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This blog is for all who have been/or will be involved in buying translation services. Every day we meet new clients and learn about their requirements, needs and demands and most of all their expectations from a translation provider. And what we find is that most share the same goal: buying translation services for a cheap price with good quality. In today’s tight economy, most companies are dealing with drastically reduced budgets. As such, the primary focus is on the bottom line of any quote.
But when it comes to language/translation services, the bottom line from some providers is not always in line with what the provider says it includes or what they deliver. That is why it is extremely important for those responsible for securing language services to take a careful and thorough look what is actually contained in the quote.
Below are a few recommendations we have for what to look for when comparing quotes from different language service providers (LSP).
- Company Background– is the LSP an established organization?
- Where is the project manager located? Will he/she be your main point of contact?
- Is the translation/review done by native speakers?
- Take a look at the analysis: are you comparing similar word counts for new words and matches/repetitions?
- Is project management included?
- Does the price for the translation include review by a second subject-matter expert?
- If you require an in-country review and changes are required after the review, how is this managed?
- Is the formatting of files included, if required? Last but not least, is the time to turn-around the project comparable and does it meet your timeline?
These suggestions are designed to help you avoid a negative experience with an LSP. Yes, it is important to stay within budget, but not at the expense of quality.
