Current Situation

Software Engineers are creating the German as well as the English software versions.

The bilingual product variants are generated within the development environment. Localization tools are not used.

The employees of the company are German native speakers, do not really feel comfortable with English and therefore do need a lot of time.

Since the Software Engineers do not have free capacities for the English online help, the Technical Writers are taking care of it.

Changes in the German online help and manual are being identified by comparing files, appropriately implemented in the English sources and finally translated.

Time-consuming implementation of the user interface references in the technical documentation is based on researching the running software.

Information regarding terminology changes within the user interface does not always reach the Technical Writers. Not only the quality but also the cooperation between Software Development and Technical Communication suffers under this lack of information flow.

For lack of English native speakers the Quality Assurance releases the English version with an unpleasant feeling.

Due to inconsistent terminology between the user interface and the online help of the English product and the resulting user errors, the software is negatively evaluated by professional journals. The sales figures are not satisfying.

The necessary development of new markets is not possible with the current work processes and employees within the company.

Outsourcing of software translations is not possible because the source code is not allowed to leave the company.

Solution

Optimizing the processes and increasing the quality for the localization.

The company invests in

• the internationalization capability of the software. The Software Development adapts the software design to the new requirements.
• the acquisition of tool(s) with Translation Memories for the localization of software and documentation.
• the two Technical Writers, who of course were part of the selection process of the new tool, and organizes an introduction and training for the new translation environment.

The company can expand in new markets.

Future Process

• The software can be localized separately from the development process by the Technical Writers.
• The terminology list created by the tool can be used company-wide for a consistent use of the specific terminology.
• The terminology list furthermore is the base for the translation of the technical documentation.
• Translation Memories contain translations and are the base for future internal or external translations.
• Conflicts of deadlines can now easily be avoided by outsourcing translations to external Translators.
• Increased quality requirements can be fulfilled by hiring external specialized Translators speaking the required mother tongue.

Employee Motivation

The Software Engineers focus on programming new monolingual products and the creation of the German online help.

The Technical Writers can deliver consistent translations. The error-prone and time-consuming file comparisons within the technical documentation for finding new paragraphs to be translated are no longer necessary.

The cooperation with external Translators and the translation management offer a welcome change and new tasks within the company.

The Quality Assurance focuses on running functional tests on the English version.

Loc4All

Of course, the all-embracing solution presented here is no "magic bullet", but shows the potential of professional tools in the localization process.

Prerequisite for an all-embracing, successful and long lasting solution is the analysis of individual requirements within the company:

• What languages are present today and have to be covered in future?
• What tools are compatible to the current work environment?
• Can the involved employees take on the additional tasks? Are they willing to do so?
• Etc., etc.

The right questions. The right answers. The right processes. The right solution.