6 Steps to Preparing for a Software Localization Project

Scope Creep With Your Localization Project?

We know that all projects begin with good intentions to stay on budget, but at t’works, we’ve become so highly skilled at project scoping that we give you the exact cost of the entire project.

Upfront.

So we know it’s possible.

Accurately scoping your localization project ensures a high-quality end product and a project that doesn’t exceed its budget. Below we’ve quickly outlined the basics steps we at text&form recommend our customers follow as they plan their localization projects.

1. Internationalize your software code for localization. What is the standard numbering format in the locale? What content should be localized to ensure a smooth user experience? Do some pseudo translation upfront to see how your localized strings behave and assess if you have any character length restrictions.
2. Reduce your pre- and post-processing engineering steps. An optimized workflow will save costs and time and reduce error-prone manual tasks.
3. Provide the localization team with access to the running version for reference or to any relevant documentation or product demos.
4. Identify a single point of contact who will have time to answer context-related questions. Reach out to your product manager if needed, discuss terminology with your in-country team and allocate the time needed to onboard your translation partner.
5. Develop a process to approve key terminology in all languages. Once approved, choose tools that ensure your terminology is consistent in all of your content.
6. Discuss post-localization testing and QA to ensure any preferences and changes are captured. As a result, your proprietary translation corpus will be a living asset that gets better with age just like wine does.

Contact Us

We’re familiar with .resx, JAVA .properties, html, xml and other file types as well as SAP ABAP content, which lets us step right into the flow you’ve developed for your own team. Translation and localization require in-depth, thorough knowledge of language, culture, industry, and software development, plus a firm grasp of your company’s brand. We’ll help you prepare for your localization project so that you save time and money while increasing quality.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you with software translation and localization.