February 5, 2025 / by Margarita Núñez Estimated read time: 4 minutes
Evaluating Translation Suppliers: Challenges and Solutions
A translation procurement buyer encounters numerous challenges when choosing a new translation supplier.
These difficulties typically stem from the intricate nature of the translation industry, the varied requirements across different projects, and the need to balance quality, cost, and efficiency.
Choosing a Partner
Here are some common challenges and solutions that will help you, as an indirect procurement manager, evaluate a new translation supplier:
Assessing Translation Quality
- Challenge: Ensuring the translation provider delivers high-quality, accurate translations, particularly for specialized industries (e.g., legal, medical, technical) that require domain expertise.
- Solution: Conduct paid pilot projects or use third-party (or even better internal) reviews.
Evaluating Technology Integration
- Challenge: Ensuring the provider can integrate with existing tools like CAT (Computer-Assisted Translation) tools, translation management systems (TMS), or content management systems (CMS).
- Solution: Request a list of all their CAT tools and whether they can be integrated with your existing tools via an existing API or a paid-for plugin during the vetting process.
Understanding Pricing Models
- Challenge: Understanding pricing models from different vendors and the difference between services: translation only, translation and review, machine translation and post-editing, AI-generated translations, etc.
- Solution: Analyzing pricing models (per word, per hour) and understanding what is included in the price and the value proposition of different providers.
Turnaround Time and Scalability
- Challenge: Ensuring the provider can meet deadlines for high-volume projects or scale up for urgent requests or special projects.
- Solution: Review volumes and turnaround times mentioned in specific case studies, asking to speak to a similar client in terms of volume of words, and asking questions about scalability.
Cultural and Linguistic Expertise
- Challenge: Verifying that translators are native speakers, professional full-time translators, and experts in your domain, so translations are culturally appropriate and resonate with the target audience.
- Solution: Confirm that translators are native speakers of the target language and have experience by asking for a selection of C.V.
Compliance and Confidentiality
- Challenge: Ensuring compliance with regulations (e.g., GDPR for EU companies) and maintaining confidentiality for sensitive content.
- Solution: Review their data security protocols and non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).
Customization and Flexibility
- Challenge: Finding a provider that can customize services to specific projects' needs, teams' time zones, or unique formatting requirements.
- Solution: Discuss customization options during the negotiation phase and reflect some of those in the service level agreements in the contract.
Global Coverage and Local Expertise
- Challenge: Balancing the need for a global provider with the benefits of localized, on-the-ground expertise.
- Solution: Assess the provider’s network of linguists and global footprint.
Vendor Differentiation
- Challenge: Distinguishing between providers in a crowded market, as many language vendors offer similar services.
- Solution: Look for unique selling points, such as specialization in your particular industry, innovation, use of technology, longevity in the business, etc.
Read more about what to consider when choosing a new localization partner.
Topics: Article, Business Strategy
Written by Margarita Núñez
Margarita is Vice President, Marketing and Business Development at SimulTrans. She spearheads SimulTrans' Digital Marketing and Business Development Programs, focusing on developing digital marketing strategies that support business growth. A native of Spain, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in History of Art and a Master of Arts in European Studies.