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There is much to consider when undertaking a manufacturing document translation, and budgeting is often a primary concern. Proper budgeting and keeping project costs in check are vital concerns, so companies want to know what to consider when creating budgets for translations. When it comes to budgeting for translation and localization of manufacturing documents, here 3 primary factors for consideration.
How Many Departments Are Affected by This Manufacturing Document Translation?
The more departments that are affected throughout your company, the more specific your translations must be to meet their specific demands. This may increase costs, especially if you are in a very technical industry or offer specialized products or services. If multiple departments will use material from your manufacturing document translation, each department’s unique needs must be considered when formulating a project translation budget.
For example, your new device or product may need the following documents translated for target markets:
- Regulatory compliance documentation
- Safety materials
- Warning labels
- End-user instructions for use (IFU)
- Marketing materials
- Packaging and shipping labeling
- CE mark related documentation
How many departments are involved in creating and using the examples above? Regulatory, Compliance, Legal, Quality Control, Production, Sales, Marketing, Shipping, and more? In our example, at least five different departments will be involved in your manufacturing document translation project. Will they divide costs equally or on a percentage basis? Or will translations have their own separate budget category for this project? These are questions that must be resolved before your manufacturing document translation can get approval to begin.
Will Your Manufacturing Document Translation Serve a Global Market?
How many countries, user types, and locations are impacted by for your manufacturing document translation? Commonly used languages can be more affordable than those in other markets with less widely used languages. In any case, budgets will change if you need to serve multiple global markets.
Other issues to consider are translation and localization factors for each region within your target market. The scarcity of qualified translation resources and personnel for more obscure languages or dialects will drive costs up. And if you need highly technical subject matter expertise in these languages, this reduces the pool of qualified resources even further. Supply and demand play a big role in determining the market price for manufacturing document translation services.
Moreover, many locales may have their own particular regulatory bodies that will require specific documentation for devices or products. And the more technical a device or product, the higher the level of regulatory compliance requirements. If your manufacturing document translation will be affected by multiple global regulatory bodies, it is crucial that you work with an experienced translation services partner that is able to meet all of your needs.
Do You Change Translations Services for Each Manufacturing Document Translation?
If you shop around for price and choose a different translation services partner for each manufacturing document translation, you are almost certainly spending more money than is necessary. This is because each translation service must start from scratch when providing a translation.
Using the same translation services provider for all your document translation projects allows a single company to become familiar with your business, culture, ethos, products, and unique terminology. A reputable translation provider will build and maintain a translation memory that allows them to reuse repeated terms and phrases in your translations to save you time and money.
Building a relationship with a single translation services provider for all your translation needs is the best way to guarantee efficiency, accuracy, and cost. International Language Services is your premier source for reliable manufacturing document translation. Our quality control processes are ISO certified to guarantee your satisfaction. We employ only native-speaking translators who are also subject matter experts, so your industry-specific translations are accurate.
If you want to learn more about best translation practices and save your organization time and money, this free guide to budgeting for a manufacturing document translation is a great place to start. Contact International Language Services to learn more about how we can help with your next translation project.
