How to Prepare an Effective Localization Kit
The first step in a successful localization project is to prepare a complete localization kit.
Companies today have to localize their products to compete effectively in the global markets. A localization kit benefits both the client and the localizer by streamlining the process from the onset and allowing for the most efficient use of resources, time, and budget.
Despite its significance to project success, the localization kit is often overlooked. This article will go through a list of components suggested to include in creating a comprehensive localization kit.
What Is A Localization Kit?
A localization kit is a tool supplied by the client to the localization vendor. It contains files and detailed project requirements for the goal of localizing a product into certain languages while also taking into account cultural and regional differences.
At the start of the project, a little effort on the part of managers and technical communication specialists in producing a localization kit may go a long way toward preventing unexpected roadblocks in the future. To ensure the project is localized properly and quickly, instructions and expectations must be provided for the localization vendors. This way miscommunication between the client and vendor is minimized, creating a smooth workflow.
Benefits of a Localization Kit
An effective localization kit can improve translation and localization projects in some ways. Let’s check out the top advantages of building a localization kit for your translation provider.
#1. Better translation quality
A localization/ translation kit is a guiding star for how materials require to be localized, leading to better quality translation results. A localization kit help maintains high standards for your materials in any target language.
#2. Faster and Budget-saving localization
Instead of beginning from scratch each time you decide to translate a new language, a localization kit lays the groundwork for any localization project. This helps your localization company or translators ready to work without various urgent training.
A localization kit will lead to better collaboration, resulting in lower translation costs and a faster translation and localization process.
#3. More consistency in translations
A localization kit will help all translators know how to follow, resulting in better translation consistency. The localization kit maintains consistency across your entire global presence. Regardless of what language a client accesses your website in, they can identify your company immediately.
#4. Easier collaboration
A localization kit can assist people who are working in different regions and time zones to work more clearly and effectively. If you don’t prepare a localization kit for your translation partner, linguists can use their own standards that may not fit with your brand, leading to various inconsistencies.
Prepare An Effective Localization Kit
The components relevant to different areas of the project are the primary pieces of a translation kit. Here are some elements of a localization/ translation kit.
- The previous translations are the most important part of a localization kit. The new localization vendor will appropriately take notes of the stylistic and technical preferences of the client. If the client was unsure about the quality of the previous translations, the vendor will review and report discrepancies. A glossary agreed upon by the management teams is a crucial tool for keeping terms consistent. By simply providing previous translations and their originals, project management is simplified and consistency among glossaries is ensured. If previous terms in the glossary are unsatisfactory, the teams can make necessary changes before the word or phrase confused (i.e. multiple terms, abbreviations, trademarks, slogans). This also allows the localization vendor to have a deeper understanding of the client’s industry.
- The clients should also include a more specific monolingual glossary, termbase, and do-not-translate words that define any highly technical, abbreviated, or trademarked concepts for the translator. This glossary clarifies terms that are hard to translate without the client’s input, even for a native speaker. By building a monolingual dictionary, clients gain the benefit of saving time and resources.
- The third general element of a localization kit is the client’s language which defines the target country, any regional dialect(s), and the specific region. For example, if the target language is Spanish, the localization vendor must know if the intended audience is located in Spain, Mexico, the United States, or elsewhere. A quality translation requires attention to the language variances in each region and dialect.
- The ideal translations reflect the original language’s style and tone; however, clients can indicate any stylistic adjustments or changes in the localization kit to fit with the intended audience.
- The information on the software and hardware is the final general element of a localization kit. By providing the software’s platform, manufacturer, version, and purpose, the client assists the vendor in being proactive by addressing the commonly expected inquiries before taking the time to resolve each issue one at a time. This information aids vendors in executing a smooth transfer from the project manager to the translation team.
- Components of a localization kit regarding incoming files deal with files that have text for translation vs those that aren’t. Clients can prepare their files for vendors by making a translation list or putting them in a pre-specified folder.
- Another problem to cover in the localization kit is string sizes. To avoid portions of the text being omitted during translation, they should be left at their maximum length, or unlimited.
- A localization kit also includes instructions that address engineering problems. If the customer prefers in-house engineering, the details should entail the name, version, and compiler, as well as any known problems, a bug report, and compiler errors. The name and version of the compiler, as well as the name and version of the resource editor, are included in the tool listings.
Work with GTE Localize
As the globalization force is taking place and gaining momentum, localization project managers and technical communication specialists must recognize the need of developing a thorough translation kit. Businesses must overcome linguistic barriers to compete in increasingly multilingual global markets.
As a recommended company by Goodfirms, GTE Localize is a go-to translation and localization provider for all sizes of businesses.
With many years working in the localization industry, GTE Localize thoroughly understands the role of a translation kit in our success of different localization projects.
Get in touch with us today if you are looking for a reliable translation provider to tailor your materials to your target markets.
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