3 Things to Look for When Selecting a Language Service Provider

It’s not easy choosing the right Language Service Provider (LSP) for your business. Language Translation Services -like any service – are not a tangible product. You cannot see, touch or smell a service before you purchase it. You may often rely on your instincts or the opinions of others to sway your decision in the right direction. While there are a number of factors you could take into consideration when making your selection, we believe that there are 3 important traits you should look out for. These features can make a real difference to your localization program.

1. Partnership

Make sure your LSP has the ability to meet your needs, but avoid becoming just another “number” in their eyes. You and your business are on a global journey. As you grow, your LSP should be there to guide you and provide relevant support at every step of the way. While a small provider may have the enthusiasm, they may not have the necessary expertise or bandwidth for your needs as your business grows. Meanwhile very large providers who are at the behest of their shareholders will often make the mistake of shoe-horning your requirements into their existing processes, and could assign you to an inexperienced or constantly rotating team if your businesses’ annual localization spend isn’t deemed significant. The biggest difference between a partner and a simple service provider is that a partner will always look to create localization solutions which work in your world – improving your service experience through dedicated teams, optimizing processes and increasing cost-savings for you through their expertise. 

2. Dedicated Teams

Imagine always going to the same hair salon and each time a different hairdresser cuts and styles your hair. The result? Well, you could walk out each time with a totally different haircut. You might be delighted with the results… on the other hand there is no guarantee that would be the case! Lack of consistency in project management and linguistic teams can be a real deal breaker. If each time you submit a project with similar requirements you need to explain your preferences to a new project manager, it ends up being your time that is wasted. It is important that you partner with a language provider that dedicates the same teams to you and your business every time. Your Project Management team should know you by name, and you should be able to pick up the phone to them and know who you are dealing with. This will save you the headache of having to constantly answer the same questions while providing you with peace of mind that your projects are being handled the right way.

3. Portable Localization Solutions

While you want to choose a partner who understands technology and its potential for your business, you may want to make sure you choose an LSP that doesn’t either “tie you in” to their own services through their own proprietary technology or who design your localization program with only their proprietary technology solutions in mind. Just as your neighbor’s slippers may not fit your own feet, your business interests might not be best served by those LSPs who support a commercialized technology arm; there is after all an incentive to use and sell their own language solution, whether there is a good fit with your business or not. 

Want to find out more about our services or what kind of partnership we can offer you? Reach Out to Us and get your localization program kick-started today.