becomes a manageable factor when we define it as conformance to requirements. The quality of a translation must be defined by how well it meets the objectives we set for it, before the translation began. It is these objectives that must form the basis for formulating our requirements.
The 5 steps are
- Define 6 key areas
- Set requirements
- Identify & hire the translator
- Monitor the process
- Evaluate results
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| Step 1: Define 6 Key Areas |
| Translations, as is also true of other professional services your company contracts, can be most effectively managed when you are prepared to give the supplier clear and precise directives. In the case of translations, there are 6 key areas that must be defined, and their requirements formulated, before the translation begins. I call these the 6 keys to translation management: |
| 1. What? |
First, gather all the elements that make up the complete translation project and define how they relate to the whole. For example, when translating a technical manual make sure to include the binder cover, index tabs, registration cards, or any other items that will be used together.
The translator must understand the interaction between all the elements and translate them as a unified whole. Otherwise, you may end up with a manual whose chapter headings do not quite match the language of the binder's index tabs, a video whose graphics do not quite match the language used in dubbing the dialogue, and a brochure that matches neither. |
| 2. Who? |
Know your audience.
Do not assume that the target readership for your translation is the same as for the original. Adapt your translation to fit the income, class background, political orientation, etc. of the international market you are trying to reach.
Keep in mind that translating competence is much more than simple language competence. Your translator must understand your target country's lifestyle, psychological make-up, and buying habits as thoroughly as the original writer understood the US audience. Above all, keep in mind that a translation must communicate to the target audience in terms of their own culture. Culture can never be separated from language.
We routinely blame some of the most famous blunders in the history of international business on ignorance of cultural differences. However, keep in mind that it is through poor translations that we expose our ignorance to public ridicule. Remember: Disastrous translations are much more frequently the result of cultural, rather than of technical ignorance. |
| 3. Why? |
Define the translation's purpose.
Why are you having it translated? What are your objectives? What do you expect the translation to accomplish? Sell? Teach? Persuade? Your objectives should form the basis for defining the translation style.
For example, a technical video translated for the purpose of teaching factory workers how to operate equipment, requires a style quite different from that of a video to be used to persuade CEO's of the technical superiority of the very same equipment. In the first instance, it is obvious that the style must be clear, simple, and straightforward. In the latter, however, the language must not only be at a much higher reading level, but also have a certain refinement and polish. |
| 4. Where? |
It is a common misconception that languages, such as Spanish, require translations into the various local dialects. This is not so. There is no valid reason for using dialect in business communications.
Business communications, in any major language, require the same standards of clarity, precision, and professionalism. Translators must have a thorough knowledge of the countries, regions, and dialects represented by the target audience, not in order to translate into dialect, but, on the contrary, to translate into universal standard language and to avoid particular words that may offend or lead to misunderstandings because of their different meanings in various dialects. |
| 5. When? |
Plan ahead in order to establish a realistic and cost-effective translation schedule. Keep in mind that quality, cost, and schedule are the three pillars on which a translation project is developed.
As a rule of thumb, allow one day for every 20 pages of text and one week for every 20 minutes of video, or 3 weeks for a 300-page manual or a 60-minute video. Add to this timetable any time some of your field or staff people may want to spend revising first and second drafts of the translation.
Whenever possible, do not start translating a manual or video until the entire original production is completed. Nine times out of ten, there will be last-minute changes to the original, and it can be very costly to make changes to the translation. In any case, no competent translator would dream of doing a dubbing script without the final video, since each word of the translation must match the lip movements of the original. |
| 6. How much? |
How much should a translation cost? There can be huge variations in fees charged by translators and, as is true in other areas, high fees are no guarantee of quality. Often, "translation brokers" (agencies run by people who are not themselves qualified translators), such as the nationally known language schools, charge the highest fees and produce the lowest quality. Translators who "do translations on the side" usually charge the lowest fees, but their performance may be less than adequate, and large, complex projects are normally beyond their scope of competence.
When formulating your budget, you may find it useful to get quotes from these two extremes, but make sure that you are making an accurate comparison of the services they each provide. What are they offering you for the money? Does the fee include typesetting? Will they supervise the printing? Will they culturally adapt the foreign version for that fee? Does that include consultations on cultural and economic factors that may affect how your product or service should be presented abroad?
The main point to keep in mind is that the actual text or script translation represents a very small fraction of your total budget, compared to production and distribution costs. While you will often pay less for a translation by going to a friend or local university for small, simple jobs, in a major project, a full-service translation company, run by a qualified translator who knows the ins and outs of the business can save you money. A big part of the service provided by reputable translation companies is putting together a comprehensive package.
In addition, a good translation company will have access to production facilities in several countries, and will be able to design the most cost-effective way for you to print, produce, distribute, etc. the translated product. As in other business functions, we arrive at the true cost of a translation by computing the price paid to achieve conformance to requirements, plus the cost of non-conformance.
Translation non-conformance, however, must be measured in two ways: First, in terms of the direct costs incurred because of errors, omissions, delays, etc. Second, and even more significantly, it must be measured in terms of the impact of non-conformance on the entire business process. |
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| Step 2: Set Requirements |
Once you have defined the 6 key areas, you can begin to set the requirements for your translation. Let us take a hypothetical case and define requirements for it, as in the following example.
