The fastest route to meeting your business translation needs

There are several ways that your company can approach the translation of its documents. To help you get the translation service you need, here we look at the different methods and consider their advantages and disadvantages. 

Professional translation is essential to the operation and strategic development of millions of businesses around the world. Some companies use their staff team to undertake translations, others use translation agencies, and others use freelance translators recruited through online freelancing sites. 

In addition, some companies use machine translation when converting their documents from one language to another. However, doing so carries far more risk than using professional human translation services. Machine translation is incapable of the subtleties and nuance that human translators can apply to the text they are working on – as was proven once again by the most recent human versus machine translation competition. It often results in language that sounds strange, or simply doesn’t make sense. This can reflect poorly on companies that use machine translation to promote their services. Human translation is a far better solution. 

Professional business translation options 

Using internal employees to undertake translation tasks is one option that businesses have. Many individuals speak two or more languages, so for a quick email or business letter translation, it can be tempting to use an employee’s linguistic skills. This is a cost effective solution for companies, as they don’t have to pay out anything for the translation other than their usual wages bill. 

On the other hand, it is unlikely that the employee in question holds certifications for their language skills, or has experience of the subtleties of translation. The result is that ad hoc translation work undertaken by employees doesn’t always live up to the standards of a professional translation company. 

Recruiting freelance translators through an online jobs portal site is also an option for businesses looking to translate documents professionally. Many exceptionally talented translators work freelance and this can be a good way to work directly with them. The downside is that the hiring process can be fairly time intensive, with the business having to sift through dozens of applications, look into the experience and work samples of potentially qualified candidates, and set up payment arrangements on the job site. Checking the quality of the translation will also need to be factored into the process. 

Fastest business translation

By far the fastest route to excellent corporate translation is to appoint an agency. This can be done with just a couple of emails or a quick phone call. The translation agency will then take care of the details of the job, from ensuring it is professionally translated, to undertaking quality assurance checks and ensuring that any typos are caught. The business can focus on its day to day operations, confident that the agency is taking care of the translation tasks professionally and quickly. 

Using a translation agency also reduces the risk of delays due to the translator being unwell, or having to take time of unexpectedly for any other reason. An agency will have access to numerous translators, and can thus respond flexibly to a range of situations. 

Peace of mind with regard to quality assurance is also part and parcel of appointing a translation agency. Tomedes, for example, offers a one year guarantee for all of its translations.

Additional translation services

Certified translation and localization services can also be provided by many translation agencies, which will have a network of professionals on hand to deal with all kinds of translation work and complementary services. 

Many translation companies also offer desktop publishing services, which are particularly useful for businesses looking to translate their marketing brochures, presentations and similar documents. 

Corporate translation

If your business is in need of professional corporate translation, Tomedes would be delighted to talk through your options. Contact our friendly and efficient team for further details.