Translation & Localization
Your company's image is very much influenced by its written communication. And on today's global stage, that communication must increasingly be available in the languages of the countries where you do business.
At JLS, we are committed to providing you with the high-quality linguistic edge you need in the business world. Our translation services are geared toward those documents where accuracy and clarity are paramount – data sheets, patents, operation manuals. Our localization services focus on cultural adaptation for items such as marketing materials, websites, and software. We also offer editing and rewrite services to rescue documents that had been poorly translated, or need to be refocused for new target audiences.
Getting Started
When you approach us with a project, we review the source material to assess the project size, requirements, deadlines, and deliverables. We determine the resources needed, and provide a firm quote that includes all applicable fees. Once you give your approval, that's when we roll up our sleeves.
- Project Management
- Translation / Localization Process
- Technology
- Expedited Delivery
- Quoting and Pricing
- Confidentiality
- Certification
Project Management
Your project will be handled by one of our experienced account managers, who will:
- · be your personal point of contact
- · create a master schedule that shows each phase of the project
- · communicate questions from the translation teams to you, and your clarifications to them
- · confirm that all steps in the project have been properly completed
- · ensure that JLS’s stringent Quality Control process is exercised throughout the project.
Translation / Localization Process
Translation: For each of the target languages in your project, JLS selects translators with the following criteria in mind:
- · native fluency and superior writing skills
- · solid background (i.e. advanced degrees, work experience) and specialization in the subject matter of your project
- · multiple years of professional experience.
Review: Just as every good author benefits from a good editor, each translation at JLS is reviewed by an editor who will:
- · check the translation for accuracy and consistency
- · review grammar, logic and context
- · ensure that the translation reads smoothly, just as if it were originally written in the target language.
Editing / Rewrite: You have received a poor translation, one riddled with mistakes that could jeopardize its chances of being accepted by your market partners, or one that doesn’t set the right tone when it comes to the target audience.
JLS can help! Our talented and experienced linguists will:
- · identify and correct the terminological, grammatical, logical, and stylistic problems that result from unprofessional translations
- · rework existing text to make it acceptable to regulatory authorities and your target audience.
- · turn arid technical text into brighter marketing language
Quality Control: The JLS translation and localization process includes qualitative reviews at each step of the project -- one of the things that sets JLS apart from mass-production competitors. These reviews can be quite extensive and include:
- · side-by-side source-target comparisons to ensure that all elements are accounted for
- · re-alphabetizing lists (such as glossaries) in the target languages
- · adjusting tables to accommodate different text lengths in other languages
- · testing cross-reference tabs and links
- · checking for consistent indentation, bolding, and italicization
- · adjusting object / legend positioning in figures
- · ensuring that the correct decimal points – periods in the U.S., commas elsewhere – are applied consistently throughout the document.
If desktop publishing is required following translation, the results will be proofed multiple times to make sure the end product is perfect.
Client Review: You know your projects best, and our dialog with you helps us achieve the quality we are proud of. We not only contact you with any questions that may arise, but we also welcome reviews from your own in-country representatives. They may have legitimate preferences when it comes to phrasing and terminology, and it is part of the JLS quality control process to take these into account.
Technology
JLS utilizes the latest in computer-assisted translation software and desktop publishing technology to ensure consistency in the material we translate for you, as well as adherence to your formatting requirements.
Translation Memory: We record each step of the translation process on our secure server and create a Translation Memory (TM) from the final version for each of the languages involved. The TM is a database of linguistic segments (generally at the sentence level) in the source document and their corresponding translations. Once we establish a TM for you, we use it to identify previously-translated segments in new documents. This service benefits you in three ways:
- · Pricing: There are discounts for translating content in new documents that is identical or similar to that of prior projects.
- · Consistency: The TM maintains your translation history to ensure uniform terminology, which is particularly important in manuals, instructions, and other highly technical text.
- · Turn-around time: Consistent use of terminology and phrasing across documents accelerates the translation process, allowing us to provide a faster delivery.
Formatting and multimedia publishing: To meet the full range of client requirements, JLS uses the latest text-editing, desktop publishing, multimedia, graphics, and communications software. We are equipped with double-byte capability in Asian languages, and have a full complement of fonts across all major languages. Final products are delivered for either Mac or Windows in formats such as MS Word, XML, HTML, PDF, and Adobe FrameMaker and InDesign.
Expedited Delivery
Need it fast? JLS will get it done!
There are those times when standard turnaround time is not enough. JLS can provide rush processing. Just how fast will, of course, depend on the size, complexity, and difficulty of the project, as well as the language(s) involved.
Quoting and Pricing
There are many factors that determine the price of a translation or localization project. Most basic, of course, it the amount of text involved. But other price factors include:
- · the source and target languages involved (some are more expensive than others)
- · the type of material: highly technical documents require highly specialized translation teams, and marketing materials require extra effort beyond straight translation to ensure that the result is optimized for the target audience
- · file complexity: there are simple Word documents, and then there are files laden with features such as graphics with embedded text that would require additional time and effort in addition to translation to produce the target language versions
- · deadlines: we know from much experience how long a project would normally take to complete, but we can accommodate clients’ needs for faster turnaround.
Confidentiality
All documents are treated as private and confidential, and only authorized personnel are allowed access.
Certification
Upon request, JLS can provide certification that the translation projects we undertake for you conform to our rigorous procedures for accuracy and quality requirements, management responsibility, and project implementation.
JLS takes pride in its reputation as a company that consistently meets the most exacting client demands.
