7 Criteria for Selecting the Best LSP for you

When you have a new project and it's the first time that you've needed localization services, you will more than likely ask a few Language Service Providers (LSPs) to supply you with a quote.

The problem is: how do you know which LSP is best suited for your project?

Keep reading to find out the top criteria that will help you make up your mind.

First, let me explain that typically a response to a bid by an LSP is made up of three parts:

1. Quote (the fees: how much does a translation project cost)
2. Proposal (what is the solution proposed (including: skills, team, and technology)
3. Schedule (the turnaround time: how long does it take to localize a project)

Here is a list of criteria for evaluating LSP:

1. Scope

• do they cover all the languages I need
• do they provide all the services I require
• can they handle all the different file formats I use

2. Volume of Work

• can they cope with the volume of words and my deadlines
• do they have enough engineers to cover the hours of engineering quoted
• can they handle software testing
• can they also provide screen-capturing
• are the graphics going to be fully localized

3. Technology

• do they have the tools necessary for the multilingual publishing and engineering
• are they going to charge me for any SaaS technologies
• can they provide Translation Memory services
• do they have the latest version of all tools

4. Localization Process

• do they have a demonstrated process
• is the process automated or manual
• is the process customized to my project

5. Team

• do they have enough people to complete the tasks on time
• is the team experienced in this area
• is the team in-house or in-country
• is my project manager in the same time zone as me
• do I need to provide training for the translators

6. Quality Expectation

• do the translators have previous expertise in my domain
• do they provide translation & review as part of the service
• have they included client review and corrections implementation
• have they included glossary/style guide creation
• can they leverage content from my previous Translation Memories
• can they offer third party review if I don't have reviewers in-house/in-country for certain languages
• are they ISO 17100 certified

7. Schedule

• can they guarantee meeting my deadline
• do they have a contingency plan
• what is their throughput per day

Once you have considered all of the above (I know it is rather a long list) then you are ready to select the best LSP for you and your project!