Developing a smart strategy depends on being able to see very clearly who is on your team. It’s not just those people closest to global marketing or translation decisions; the reality is that everyone who interacts with the product or the content somewhere along the pipeline has a stake in localization.

In order to keep pace with the latest translation technology, the localization industry has to evolve. Machine translation, automation tools, and API integration have made localization ever faster. AI can never truly replace the human element of localization.

It’s hard to judge the quality of a translation in a language you don’t understand. You’ll figure it out eventually, but there are always consequences of bad translation. If it’s no more than a delay in your production schedule or a string of complaints, you’re lucky.

The scene opens on you, a newly hired localization manager at a major enterprise. You inherit a fairly extensive localization setup: established CMS software, a CAT tool, and a couple of translation vendors. If you’re really lucky, your welcome package also comes with a fully integrated localization platform.

The ideal scenario involves an experienced localization team for each of your target languages. Unlike a quick one-time translation project, this setup is an integral part of your company’s ecosystem for the long term.

Freelance translators deal with a lot. Some project managers assign jobs based on favoritism and familiarity. Sometimes, it’s the case that you get work only if you’re the one responding to their emails the fastest.

Translation and localization project management can be cumbersome and disorganized, with a lot of effort spent and no assurance that work is being done efficiently—or done well. Alternatively, localization management can be streamlined, optimized, and transparent.

To determine what the best online translation services really are, get clear on your expectations and hold vendors to those standards.

Language service providers (LSPs) are notorious for being untrustworthy. Every couple of years, a localization manager will outsource localization to another service, hoping this one will be better than the last.

Automating and outsourcing l10n services right away opens the doors to growth. When localization can keep up with you, you can maintain the kind of growth that localization makes possible.

Whether you freelance for LSPs or contract directly with end clients, you’re likely to experience a different set of creative and logistical obstacles. Let’s face it.

When you do translation work from home, it’s okay to expect respect, transparency, cutting-edge tools, generous support, real choice, and a positive and homey work environment. Those are all things capable of bringing us together as an industry community.

Working with end clients, you might struggle to achieve a secure volume of work that will cover your bills each month. Plus, most translators find their jobs through networking—a system that unfairly rewards connections over skills.

The translation industry, like any other, has its good players and the not so good. ‍

When your translation activities encompass multiple languages and a broad range of users, things can easily get chaotic—particularly when everyone is working in isolation.