By Nancy  Strauss
Whether your company outsources translation work or handles it in-house, here are a few tips to help you optimize efficiency, reduce costs, and improve the results.
1)Â Start with a final draft.
What you send to the translators should be the final draft of the document, signed off on by all stakeholders. Once the translation work has commenced, any changes or additions to the source document can lead to delays and higher costs.
2)Â Reduce text volume to reduce costs.
The easiest way to reduce translation costs is to reduce the amount of text translated. Before sending your text for translation, see if there’s anything that can be cut or condensed. Do you really need to translate every archived press release on your website? Can you replace product descriptions with images that will be understood in all countries?
3)Â Research suppliers carefully.
Be aware that there are huge differences among suppliers in terms of quality and types of services offered. The TA Professional Translation Services Guide offers detailed advice on choosing a translation supplier.
4)Â Plan the project calendar.
Be sure to factor sufficient time for translation in your project planning. Keep the following in mind:
- Professional translators working full-time on the translation will generally need at least one day for every 2000-3000 words.
- You’ll need additional time to deal with any questions that arise during the translation process, as well as for quality control, revisions and changes.
- If the translation will subsequently be implemented by a website programmer or designer, you should leave time both for this and for a final QA check of the result.
5)Â Â Support your translator’s work.
Provide translators with information about the context and audience of the translation as well as any special preferences you may have about style, format, or terminology. Be proactive about defining technical terms and jargon, explaining acronyms, and clarifying other potential areas of confusion. If you have a corporate glossary or previous translations that can serve as terminology references, supply them.
The information you provide will help your translators deliver translations that are better suited to your preferences and project objectives.
Nancy Strauss is the Director of  William Victor Translations.  More advice on choosing translation suppliers, evaluating cost proposals, and managing translation projects on the TA Professional Translation Services Guide.
