Lionbridge Translation and Localization

Top 10 Reasons to Centralize your Translation

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Lee Densmer wraps up her 3-part series on Translation Centralization today with the top ten reasons to centralize...

You may be using several language service providers (LSPs) to handle the translation of your content. If you are, you probably already know that it takes a lot of effort to manage multiple LSPs.  As you add languages and products to your project list, it becomes more time-consuming and complicated to manage. 

But why should you centralize? What are the benefits? Doesn't having more than one LSP provide more flexibility and better pricing?

Here are the top 10 reasons to centralize:

1. Centralization can save up to 15% over multiple LSPs. One LSP can size up your entire program and develop program-level processes that bring costs down.
2. An MLV (multi-language vendor) can look at your deliverables and give feedback on how to design them for optimal translation into all your program languages.
3. Cost savings also come from lowered internal costs of translation: MLVs handle setup, terminology, preparation, desktop publishing, and query management all at once for all markets.
4. Leverage is increased because translation memories are used on all projects; increased matching is realized and reflected in your project costs.
5. Your staff has less to do so your internal management costs are reduced.
6. Volume discounts are possible when a single provider deals with all your language requirements.
7. Quality is consistently high due to unified processes, technology deployment, and QA procedures.
8. There is only one language technology solution to implement.
9. You have greater budgetary control.
• One invoice per month, rather than many
• Easily collated spend information
10. Better collaboration with your vendor leads to increased consistency between languages.
• Queries on translation issues can be leveraged across languages, generating a consistent translation approach between the various target languages
• Schedule benefits
• Quicker time-to-market
• Consistent and predictable turnaround times
• Simultaneous release of localized versions

Three Things to Remember

1. Working with several LSPs can be complicated and unnecessary.
2. An MLV can help you get a handle on your company's localization spend, process, and quality.
3. An SLV (single-language vendor) may be able to give you better pricing than an MLV on the language they provide, but your internal management effort is likely to counterbalance the savings.

Read the Full FAQ
For more information, read our Translation FAQ: "Why Would I Want to Centralize all my Translation?"

Lionbridge publishes Translation FAQs regularly, so:

• Bookmark our main Translation FAQ page
• Follow Lionbridge on Twitter, so you can be the first to know when we publish a new FAQ