Globalization is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "The process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale" . In order to truly achieve international success, you need a globalization team to match that ambition. Start by looking to your in-house team members who you can rely on as the driving force behind your global success. Combine that with a great localization service provider, who really understands your brand and will help you achieve your international goals.
Here is a list of the different character types you need to have to create an unbeatable Globalization Dream Team who will help drive your company's global business strategy.
The Visionary (a.k.a. Marketing Specialist)
With the finesse of a marketer and sharp business savvy, this team member oversees and directs the marketing strategy according to the overall brand, voice and international goals of the company. It is the visionary's job to:
- Oversee the international brand as a whole
- Ensure that everything intended for a foreign market is ready to be released
- Ensure that translations capture the brand and voice of the company
The Sorceress (a.k.a. Localization Project Manager)
This team member should be an expert in all aspects of the localization process and have acute attention to detail and razor sharp negotiation skills. You will probably not have this skill set in house and might need to rely on your localization service provider to assign a good Localization Project Manager to your projects. This person's localization expertise will help to:
- Define metrics to manage and track linguistic quality
- Set delivery milestones for a localization project
- Solve any problem that arises along the way
The Tech Genius (a.k.a. Localization Engineer)
This team member is someone who is a dab hand working with translation technology such as Translation Memory, Machine Translation, QA tools, and understands how tools speed the translation process. Again if you do not have the right person in your team, ensure that you establish a good communication channel with your LSP's localization engineer.
It is the tech's job do:
- Evaluate and select the best localization tools for a particular project (TM / MT)
- Leverage previous translations if available or consider MT to reduce scope for translation
- Decide on the best integrations /connectors for particular projects
The Budget Wizard (a.k.a. Vendor Manager)
A data collecting, number crunching mastermind who can identify areas for cost saving and improvements. His or her role is most likely in procurement or finance and they may not know much about localization but they will be the first to speak up when costs are getting out of hand. They are good at:
- Telling the difference between necessary investment, and wasted costs
- Evaluating and selecting the best translation partner for the company
- Signing MSA with SLA that are favourable
The Polyglot (a.k.a. Translator)
With the linguistic finesse of a global trotter, this team member can translate your message, marketing offer, brand or whatever you are selling, and make it work in a different language. This is not your sales guides or tech support person doing the job of a translator though. It is a professional translator with proven experience and qualifications.
The job is to:
- Understand the concept and then translate it
- Ensure that the translation will work for the intended foreign market
- Suggest changes that will help capture the brand and voice of that company
While this is the Globalization Dream Team, realistically, companies do not have all of these people, job descriptions or even the skills in their own teams. This is when working with a
professional localization service provider will help.
Don't be afraid to work with a professional translation service provider, to fill in the in-house gap to help boost your global strategy.