Product Requirements Sample:
(What) Translation into Universal Technical Spanish of a sales presentation consisting of 50 pages of text, a 15-minute video (part dubbing, part voiceovers, some graphics), 50 slides.
(Who) The language must correspond to the language currently used in medical device journals sold in Latin America and Spain. The first presentation will be facilitated by a Cuban ChemE from Miami and will be given to Mexican, Peruvian, Puerto Rican, and Spanish medical device design engineers (ME's) and engineering managers.
(Why) The presentation must introduce them to new polymers developed by our company for use in medical devices, and sell these engineers on the idea of incorporating them into future designs.
(Where) The presentation must be adaptable to formal and informal settings, for both small and large audiences in the US, Europe and Latin America. Presentation will be made for the first time during a September trade show in San Antonio, TX, to engineers from Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Spain, but we plan to use it in all other Spanish-speaking countries on an on-going basis.
(When) The completed package must be ready by August 15, 1993.
(How Much) The total project must stay within a budget of $20,000.
In addition to the above, you will need to define format requirements for the finished product. For example, in the case of text you may need to specify a style sheet, any artwork, etc. In the case of a video, you will need to specify the size and format of the master, NTSC, PAL, SECAM, etc. |
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| Step 3: Identify and Hire the Translator |
Once you have set your requirements for the product, you will be ready to set requirements for the translator, based on what the translator must accomplish. Now, let us continue with our example:
Translator Requirements Sample:
Translator must have knowledge, skill, and experience in the translation of technical text, videos, and slides from English into Spanish.
Translator must be familiar with writings by ChemE's and ME's from the US and Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Spain.
Translator must understand the technical sales process and the language of technical sales in the above countries.
Translator must be familiar with trade show presentations and the best ways of approaching the different settings.
Translator must have the project completed by August 15.
Translator must be able to work within the budget.
Translator must deliver the finished product in the format stated.
Now, you are ready to begin searching for a translator.
As we have stated, the decision to hire a translator should be determined by the requirements of the translation. As such, the translator you hire must be defined by the complexity of the translation, that is, the level of skill, expertise, and technical knowledge that the work demands. Furthermore, the translator must also be defined by how well you want the translation to conform to all its requirements. A quality translation must achieve a perfect match between the requirements of the finished product and the ability of the translator to fulfill those requirements.
Before you set out to walk through the minefield of translation services providers, answer this question: How important is this translation? While a friend, secretary or language teacher can often do an adequate job of translating simple text; few businesses can afford the high cost of putting an important project into the hands of amateurs. |
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| Step 4: Monitor the Process |
| In translations, this is the one step that is most often neglected, and it is also the most complex. Monitoring the translation process is much more than staying on schedule. It can be divided into 6 main areas: |
| 1.Task Definition |
| (Defining each individual task that makes up the total project) |
| 2.Task Sequencing |
| (Determining the order in which tasks must be completed) |
| 3.Task Scheduling |
| (Determining the time required to complete each task, as well as the date when each task must be begun and the date when it must be completed) |
| 4.Task Evaluation |
| (Determining what milestones will define each task and, at each milestone, whether the task is being carried out according to the requirements) |
| 5.Task Approval |
| (Determining at what point each task can be defined as completed and ready to be integrated into the next step in the process) |
| 6.Task Integration |
| (Determining when and how each task is integrated into the next step in the process. Evaluating whether the integration has been carried out according to requirements) |
When translating simple text, process monitoring can be extremely simple, since there are such few tasks involved. In the case of large or complex projects, however, it is much too involved a step and beyond the scope of this brief guide. Suffice it to say that lack of proper total quality process management will not only result in chaos, delays, and lower quality, but will also end up being very costly. Unless you have the training, skill, and knowledge that will allow you to know exactly how long each task should take and how it should be sequenced, coupled with time to devote to coordinating the hundreds of individual tasks involved in a major translation project, find a competent translation company to do it for you.
Demand that the company provide you with detailed project monitoring charts that give you a clear picture of the complete process. Moreover, make sure it is done before the project starts. That way you will be able to follow each step of the translation, or better yet, know that a competent translation company is following it for you. It is here that the true worth of a translation company can be measured: by their ability to take full responsibility for the quality, cost, and on-time delivery of the finished product. |
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| Step 5: Evaluate Results |
Evaluating the quality of a translation should be the easy part.
Once the translation is completed, check it against the requirements that you set for it. Then, determine whether or not it conforms to these requirements. It is to be hoped that, if all the steps have been followed correctly, the translation will, consequently, conform to all the requirements and, therefore, will be a quality translation.
If it does not conform, then go back and determine which part of the translation caused the non-conformance, and make the needed changes to this part of your process to prevent the same error in the future. Of course, if you have gotten this far before detecting the defect, you will be forced to correct it at a very high cost to you and your company. Obviously, whatever time, money, and effort are spent in correcting the defect will have to be computed under "the price of non-conformance."
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