Time Constraint Management for Manufacturing & Engineering Document Translations

For many manufacturers of capital equipment, such as agricultural machinery, factory equipment, construction and mining machinery, penetrating new markets around the world is a major goal. This market expansion may involve an entire product line or a single high-value piece of equipment that is being customized for a particular sale. A crucial part of the process is translation of a wide variety of documentation into the local language of the intended market.

From operator and maintenance manuals, safety and other labels for equipment, user interfaces, and software to catalogs, marketing materials, websites, and audio-visual presentations, translation of documents must take place prior to delivery of goods. Translation takes time, so proper planning and translation project management should be a high priority, beginning with the decision to expand into new markets. Here are some ways to shorten translation lead times and avoid delays:

• Make Translation Requirements an Early Priority – As soon as you have a firm commitment to expand into a new global market, identify all documents that will need translation. Contact your translation company to discuss your translation needs as soon as possible. International Language Services (ILS) will assist you in planning and scheduling. The earlier we get started, the sooner we can assemble a technical translation team to get to work on your project.
• Get a Preliminary Translation Price Quote – Although the final cost of translation cannot be determined until all documentation to be translated is finalized, identifying existing documents that need translation is a good first step and will allow ILS to assist with your budgeting. If you need to customize files, we will be happy to update our quote for you later, when the documents have been finalized.
• Translate Documents That Will Not Change – Identify documentation that will not need changes and schedule its translation first. As these documents are translated, they will help build translation memory that can save time when translating additional files that need to be edited or rewritten.
• Eliminate Unneeded Content – Many documents associated with manufactured products include lists of distributors, repair centers, and other information that does not necessarily apply to a foreign market. Identify and eliminate such content to reduce translation costs and timelines.
• Prepare Glossaries in Advance – Having your documentation team extract glossaries of technical terminology from operator and maintenance manuals and other documents before editing those documents for the new market allows ILS to translate those glossaries first and add the translations to translation memory. This will allow for earlier completion of the final translations.  We can also incorporate any “preferred” translations from your in-country representatives to ensure that they are delighted with the final outcome.
• Finalize Documents Early – Where changes need to be made to existing documentation, early completion of changes should be a priority for your documentation team. The earlier documents are in their final form, the sooner the translation can be completed. Changes made in the documentation later will add to your costs of translation and slow down delivery of the finished translations.
• Supply Formatted Source Files – With your source files in hand, ILS can translate your files returning completely quality checked, formatted translations that are ready for your immediate use. Your ILS project manager will assist you with this process.

At our technical translation company, we can translate engineering and manufacturer documents into 150+ languages, including Korean, Japanese, Spanish, Chinese, French, Latvian, Portuguese, German, Russian, Czech, Italian, Hindi, Dutch, Polish, Swedish, and many more. No matter what types of documents you have, we have the experienced translators who can handle your project.

Streamlining Translations for Manufacturing & Engineering Companies

International Language Services utilizes our deep resource pool of native-speaking translators with experience in your industry, seasoned project managers, and state-of-the-art translation and document management technology to meet the most demanding translation schedules. Our experience in handling the complex needs of manufacturing and engineering companies in global markets enables us to produce the accurate, ready to print translated documentation you need when you need it. We will work with you and your documentation team to streamline the process from start to finish. Contact us soon to discuss your upcoming translation needs.