How to choose between translation agencies?

 

For clients or companies seeking to choose an appropriate Translation Agency to work with the range of service offerings and company types can seem overwhelming. There are perhaps millions of options to choose from.

From the global players to niche small teams; the pricing structure, timelines, and expertise match can seem like fitting a million piece jigsaw together.

Making a mistake can be costly, but with a little guidance you can help make a more careful selection.

So how do you choose?

Well, you need to first of all understand yourself:

Reflect on who you are…

• Are you a multinational or an individual?
• How important are your materials?
• Are they for information only?
• Or are they key marketing documents?
• Are your documents generalised or specialised?

What do you need?

• Do you have complex or simple requirements?
• Who would be best placed to support these?
• What are your IT or file format requirements?
• Do you require Translation Memory management?
• What languages are you translating for?
• Global languages or a few targeted language pairs?

What is your budget?

Translation pricing can range greatly but so can the service level

• Would you consider PEMT?
• Do you need a Translation, Review and Proofreading?
• Can you complete the project management?

Once you know who you are , you need to find someone that mirrors you, who already knows you and who will understand you.

A demanding multinational pharmaceutical company would be best placed served by a similarly specialised agency, an individual seeking to translate a book would be perhaps better served by a freelancer.

Similarly, if you are translating in a single language pair, a similarly focussed supplier would have more synergy with your requirements and offer greater value to you.

In summary: It is only once you reflect and know yourself, can you choose what you need and an appropriate partner to support you.

If you need support with your translation requirements or would like to discuss this subject further feel free to reach out to us at translate@latinlink.com

LatinLink.com