Language service providers (LSPs) traditionally focus on translation, localization, and, in some cases, interpreting. They manage client projects and ensure the accuracy and consistency of the final product. But as technology advances and digital content explodes, LSPs are expanding beyond these standard services.
Today, LSPs aren’t just translators, localizers, and project managers. They are technologists, strategists, and innovators. They’re redefining their role in a world where instant, accurate, and culturally relevant communication is crucial. Let’s look at how LSPs have adapted, from incorporating tech like machine learning to offering services like cultural consulting.
Integrating AI, Automation, and Machine Learning
LSPs have embraced AI, automation, and machine learning to enhance their capabilities and meet their clients’ changing needs. Here are a few ways they’ve integrated these technologies into their services.
Automated translation workflows
AI automates repetitive tasks like file preparation, terminology management, and quality assurance. It can:
- Automate text extraction from files, eliminating manual copy-pasting.
- Automatically match and suggest terms, reducing time spent searching.
- Perform quality checks on translated content and flag potential errors or inconsistencies for human review.
These abilities streamline the translation process, reduce turnaround times, and increase efficiency. For instance, LSPs use generative AI to speed up localization and perform linguistic quality checks.
Improved scalability
Automation lets LSPs produce more content without sacrificing quality. They can scale their operations to meet global market demands by automating manual tasks. Vistatec, for example, offers a fully automated, scalable distributed system for extensive data management and seamless content flow. This approach allows us to manage large volumes of content while maintaining accuracy and efficiency across languages and markets.
Customized translation tools
LSPs tailor AI-powered tools to meet clients’ specific needs. For example, a financial client needed ongoing translations. The LSP could train natural language processing (NLP) algorithms to understand the domain-specific terms and language nuances, helping ensure contextual accuracy and relevancy.
Enhanced translation quality
Machine learning algorithms can analyze volumes of translated content to find patterns and improve translation quality. As AI-powered translation engines learn from human feedback, they get more accurate and reliable, ensuring consistent and high-quality translations. For instance, Vistatec’s Intelligent Automated Translation solutions can increase project turnaround time by 40% and reduce costs by up to 50%.
Translation and Localization to Creative and Strategic Services
Thanks to technology, specific projects that took weeks or months can largely be automated using machine translation and other AI-powered tools. Great candidates include repetitive content, a clear structure, and no requirement for a deep understanding of cultural nuances.
Examples include:
- Technical manuals
- Software localization
- E-commerce product descriptions
- Website translation
- Legal and financial documents
While some projects may still need a human in the loop to guarantee accuracy, automation significantly improves turnaround times. This frees time to focus on creative and strategic solutions catering to global businesses. Here’s a look at some of these new services:
Transcreation
LSPs adapt creative content for different markets using transcreation. This involves recreating the message while maintaining its intent, style, tone, and context. It’s instrumental in marketing, where literal translation might not effectively convey the desired message or emotional appeal. For instance, a slogan or advertising campaign might need transcreation to resonate with audiences in different countries.
Global Content Strategy
LSPs help businesses develop comprehensive content strategies that align with global marketing goals. This includes:
- Conducting market research and competitor analysis
- Identifying the most popular communication channels and platforms in each market
- Understanding cultural nuances and localizing content
- Creating, publishing, and distributing global content
- SEO for different regions
- Measuring effectiveness for ongoing optimization
By crafting a global content strategy, businesses can stay on message while adapting to local preferences. For example, a multinational company may create a unified global brand but tailor it to different countries by creating localized campaigns.
Cultural Consulting
LSPs provide cultural consulting services to help businesses navigate international markets. This includes insights into local norms, taboos, and communication styles. By understanding and respecting cultural differences, companies can build stronger relationships with customers and partners worldwide. For example, LSPs might train company staff on local etiquette and communication strategies for business abroad.
These expanded services show how LSPs are strategic partners for global businesses. By offering transcreation, global content strategy, and cultural consulting, they help companies navigate cultural nuances and succeed in international markets.
Using Data-driven Insights to Enhance Language Services
However, we would be remiss not to include data analytics. Dubbed the new oil, data powers decisions across industries, and language services are no different. LSPs use data to train and refine AI-powered tools, uncover insights, and deliver tangible client benefits. Here’s how they’re doing it:
Optimize translation quality
LSPs analyze vast amounts of linguistic data, including translation memories, glossaries, and client feedback. The data helps them identify patterns, trends, and ways to improve translation quality. Machine learning algorithms, for example, can predict the most qualified translators based on past performance and expertise. This ability ensures high-quality translations and consistency across projects so clients enjoy a better experience.
Provide measurable results
Data analytics help LSPs demonstrate the impact of their services on key metrics like translation quality, turnaround time, and cost savings for their clients. They can track the success of their data-driven initiatives and improve their processes with regular reporting and performance metrics. For example, LSPs can set up a data analytics system to track the number of words translated in a day, the number of errors detected, and the number of client feedback requests received.
Reduce costs
LSPs optimize workflows and resource allocation with data analytics, saving themselves and their clients money. They can estimate project costs and manage resources more efficiently by analyzing historical data on project timelines, resource utilization, and project complexity. They can also identify opportunities for automation, such as using machine translation, which can significantly reduce costs while maintaining quality standards.
Personalized client experiences
LSPs offer their clients personalized, proactive services with data analytics. Using client feedback and preferences, they can tailor their services to meet their clients’ specific needs. For example, they can identify recurring translation errors or terminology preferences and adjust their processes accordingly. Furthermore, LSPs can anticipate clients’ future needs using data-driven insights and make proactive recommendations for process improvements or cost savings.
Driving innovation
Using data analytics, LSPs develop cutting-edge solutions and services for evolving client needs. For instance, some LSPs are experimenting with predictive analytics to forecast translation volumes and demand fluctuations. This allows them to manage their resources and capacity planning better. Others are exploring artificial intelligence and natural language processing technologies to automate content extraction, translation, and quality assurance tasks.
The key takeaway? Data analytics help LSPs improve translation quality, reduce costs, and improve the client experience. As the industry evolves, they can stay ahead by leveraging data-driven insights and innovative technologies.
How Vistatec Transforms Language Services
At Vistatec, we’re redefining the language services experience. From cutting-edge AI-powered tools and machine translation to creative and strategic support, we bring your global vision to life. Our team of experts will guide you through every step of the process, from concept to completion. Add our data-driven insights, and we’ll help you perfect your strategy across every region.
Want to learn more about how we can transform your global content strategy and amplify your brand’s reach? Contact Vistatec today.