What’s Wrong With Your Translation Strategy?

For businesses to reach international audiences in today’s global marketplace, having an efficient, updated, and scalable translation strategy is important. However, many companies still rely on outdated methods that may no longer meet modern demands. Whether you’re a translation company, localization project manager, or a business with frequent multilingual content needs, it’s important to recognize the signs that indicate it’s time for an AI upgrade. This article explores 5 key indicators that your translation strategy might need some help from AI technology—and how utilizing it can simplify your operations.

1. Slow Turnaround Times

If your translation projects consistently miss deadlines or take too long to finish, it’s a clear sign that your strategy might be outdated. Traditional methods that rely solely on human translators can be very slow, especially when handling large volumes of content or scaling operations.

AI-powered tools can significantly quicken this process. William Spalding, Localization Senior Project Manager at Spotify, highlights the need for efficiency in translation workflows, stating, “The buyer lacks understanding, oversight, and control of their quality while the seller struggles to meet quality expectations because the buyer is too hands-off, and the linguists don’t have the support or feedback they need.” 

2. Quality Consistency Issues

Inconsistent quality is also a common problem when human translators work without the support of advanced tools. If you find that the quality of translations varies across projects or languages, it’s another strong indication that your current strategy may benefit from an AI upgrade. It can be challenging to maintain a consistent tone and accuracy, especially when multiple translators are involved or when the volume of content is too large to be handled manually.

AI tools help maintain consistency by using translation memories and glossaries, making sure that linguists and translators have the support they need to maintain quality across different and multiple projects. Chris Fetner, director of the Entertainment Globalization Association, points out that achieving perfection in translation can be expensive, but having high standards is necessary: “You want it to be very good, but when you try to go to perfection, the return on investment becomes uninteresting.” AI provides a solution to this problem by ensuring a consistent and high level of quality while simultaneously reducing the burden on human resources.

3. Difficulty Scaling Operations

It’s also a sign to upgrade your translation strategy if you continue to struggle with handling increasing volumes of content or adapting to new languages. Outdated methodologies often fail to offer the scalability needed for expanding businesses, making it difficult to meet the growing demand efficiently.

Neil Patel, founder of Neil Patel Digital, notes that “there is already a lot of content in English but not enough in other languages, even though the majority of the people in this world don’t speak English.” AI-powered solutions are essential for businesses looking to expand globally, as they can automate large-scale processes and manage multiple languages simultaneously, allowing companies to scale operations without significantly increasing costs or compromising quality.

4. High Costs Without a Proportionate Return on Investment (ROI)

It’s also important to examine if your increasing translation costs are bringing any improvement in your ROI. Because if not, that’s another clear sign that your current approach might not be that sustainable for the long run. It can be very difficult to manage multiple languages and complex content without the support of AI, which could make businesses find themselves investing heavily without seeing significant gains in efficiency or quality.

Robert Casten Carlberg, CEO of Nuanxed, emphasizes the importance of evolving methodologies: “[While translators are] essential in maintaining high-quality literature in translation, [their] methodologies will need to evolve alongside technological advancements. Integrating AI into the translators’ toolbox [will enhance productivity] without sacrificing creativity or quality.” AI not only helps reduce costs by automating repetitive tasks but also improves the productivity of human translators, thus improving overall ROI.

5. Limited Language Capabilities

Now, if your strategy is still limited to a few languages or struggles with specialized content, it’s another clear sign that an AI upgrade is necessary. As companies expand into new regions and countries, the demand for diverse language capabilities and specialized expertise increases. Relying solely on human translators without the support of AI can make it difficult to meet these demands.

Ofer Tirosh, CEO of Tomedes, a translation company, notes that “AI isn’t just the future—it’s already reshaping how translation companies deliver exceptional services today.” By incorporating AI, businesses can easily handle a broader range of languages and specialized content, such as legal or technical documents.

It’s Time To Upgrade Now

If you recognize any of these signs in your current translation strategy, it may be time to consider integrating AI into your workflow. Whether it’s improving turnaround times, maintaining consistency, scaling up operations, managing costs, or expanding language capabilities, AI provides a solution to the challenges faced by today’s translation companies.

The integration of AI is becoming essential for businesses looking to stay competitive in the global market. The industry will just continue to evolve and change, which is why combining human expertise with advanced technology will ensure that companies can meet the demands of a diverse, multilingual world without any problems. If you are considering modernizing your translation processes, exploring AI tools such as Google Translate, MachineTranslation.com, DeepL, Reverso, and AITranslator.com may be the next major step in optimizing your strategy.

Featured image by Andrew Stutesman on Unsplash

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